Echeck problem .Please help

Hi ,

I moved to OH recently and got stuck with the echeck and i am not able to get the license plate as it would not pass echeck due to check engine light on.
Make: 2000 mercury mystique
I had it checked at a dealer and he says CAT and Oxygen sensors needs to be changed and gave me a bill of 800 dollars. I cannot afford that right now just to get echeck passed. I read on the forum that i can take to auto zone and also get it cleared. Read that by disconnecting the battery for half hou i can get it off for sometime. I am not sure how to do that? Please help ..
Any ideas to pass echeck without spending that much money.

Thanks in advance

You can just disconnect the battery for about 15 seconds and it will erase the codes. Just diconnect the negative terminal from the battery. The CEL may come back on in a few days or hours for that matter, but it should be able to help you pass inspection.

Thank you for the quick tip .

I did take it to autozone and he read the codes as EGR Flow Insufficient (P0401)and Calaytic efficiency below threshold(P0430) . He adviced me to get the EGR replaced which will cost me 50 bucks. He says by doing that the CEL would go off. Whats your say on this as the repair guy gave a diff suggestion of replacing CAT and O2 sensor. I am totally confused how to go about it.

Thanks!

Thank you for the quick tip .

I did take it to autozone and he read the codes as EGR Flow Insufficient (P0401)and Calaytic efficiency below threshold(P0430) . He adviced me to get the EGR replaced which will cost me 50 bucks. He says by doing that the CEL would go off. Whats your say on this as the repair guy gave a diff suggestion of replacing CAT and O2 sensor. I am totally confused how to go about it.

Thanks!

If you can get the EGR replaced for $50 I say go for it, because that is dirt cheap. Id make sure this is a reputable shop because I bet the EGR is probably $300 from the dealership. So I honestly dont see how its physically possible to replace it for $50.

BUT...people that seem to get this code and replace the EGR, only seem to remedy the problem for a couple months and the code is back again. I would start with the cheapest thing which are the DPFE hoses. Theyre 2 (5-6") black hoses and they tend to slip off under pressure or crack from the heat and cause a leak. In most cases, this tends to solve the problem for most.

As for the P0430 code, this code pertains to the precats. There is a precat on each exhaust manifold and of course there is a main cat. This pertains to the exhaust precat on the front of the car. If the car has less than 80,000 miles, and the precat is bad, Ford will replace it under warranty since cats carry an 8 year/80,000 mile warranty. If it is bad and your car is over 80,000 miles, then I dont think you want to spend the $900 for just one OEM exhaust manifold since thats what it retains for at the stealership. If its not bad, it could be a bad upstream 02 sensor (again on the front bank).

Btw, all this information I pulled off www.contour.org since these questions literally get posted once a week in the troubleshooting forum.

well you would have to take the ground cable off the battery for that if it works!! As for the xygen sensor it should be around or on the exhaust manifold!! as for the rest dear a 15.00 for the haynes manual will definietly help you in trouble shooting your car problems and tells you exactly where things are suppose to be!! Hope I helped you out!!