I went to an auto store today to have my MC scanned for a code and at the end of the scan it said this "(MIL) is off." What does this mean? Does that mean my mileage on my cluster doesn't match the computers? Or what else does it mean? Thanks for any responses!

 

is that what the scanner said or is that what the guy said???

usually scanners give problem #'s like p0288 or something like that...not mil, which seams wierd to me.

if there was a # do you know what it was?? because then you can figure out what the problem is

 

I was watching the scanner and that's what it said. There wasn't any numbers and it was at the very end of the scan. The guy didn't say anything about it. Maybe it's nothing? My wive's 98 bonneville that we used to have did that too.

 

i'm not sure what that would be then, i even google'd it like i usually do with the problem codes and that one doesn't come up...wierd

 

Must not be a problem then! [sm=smiley14.gif]
It's probably something with the scanner. Who knows

 

'MIL' = 'malfunction indicator lamp' generic term for 'check engine' light, or 'service engine soon' light

 

Really? That brings up some stuff... When my coolant sensor went out, it threw a code, but no light. Then the other day I was fiddling with the back of the plug in for the scanner and felt two wires spliced together with electrical tape. Do you think that maybe they did that since the check engine light was on? Maybe spliced it in with the battery light or something? Is there a way to test the check engine light?

Or does that whole "MIL is off" just mean that the SES light is not on because there are no codes?

 

The check engine light should check itself when you start the car. Things can set codes but not turn the light on. The check engine light comes on when the fault effects emission levels. The "MIL is off" means that the computer is not sending a signal telling it to be on. In some states, instead of emission testing on OBDII cars, they just scan the codes. If the Check Engine Light is on, the car fails emissions. But to prevent people from pulling the bulb out of the Check Engine Light, they scan it to see if there is a command from the computer to turn the light on.

 

right now the light is out right?

to check the light just start your car, the car does a "bulb test" every time you start it, the check engine light should come on for a second or 2.

MIL is off, only confirms weather or not the check engine light should be on, there are codes that can be set w/o turning on the light.

 

Yeah the light is off now. It comes on for a bulb check, but is there a way to splice the bulb wire from the check engine light to another light that also comes on for a bulb check?