On the way home from visiting relatives for Thanksgiving, my Jeep hesitated a little like it was running out of gas, and the "CHECK ENGINE" light went on.  After the experience we had last year driving to visit the same relatives, it was a little unnerving, but it kept running with no more problems or symptoms.  The "CHECK ENGINE" light stayed on even after cycling the key 50 or 60 times so I decided it was time to find out what code the on-board computer had thrown.

Recalling that my dealer charged me $80 just to look at my vehicle (when no work was performed) last time, I decided that asking them to just read the codes for me and then say buh-bye wasn't worth my time or money at this point.  Instead, I decided that I needed to get a code reader so that I could evaluate these codes when they came, and have more info available when problems preventing the vehicle from running might occur.

The first code reader I found was $40.   It looked useful, but I wanted something a little more robust and preferably from a company that is a little more mainstream.  I checked Amazon.com.  They had the Actron unit that I ended up buying (order below!).  It has the following features:

• Retrieves and clears all generic OBD II Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), including Pending Codes.
• Displays the status of I/M Monitors
• Displays MIL status
• Compatible with all 1996 to 2002 OBD II compliant vehicles: North American, Asian & European.
• Codes & definitions are shown on an easy to read LCD display.
• Menu-driven interface combined with "hot keys" for Read and Erase functions make this tool very easy to use.
• Supports current OBD II communication protocols (PWM, VPM, ISO & Keyword 2000)
• Attached J1962 diagnostic cable provides both data and power connections.
• Firmware updates via user-replaceable chip.
• Affordable: under $150.00 typical retail price.
• 1 year warranty.
• Made in U.S.A.

I plugged it into the socket on the Jeep and after a moment I got the following code:

P0123 TPS/Pedal Position Sensor A Circuit High Input

That made sense but since the Jeep seemed to be running OK, I chose to clear the "CHECK ENGINE" indicator, and wait to see if I have any more problems.  The code was easy to clear and I am waiting to see if anything else happens.  I must say it is nice to have this added to my tools.   It would have been nice if my dash cluster posted the codes like earlier TJ's, but that's life!

Here is a listing of all the codes (Adobe Acrobat Reader Needed)