96 cougar with a stupid check engine and gauges lite

[choochootrain]

Just bought the car and replaced Trans fluid and filter. Two weeks later the check engine lite came on. Took to Autozone and they said it was a bad gas cap. Put new gas cap on and now the check gauges lite is on. What the hell could be wrong with it. Dosn't run any different then when we bought it. The only Diff is worse MPG's.

[somneum]

I had exactly the same problem. but i was saved miraculously saved.
I was travelling from NC to montana and my battery terminal went loose and when i tightened and started the engine again the "stupid check engine light" was gone.
I can't say it will work for you but its worth a try. take off the battery terminals and put them on again.
Let me know if it works.
Thanks
Jay

Originally Posted by choochootrain

Just bought the car and replaced Trans fluid and filter. Two weeks later the check engine lite came on. Took to Autozone and they said it was a bad gas cap. Put new gas cap on and now the check gauges lite is on. What the hell could be wrong with it. Dosn't run any different then when we bought it. The only Diff is worse MPG's.

[8ate8]

all that will do is reset the light. if the problem is still there, the light will still come back on shortly after you reconnect the battery.

[MercCougarXR7]

Exactly. All pulling the cables does is reset the computers memory. This doesn't fix the problem that exists.

To find out why the light is coming on, take it to a dealer and have them hook up their scanner. And a gas cap isn't something that would cause poor fuel milage !

Oh yeah - don't take anything AutoZone guys say to seriously.

[8ate8]

I wouldn't bring it to a dealer. Ford wanted to charge me $120. Just to hook it up to the code reader and tell me what the codes were. Bring it to autozone, and tell them to give you the number of the codes it pulls up. then head to http://www.njtacc.com/tech/eec_codes.html and find out what the problem is.