So i'm trying to pull engine codes from "check engine" light. So i find the plug (green one which is not plugged into anything) and i put the paper clip inside attempted to ground it...Look at the idiot lights...nothins flashing.
So i put the paperclip into the other socket...nothing...
(i heard the trick on the forum to ground that out and the engine light will flash, thus writing down the codes and finding out wtf is wrong)

I dont know how this can even help... The green plug i was supposed to use was not even plugged into anything. Then i'm like wtf i look at my idiot lights i dont even have a check engine light!

Anyone comment on this for me? thanks alot

Evan

 

I don't think a paper clip is a very good conductor or ground. The plugs at the front of the car are not pluged into anything.

 

wtf, where is the check engine light?!?!

 

The green plug isn't supposed to be plugged into anything. Its left open to cause an open circuit. When you put the ground in you are closing the circuit and making the ecu put out error codes. Your check engine light is in your idiot cluster, you just weren't causing it to light up. Use a wire not a paper clip.

 

only the S5 have the light...

 

Oh ya, thats right. You gotta build a code puller for s4's.

Silly me.

 

http://home.rmci.net/panther/ecu_codes.htm

 

A paper clip is a fairly good conductor of electricity.

 

yes it is because I use the trick all the time. Stick it into the small green connector that isn't connected to anything than ground it to the ( - ) terminal and you should see it flashing

 

A paper clip will conduct fine, but there are better ways to jumper those connectors. Get two male crimp terminals and crimp them onto each end of a short (3") piece of wire. Bend it into a U shape and plug it in. Leave it in the glove box for when you need to jumper either the initial set coupler (S4 only) and the fuel pump test connector. This won't work for pulling codes on an S4, you need to build the code puller mentioned above.

 

damn! lol i thought my car was really screwed with no check engine....

Thanks alot guys

 

yup hehe the older models need that code puller versus the 89+ you can just read em on the dash check engine light.

Fred

 

What -terminal are we talking about here? Not sure how to jumper this, can anyone give more detail-jumper from where to where? Thanks.

 

the paper clip trick consists of takein a paper clip bending it straight and and putting it in the green plug on the drivers side engine bay near the lead sparkplug pack. And grounding the connector to either the body of the car or the - post of the battery.