weve just bought a 97 ford expedition and found out that the check engine light has been removed. we were told the car had been serviced in their own shop, and the car ran great and classified it as in exellent condition according to kelly blue book. i had a check engine scan for codes don and 7 different codes appeared which is why i say its (light) has been removed. does anyone know if this was an illegal sell due to the facts above, it was bought from privite party, is there any protection for the consumers. car wnt pass emissions. please help thanks Keenan_Sr
The check engine light should illuminate when you turn the key to “ON” and go off (unless there’s a code) when you start the engine. If the CEL does not come on in this fashion you can assume there are problems with the vehicle. This is something every car buyer should look for.
I’m sure the seller knew of the problems and didn’t want to spend the money to correct them. Unless you got some sort of warranty you’re probably out of luck. Check with your state consumer protection bureau to see if there’s any protection.
Before you buy a car in an Emissions area, (what a joke) you should request the SELLER provide a new, passing, emissions test. Savy sellers do this automatically as it adds value to the vehicle…You should contact the Dept. Of Health, Emissions Section, to see if you have any recourse with your tampered vehicle. I believe in Colorado sellers are REQUIRED to provide a fresh emissions test to the buyer. This is very difficult to enforce with private party sellers…
Please list the codes so we can see where your problems lie…You might try clearing the codes (disconnecting the battery) and have a new test done shortly thereafter and MAYBE they will not notice the missing CEL during the test…That’s a longshot however…Have you tried contacting the seller? That’s a longshot too, but it’s worth a try…