judds05

how can the check engine light be disabled? mine is not working and i have to get it working to pass OBDII. thanx

Go48

Not sure what you mean that it's not working?? How do you know its not working?? If it is illuminated, it indicates a problem unless you have some aftermarket component that is causing the light and you know that. You can clear the PCM memory, but if it is a valid CEL it will return. I doubt that you can disable it. See the ECU Clear sticky thread for how to do that.

judds05

when you start up your car it is supposed to light up to show you that it is working. mine does not light up at all. i believe they did it because the car kept throwing codes. i am fixing all the problems now so i can get it inspected.

Go48

Ah, now I understand. Assuming your assumption is correct, I'm not sure how YOU can fix that yourself, but if the dealership did, indeed, do that they are probably in violation of the federal emissions control laws. Take it in to the dealership and let them know that you suspect that they are in violation of federal emission control statutes and that you will give them the opportunity to immediately correct the situation before you contact the NHTSA and Mazda North American Operations.

judds05

not the dealership, the previous owner. the turbo kept throwing codes so i think that the previous owner disabled the light so he wouldnt have to see it.

Go48

Oh. I have no idea how he would do that. Maybe he disabled the wiring associated with the LED display for the CEL. You can try tracing down the wiring to the display area to see if you can spot any clipped or missing wires. I'll see if I can find the appropriate wiring diagram and post it here.

EDIT: Here's a partial schematic diagram of the instrument cluster with the MIL (aka, CEL) highlighted. The diagram seems to indicate that the MIL is hard-wired to the instrument cluster microcomputer, suggesting that it is an integrated unit. (The instrument cluster has it's own microcomputer.) That would make it difficult if not impossible to clip the wire leading to the MIL LED. Maybe it's possible to get inside the cluster to remove the LED, but the shop manual basically instructs the tech to replace the entire cluster unit for a "malfunction", so I suspect the innards of the unit are not accessible.

army_rx8

even if the light is out...the ecu will still ahve a code in it...adn when you go for emmission (OBDII) they plu gin a scan tool..and if you are showing any codes (or pending codes) you fail...so you should probable register you r car in a place tha tdoesnt' do emmissions or fix whatever is wrong with the car.

as for why yours is not on..i agree i believe the previouse owner cut the wire...easy enough to fix. i have a wiring diagram aroudn here somewhere.

judds05

thanks alot guys, ill take a look and let you know if i see anything.

judds05

ok, i have pretty much decided that they must have cut the wire. is there an easier way to get to the back of the instrument panel than taking the whole damn dash apart? this is really starting to be a pain in the ***. thanks for any help.

Go48

The instrument cluster can be removed without removing the entire dash. But, as I implied previously, I believe the instrument cluster, which contains a dedicated microcomputer, is a closed unit and that the indicator lights are internally, hard-wired to the microcomputer. So, if that is the case, I don't see how anyone could cut the MIL wire or remove the LED for that indicator light. If he cut the connection to the PCM from the instrument cluster, I think he would have disable far more than just the MIL light.

Assuming the car is still under warranty, take the car to a dealer and tell them that the MIL indicator light is not working. It may be that the instrument cluster is actually faulty and will have to be replaced. (Maybe the light was on for such a long time during the previous ownership that the LED actually died.) I think you are spinning your wheels here and need some hands-on expert assistance to resolve this issue. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

judds05

i would think that if he cut the wire to the entire microcomputer then none of the lights in that cluster would work. the car is not underwarranty anymore because of all of the aftermarket parts. i will try to take the cluster out and see if any wires were cut. if not, then i might just have to replace the whole cluster on that side (i hope not). ill keep you up with whats going on. thanks again go48.

judds05

apparently you were right go48. there doesnt seem to be any wires cut and if there were it would affect the whole microcomputer. i guess that i will have to replace the whole gauge cluster. that suckssss!!!!! if anyone has anymore ideas let me know. thanks.

Go48

I would guess that a new instrument cluster would be BIG bucks. You can call Rosenthal or Trussville to get a price. Might be worth paying Mazda a few bucks to verify that the cluster is the problem before you spend that kind of money.

Brice-RX8

I would highly doubt that cluster is broken, I think there has been some messing around else were in the wiring. Not sure where for you to look, but if I am wrong prices I have seen online for a cluster are around $800, with an MSRP of $1000.

Good Luck.

MX6_2_RX8

If you are still in the warranty period I don't see how they could deny coverage on an instrument cluster because you modified your engine.

judds05

they said that the entire warranty was void since there has been a turbo added

Brice-RX8

I would go to a different dealer, the turbo has no bearing on interior parts for example.

Glyphon

you need to read up on the magnuson moss act.

the burden of proof is on the dealer that your aftermarket parts caused the CEL on your dash to fail. they can't jsut say, "oh, you've got a turbo, you're warranty is forfeit"

judds05

thanks, i will deffinately look into that glyphon

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Don't have a clue what the problem could be (how do you have a CEL if the light is out?) you may have a "stored code".

I can assure you that it is very unlikely anyone cut any wires. This is not you poppa's Oldsmobile! Check out the cluster, and see if YOU can find the right SMT resistor to take out!!

S

Glyphon

is the large black circular object (below, right of the tach motor) the piezo buzzer?

judds05

just wondering if anyone had schematics for the gauges. or anything new to help. thanks again guys.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

Not meant to be a joke, but is there black tape on the cluster covering the MIL?

swoope

iTrader: (5)

you beat me to it, it probably is that simple!!!

beers

judds05

now you tell me. i took it to the dealer and they spent 3 hours taking everything apart, tracing wires, checking schematics, then they pulled off the front cover of the cluster and notices a 1/2 inch piece of electrical tape across the light. that piece of tape almost cost 1k dollars. sometimes its the simple things that give you the most problems. thanks everyone for your help.