Hi guys, I’ve got a 1986 2.9 manual ranger, and I’m trying to get it smog worthy. I’ve gotten to the stage of pulling the engine codes, but I can’t get any to appear. I connect the test connectors to each other near the air filter but nothing happens. No flashing of the emiss light, no nothing. The truck can run and start fine. Any advice for getting these codes would be greatly appreciated!

 

In a 1986 you need to use an older OBD1 reader, hard to find, or an ANALOG Volt meter, the kind with a needle not a digital display, or a 12v test light can work

1988 - 1994 had the Check Engine light that would flash codes, emissions light is not the same

Directions here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...ry/OBD_I.shtml

So you do the Jumper wire to put computer in "test mode" when key is turned on
Hook up the Volt meter(VOM) or test light as shown, from Battery POSITIVE to the indicated slot on OBD1 connector(STO) this slot will GROUND to pulse the meter or light bulb

Turn on the key, engine off, wait for the flashes

1986 will use 2 digit codes, seen here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...gitcodes.shtml
only 1 to 9 there are no "0s", well there are you just can't "see" them with this method and unlikely codes to be set in Rangers

 

Okay, thank you, I was semi successful. I got the KOEO and the saved codes no problem. However, I cannot get the KOER codes, any recommendations? I followed the instructions on the other page, and nothing happened. It didn’t even display the cylinder count

 

Can you describe your process for trying to get the KOER codes? Fundamentally it's about the same as the KOEO/stored process but with the engine running. But there has to be something simple being missed.