Check engine light

SOS4CAR

MEMBER
1988 OLDSMOBILE 98
V8
FWD
AUTOMATIC
71,000 MILES

My Ninety four year old mother has the car listed above. The check engine light has been on for about a year but the car seems to work fine. At the beginning it did not come on right away but now it does. We drive it very little.
The normal repair shops say they do not have the equipment to diagnose the problem as it is too old and we have to take it to a dealer. But where? And I think that would be too expensive?
Do you have any ideas why it would be on? How can we find out?
We have to get it fixed because she has finally agreed to sell the car as we drive her everywhere anyway. And that was not easy!

5 Replies

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

Just cross A and B on aldl with a paper clip where you plug in scanner and turn key on then get back to us with the codes. It is OBD1 and telling you they cannot scan it is a lie. They just do not know how. It can be any sensor in engine messing things up causing it. Check for vacuum lines off/broken/rotted etc. The aldl is at bottom left of steering column.

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Monday, July 17th, 2017 AT 12:15 PM

SOS4CAR

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So are you saying that nothing has to be plugged in the car? My understanding is that they have a sensor but it has a jack/plug that the car will not accommodate. I also took it to AutoZone and they were very nice and came out to the parking lot with the equipment but then said it had a different plug. Are you saying it can be done they just do not know how to do it?

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Monday, July 17th, 2017 AT 12:59 PM

HMAC300

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48,601 POSTS

They do not know how to do it. Do like I said with key on and check engine light will flash in series of 3 3-1s and 3-2s equal 12 it will go up to 55 if I remember then get back to us with codes.

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Tuesday, July 18th, 2017 AT 5:39 AM

SOS4CAR

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3 POSTS

Thank you.
I was wrong about the light. It is not the Check Engine light. It says: Service Engine Soon.

I did find a repair shop that seems competent. They told me the code is 41.

What does that tell you? I hope it is not an expensive repair as my mom is 94 and has finally agreed to sell the car. I truly appreciate your help.

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Thursday, July 20th, 2017 AT 7:49 PM

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

All of these codes means the dist or ecm isn't sending a signal so it will run. See pic. It depends on which ignition system you have as there are two different ones. The one that says mem-cal may be a computer issue which would require another computer see pic

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