I have a 2002 supercab with only 14,500 miles on it. This morning while on the way to work the check engine soon light came on. This is the first Ford and first truck I have ever owned. This truck has been driven approximately 8 miles per day for the last 2 years and hasn't gone further than a 50 mile round trip. I hope this doesn't mean I'm in for trouble. Can y'all suggest what might have caused the light to come on. This forum has been very helpful in the past for a newbie truck owner so any feedback is appreciated.

 

You can take it to AutoZone and they will hook up a code reader and tell you what codes are being set (free service)...

Another free service is: your dealership since you are well under warranty.

I would take it straight to the dealer.

 

More than likely it's just the DPFE sensor. Some vehicles have a recall for this sensor. Try this site and check for recalls on your truck. http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/home.cfm
I would take it to the dealer since you are still under warranty.

 

Have the code pulled and then do a search for the code "P????". You should find exactly what you are looking for. It could be as simple as the gas cap wasn't sealed. If you can't find it, repost with the code.

 

Thank you for the feedback. I took it to the dealer that morning and the service writer said it was most likely the sensor. He told me I could continue to drive it until I bring the truck in this week for replacement of the sensor. Still a bit of a pain in the keister at 14,500.

 

Another trick I've learned on this site is to disconnect the positive battery cable for 10-15 minutes. This allows the truck's memory to be flushed. If the check engine light comes back on after reconnecting then it's worth taking somewhere to see what's triggering it. If not, then it was probably just a bad reading.

cbone

 

what sensor is the dealer replacing? do not let them just replace stuff without them being able to tell you how they came to know the "Sensor" was bad!

these trucks have almost 20 different sensors that could trigger a CEL.

the most common for newbie truck owners is not putting the gas cap on properly and it will take a few start ups to clear the light. yes i see that you have had the truck 2 years but it can still happen.

you make a lot of short trips which is far worse than anything else you can do to a truck/engine. in the first 10-15 minutes of a cold engine running the primary emission is water! and it soaks everything like o-2 sensors, soaks into the oil, fouls plugs, rusts valves, etc. you need to really run the truck on an hour high speed (highway) trip at least once a week, and change your oil every 3 months no matter what the mileage is.

good luck.

p.s. when the light is on your gas mileage will be horrible because the engine is running in an open loop/limp home mode which means it is running very rich