1986 Ford Ranger 2.9L Check Engine light

[Westep1986]

Hello all, I finally think that I have my truck ready to pass smog....except one thing. The check engine light doesn't come on when I turn the key on, or start the truck. I pulled the dash out and there is a bulb in the slot there, but there's no wire for it in the plug? The tape around the wiring loom looks to be from the factory so I don't think someone removed it, unless they were able to slide it out of the tape somehow. I've had one heck of a hard time finding a wiring diagram to be able to tell me which wire from the computer is supposed to go to the light. Any help is a appreciated.

 

[franklin2]

You do not have a check engine light on that computer system, even though there is a bulb there. You can look at the diagrams if you do not believe me, there is no check engine light.

 

[Westep1986]

You do not have a check engine light on that computer system, even though there is a bulb there. You can look at the diagrams if you do not believe me, there is no check engine light.

I mean I believe you, that would explain the whole tape on the wiring loom thing, but I thought that all vehicles after a certain year had to have a check engine light.

 

[Shran]

There is a spot in the cluster for it but it was not active from the factory. My 86 is the same way. I don't recall how the 87 and 88s were - I think 88 at least had a bulb in the socket. I have no idea what triggers it to come on.

 

[Inbred Redneck]

No light in my '87 STX. No problem passin' smog in my county.

 

[franklin2]

No light in my '87 STX. No problem passin' smog in my county.

I am surprised they don't hook a old OBDI scanner to it when they smog it.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

86 did not have a CEL.

 

[Broncomeat]

I tried to have my 84 Bronco 2 smogged today, and the guy told me that it failed because of the CEL, So I went home and tore the whole dash out and there is not even a place for a CEL. Now my question is how do I prove that there is not supposed to be a CEL?

 

[franklin2]

I tried to have my 84 Bronco 2 smogged today, and the guy told me that it failed because of the CEL, So I went home and tore the whole dash out and there is not even a place for a CEL. Now my question is how do I prove that there is not supposed to be a CEL?

You tell him to show you the CEL. Being it's a 84 I would not doubt it has error codes in it, but you would have to put a old code reader on it to see that. Is that what he did? It's all about communication. They are all about making money off you.

 

[Westep1986]

Sorry for not posting back sooner. I went to the smog place and I was honest about the truck and told him I wasn’t sure if it needed the CEL thing in order to pass smog, because of the things I had discovered behind the dash and also because of what everyone had advised me here. So sure enough the guy looked it up in his book and even though my truck is and always has been a California truck, the books said it didn’t need the CEL. So I would go at it from that angle, and if he still insists I would get a second opinion.

 

[MikeG]

Nothing like reading the directions and following them.....

Some people don't like to be told to do their jobs! LOL

 

[Broncomeat]

Sorry for not posting back sooner. I went to the smog place and I was honest about the truck and told him I wasn’t sure if it needed the CEL thing in order to pass smog, because of the things I had discovered behind the dash and also because of what everyone had advised me here. So sure enough the guy looked it up in his book and even though my truck is and always has been a California truck, the books said it didn’t need the CEL. So I would go at it from that angle, and if he still insists I would get a second opinion.

He showed me in the book that it has EEC-IV and he said that means it has a CEL. Just curious, where is you CEL because I don't even see where one could be.

 

[Westep1986]

He showed me in the book that it has EEC-IV and he said that means it has a CEL. Just curious, where is you CEL because I don't even see where one could be.

Your Bronco has the 2.9L correct? In my ranger the check engine light is in the bottom left or bottom right of this little black film in between my speedometer and other gauges. I can’t remember which and am currently out of state for Thanksgiving. There was a bulb in the socket, but there was certainly not a wire in the plug or anywhere in the loom and the tape around the loom appeared to be from the factory.

 

[franklin2]

Your Bronco has the 2.9L correct? In my ranger the check engine light is in the bottom left or bottom right of this little black film in between my speedometer and other gauges. I can’t remember which and am currently out of state for Thanksgiving. There was a bulb in the socket, but there was certainly not a wire in the plug or anywhere in the loom and the tape around the loom appeared to be from the factory.

1984 is a carbed 2.8. But it still has the computer system. One of Ford's great ideas. It was the beginning before fuel injection and I guess you have to start somewhere.