No check engine light

[Charlie_Brown]

I don't know if this has been discussed already however not all of our d21 pathys have check engine lights. After failing smog die to this I checked the dash and couldn't find it anywhere shining a light around, nor anything consistent online. After talking to some mechanics apparently my pathfinder is a federal standard which means it didn't require by law to have some of the things others did that were sold in California and what not. If you don't have a check engine light don't let them fail you.

[Cuong Nguyen]

What year is your pathfinder? You should have one I would think.

[PathyAndTheJets]

My 88 doesn't have a check engine light.

[adamzan]

The ones that don't you can put a bulb in and it will light up, but it is just a lit up square. I believe it was the top left.

[Charlie_Brown]

I have a 92 pathfinder. When taking off the console I spiked a flashlight through every available hole and there was nothing. The terminal lines led to the RPM Guage and ended without having a hole for the light

[Charlie_Brown]

I'll have to check that out about putting a light in it. If nothing else my ECU is fine enough and works perfectly fine.

[AKdraws]

Yep. Just tell the tech to run it as a federal vehicle. If they say they cant and will fail it, then they're ignorant and you should not give them your business.

[Terranovation]

I would say if the vehicle was built without a check engine light then it's ok to pass inspection. Sure if it's got a check engine light and the bulb is faulty then that's an issue.

In the future are they gonna not pass our vehicles just because they don't have HID lights? If they did then that would be pretty stupid.

At the least, all vehicles should have an operating park brake light, battery warning light and brake warning light. Those 3 are major warning lights that shouldn't be ignored.

[Vern_K]

in a 92 your check engine light is more then likely going to be under your passenger seat and take a small screw driver to activate...... the OBD2 standard didn't take effect till 96, you might have a OBD1 but since forever up to OBD2 Nissan used a self diagnostic ecu, the 94 has a CEL light I have noticed but not sure what would have to be wrong for it to go off, I just found that the intake pipe had a large crack in mine and still didn't have a CEL even though it should have tripped a huge vacuum leak, I didn't run the codes on the ECU..... This is the first Nissan I have owned that had a CEL, not sure when they started using them or what they were used for prior to 96.... the early CEL might just be for low oil pressure or something along those lines..... but I think anything prior to OBD2 they should be using a tail pipe sniffer for emissions.

[Charlie_Brown]

Smog shop will still (in my case) fail you even when you notify them about the ECU under the passenger seat. The guy actually got mad at me and borderline screamed at me unless I had Chevy or before 1990 that my truck had check engine light hahaha

 

Really pissed me off actually in hindsight (Hense the post for others)

[Vern_K]

what is really fun is when you run about 1/3 E85 and they do the tail pipe sniffer and wonder why your old engine is running cleaner (not that a decent running VG ever runs dirty) then most new cars