Ford made it easy to reset the check engine light on a 2021 F-150. Just make sure you’re not ignoring any major mechanical issues when doing so.
There are official methods prescribed by Ford and there are fixes that will help you out when the light is being fussy.
So how do you reset the Ford F-150’s check engine light?
The simple way to do it is to drive around after your truck has been serviced and see if that helps. The surefire way to do it is to disconnect the battery and hit the car horn.
Below, we’ll get into this, and cover what it is, exactly, that the engine light is detecting. Whether you’re struggling to get that light to go off, or you’re just curious as to how it works, keep reading and we’ll tell you what you need to know.
How the Check Engine Light Works
Many drivers think of their check engine light as a general-purpose “something’s wrong” indicator. In truth, it is specifically there to tell you when the oxygen levels are off in your vehicle’s exhaust. Think of it like a doctor smelling your breath.
The actual mechanics of the sensor have to do with an oxygen-sensitive crystal inside of the device. When there’s more oxygen on one side of the crystal than on the other, the crystal produces a tiny bit of voltage.
From there, the vehicle’s computer can adjust how much oxygen it’s pumping through the engine. If the sensor goes off too many times in a row, then your computer knows something’s wrong — and ding goes the check engine light.
How to Reset Your F-150’s Check Engine Light
After having your engine serviced, the light will probably still be on. This is because the sensor isn’t detecting anything, so the computer has to assume you haven’t had the problem fixed yet.
The easiest way to address this is to simply drive around for a bit. Once the exhaust starts blowing through the tailpipe, your sensor will be able to pick up on the fact that you’ve had the problem taken care of. Usually this will work.
If that doesn’t do the trick, you’re probably going to have to perform a manual reset. You can do this by removing fuses and putting them back in, but the easiest way may be with the battery. Here’s how to do that safely.
- Make sure the car is turned off
- If you drive a newer F-150, you may need to disable the anti-theft system first
- Remove the negative cable and put it somewhere safe
- Remove the positive cable and put it somewhere safe. Always in this order
- Turn the car on and press the horn for a minute to drain any lingering energy
- Reattach the positive cable
- Reattach the negative cable
Just to make a note of it: When disconnecting a battery, negative first, then positive. When reconnecting a battery, positive first, then negative.
This method works, but it will reset your whole computer system. That means that you’ll have to reconnect your phone via Bluetooth, you’ll have to punch in all your audio settings again, and so on.
But if driving around won’t do the trick, this will.
Drive Smart and Drive Safe
The more you know about your vehicle, the safer you’re going to be on the road. No matter what you’re driving or how long you’ve been driving it, it always pays to know a little bit more about your ride. That’s where Vehicle History comes in handy.
