Engine Light on...after I killed my battery?

[nwoods]

I have a few accessories that are always pulling a little bit of juice, like my Lowrance Baja 540. Well, the Jeep sat for a few weeks and the battery was drained. I jump started it today, drove it around a bit, and recharged it to some degree. It will start itself now anyway.

For some reason, my "check engine" light is on. Do you think this related to the battery issue? Truck has just under 10,000 miles on it. Battery is an Odyssey yellowtop that's about 2.5 years old.

Also, it seems like a good idea to get a trickle charger from now on. I've never owned or used one. What should I look for? What unit/brand do you recommend and why?

[mrthieba]

I have no idea about the battery issue, but I did read somewhere about a loose gas cap causing the "check engine" light to come on. It's related to pressure in the tank/canister and emissions. I replaced my gas cap, and the light went off,,,,for a little while. It's back on now!

I have a "Deltran Battery Tender" which I use to keep Toyhauler batteries charged and maintained. It has worked well for me for 2 yrs now.
Please post up if you find a fix,,, I am also dealing with this.

[NAILER341]

it should go off after a few restarts.

[Old Fart]

Don't know about a '05, but my '94 will light off the CEL if the battery gets too low - or is removed.

[nwoods]

Don't know about a '05, but my '94 will light off the CEL if the battery gets too low - or is removed.

How do you clear it? Is Nailer right, it self clears after a few starts?

On a related topic, is there an OBD reader that anyone prefers, that will clear faults as well as just read them?

[Old Fart]

nailer is right

[pdw]

My Jeep is a weekend toy, and I have discovered that the dry cell type of batteries like Oddessy and Optima's do not like to be completely discharged more than two or three times.
About a year (or two?) I also purchased a Deltran "Battery Tender 800" that I use on my Jeep's battery. Simply plug the Jeep in and walk away. It was $30 at Pep Boys and has been worth the money. The Jeep starts every time I don't have to take it for a drive to keep it charged!

It comes with a nice pig tail type of attachment that allows you to semi-permanently wire the battery or a small pair of jumper cable type of connectors. What ever your heart desires!

[OU812]

Im not as handy with the Jeeps yet but with Toyotas when the check engine light came on for a gas cap(evap code) it took three engine cycles. Engine cycles being a cold start to operating temp and back to cold.

[nwoods]

Thanks guys!

[Mike]

Hey Nathan, any OBD meter will do the trick for clearing a light. Used to, you could go get a loaner from Autozone for free, but the Communist California Republic did away with that option.

I bought the cheap one and I have been very happy so far. The codes can be looked up using the software that comes with the OBD, a Haynes manuel, or you can type it into Google and get the code and, usually, the solution. I have done this from my Blackberry while having trouble on the road.

I think that mine cost $60, and after several uses for troubleshooting, I would say that it was worth every penny.

You can clear the engine light in seconds using it. The light will also clear after several cranks with full warm-ups. But this method only works if the problem does not happen again.

[Geebo]

x2 with the OBD I have in the past used Auto Zones free option but I wasn,t aware they did away with that..A few weeks back Pep Boys had them on sale for 79.99..Hope you,re able to find the problem..

[nwoods]

Thanks guys, I am confident Nailer and Old Fart were right. We've been driving it the past few days, system seems fully charged now and the CEL is off. But I think I will be getting a trickle charger and OBDII reader this weekend.