Join the community and post your question. Use our Ask-A-Tech for free now! ASE experts standing by.

Forum > General Smog Check > Question

Check Engine Light On - 1998 Ford Taurus. 3.0 Liter Engine - Misfire P0301 Trouble Code.

I had a trouble code scan done. Came up with P0301 Misfire in cylinder one. I replaced the spark plugs and my Ford Taurus runs better now but the Check Engine light is still on. Smog station will not smog test my car. Any advice?
Answer:

First question I have is... Did you reset the Check Engine light by clearing the trouble codes? Second question... Does your Ford Taurus's check engine light re-illuminate after a reset soon as you start the engine? Have you rescanned the OBD II for new trouble codes; or perhaps the same trouble code (P0301) reappearing? If the Check Engine light turns on again after resetting and you have ensured the engine ignition system is working properly, you may want to run the ignition system on an ignition oscilloscope. The oscilloscope will show small variances in the ignition pattern which might not be apparent to you by simply listening to the engine or feeling for misfires. If the oscilloscope shows no ignition system defects either, the next component you might want to suspect is your Ford Taurus's camshaft position sensor. Why the camshaft position sensor? Believe it or not, the way your Ford's OBD II system learns about a misfire or senses a misfire is by the "skip in the beat" seen by the Camshaft Sensor at the exact moment the misfire occurs. So if all else fails and you can't get rid of the Misfire Trouble code, your Ford might not have a misfire at all and just a faulty Camshaft position sensor. posted by SmogTips Support

Related questions and answers you might find useful:

How Do I Get a Smog Check Waiver? by Margaret

Do I Need a Smog Check This Year? by Joy

Mini Cooper DMV Registration Due in 5 Day Won't Pass Smog by anne

2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with K&N Air Filter by David

1995 BMW M3 Gross Polluter High HC & NO @ 15MPH by Jared

View SmogTips.com in: Desktop / Mobile