80,000 miles - Automatic Warning Light?

According to Tom and Ray, the check engine light can come on to indicate the problem. If you don't do anything and there isn't a major problem, the next 2 or 3 times you start the engine, and it doesn't see the problem , the light should go out.
The code error is stored, so that if you go to a shop, they can still tell you why it came on even days later.
Now for the horror story. The reason for the info from them was the caller that had the light come on and they stopped. Fortunately for them it had indicated a problem with the alternator which was because the belt had come off. If they had kept on going, the engine would have frozen. You never know.

OP found the problem.

Sourdough Biscuits wrote:
The light has gone on and off a couple times. Finally someplace I could get it checked WHILE it was on. For those who said "O2 Sensor"... give yourself a pat on the back!

A check engine light at "almost exactly" 80,000 miles sounds more like an automatic warning to do whatever maintenance you're supposed to do at 80,000 miles. Have you checked the manual?

The light has gone on and off a couple times. Finally someplace I could get it checked WHILE it was on. For those who said "O2 Sensor"... give yourself a pat on the back!

I'm one who values a dollar and it took the experience of paying a Chrysler dealer $50 to read a code to make me buy a reader. I find my 50 dollar code reader well worthwhile. When an engine light goes on, it is great to know what the problem is right away.

The check engine light came on in my Crown Vic cruiser and stayed on till my department took it off the street. Never had any trouble and I drove the tires off it. My Vette check engine light came on but I couldn't find any obvious problem so I replaced the gas cap and bingo light went out and has never come back on. Good luck

Too bad you don't have a Scan Gauge II. In addition to giving you access to a lot of information like transmission fluid temperature, it also reads and/or clears the codes thrown when that light comes on.

Your Ford chassis doesn't have that feature that turns on a light to say "Bring me to dealer, don't forget checkbook or credit card." The light may go away on its own. Be sure gas cap's tight as noted above.

If you want a parts store like O'Reilly to scan it, NOT California. Rules there don't allow it. I don't know about WA and OR.

Did you drive down Cassiar? What a beautiful ride!

Sourdough Biscuits wrote:
I have a class C Winnebago (Chalet). The "Check Engine" light came on almost exactly at 80,000 miles. Is this automatic? I had a Dodge pickup and that happened at 60K miles. (The AUTOMATIC light.) I may call the dealer Monday, but just wondering if anyone has experienced this....Bob

It could be that it is an automatic notice to do something. I owned a 1995 Geo Tracker that had just that. Mine came on at 60k, 80k, 100k, and 120k. Here is more chatter on mine - Geo Tracker "check engine light". The other suggestions will help you determine that.

It could be automatic. Many vehicles trip the light at 60, 80 or 90K to have you replace the oxygen sensor no matter how its performing.
And unhooking the battery to clear codes is 1990's stuff. A 2006 will have non-volatile memory and it takes more to clear it.