Blinking check engine light

wa8yxm wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
A solid check engine light means check the codes whenever it is convenient.

A blinking check engine light means pull over, stop and call a tow truck.

Happened to my brother once as he was pulling off the freeway in his Detroit Diesel Powered Semi. His made it to the end of the ramp and coasted onto the shoulder.. Buddy said "Wooee, Looks like the clown car at the circus with flames shooting out from under the hood"

He left the terminal with a Detroit Diesel under the hood. By the time he stopped (near instant after the light came on) He had two halves of a Detroit Diesel under the hood.. Not so little brother (6'6.5" tall to my 6'3" but younger) is a certified Diesel Mechanic (Also Auto) Inspected it, Hitched a ride to the truck stop a short distance away..Called Detroit D His buddy dropped his trailer and they went back intending to pull his tractor out from under his trailer, then pick up his trailer and tow it to the truck stop.. Tow truck was already hooking up to tractor (Detroit D sent the Tow) so they took the trailer back.. Detroit had a new engine, AND an installer, on a plane the next day putting it in and he was on the road again.

Blinking Check Engine is serious.

Blinking engine light on a DIESEL is a DIFFERENT BEAST..

Each manufacturer has their own "system" to what functions a particular light means.. So no way to compare the actions of a Detroit Diesel to a Ford 5.4/6.8 engine light.

NOT THE SAME AS A FORD 5.4/6.8 gas engine, PERIOD.

I have personally been down this road with a 2006 5.4 and am very well versed on this..

Fords CEL (which in this case looks like a little engine Icon) ONLY MEANS a malfunction has been detected which can affect engine performance power wise or emission wise..

IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT ENGINE DAMAGE IS OCCURRING!

I can assure you and anyone else on Fords of this vintage and most since the 1990s there is not going to be flames, broken engine parts or severe damage done with a blinking or steady CEL.