How to Reset a Check Engine Light on a 2006 Ford F-150 Truck

On-board diagnostic-II made its debut in 1994 on some models, but became the standard on-board diagnostic system for all vehicles in the 1996 model year. Prior to the 1996 shift to OBD-II, which the federal government required, nearly every make of vehicle had their own diagnostic systems, and not every repair shop had the means to test every vehicle. On the 2006 Ford F-150, this OBD-II system will illuminate a Check Engine light in the bottom left corner of the instrument cluster when it detects a problem. Resetting this light is not overly difficult, but it does require a special OBD-II scanner, which you can rent from some auto parts stores.

Instructions

1

Adjust the drivers seat as far back as it will go. Look under the drivers side of the dashboard, directly below the steering wheel and find the data link connector the male plug in the same shape as the female receptacle on the OBD-II scanner.

2

Plug the diagnostic scanners receptacle onto the F-150s DLC.

3

Turn the F-150s ignition to the Run position, but do not start the truck.

4

Initiate the scan mode on the OBD-II scanner. This process varies, depending on the style of scanner, so refer to the scanners instructions for specific instruction.

5

Observe as the scanner reads the vehicles computer and displays a series of codes and, in some cases, their description. The codes normally begin with a P and have a four-digit number after.

6

Enable the Erase feature of the OBD-II scanner. This process varies, depending on the type of scanner used, so refer to the scanners instructions for specifics. On most scanners, however, you toggle through the menu using the arrow buttons and press the OK or Enter button when you reach the Erase Codes option.

7

Wait for the scanner to alert you that it has erased the codes, via its LCD display.

8

Turn the F-150s ignition to the Off position and unplug the scanner. Start the F-150s engine and verify the Check Engine light remains off.