2 problems: Horn failure and check engine light

[ehesler]

hi all:

yesterday i identifed 2 problems in my 2000 996. the car is manual shift without any aftermarket modifications.

problem #1: the 'check engine light" came on and i would like to attempt to self-diagnose the problem.

i have read here (on the board) that i can go to autozone and get a "free" readout of the obd codes. is that true...here in chicago?

so far, i have opened the rear deck looked for anything out of place. the only thing i noticed was that the coolant was low (below the mon line). to resolve this problem, i added more coolant up to the max line. i restarted the car and the light was still on. perhaps it was not a coolant issue afterall? does the "cel" go off automatically after a problem has been diagnosed?

problem #2: last night driving home from a business dinner i noticed that the horn is not working. i don't use the horn often, so it may have been out for some time. how do i go about diagnosing/fixing a nonfunctioning horn?

please advise.

thank you in advance.

ehesler

ehesler@yahoo.com

[Loren]

The coolant being low will not cause a CEL. A loose gas cap or oil filler cap will - among a host of other emissions based problems. If the car is running ok then start with the two caps.

There are two horns behind the front bumper - it is fairly common to have one or both go bad. Some folks have replaced them with air horns and some put new factory ones back in.

[Tool Pants]

The obvious things to check with the horns is the relay or fuse. The horns have their own dedicated fuse and relay so every thing else will work fine.

If that checks out then my question is if you have a 4 spoke steering wheel as I have not seen a car where both horns went bad at the same time.

[ehesler]

thanks guys.

i just checked both the fuel and oil caps. they were on very tight so i don't think that was the issue. i did use some 87 octane fuel recently. could that be the cause of the CEL? again, what is the process i should follow to get an understanding of cause of the CEL. a OBD readout from autozone....for free?

toolpants: i need a bit more detail. which fuse should i be looking for?

(the fuse bank is located to the left of the drivers foot, in the black panel, right?) please pardon the igonrance, i have not needed to look in there yet!

thanks again for your help.

ehesler

[Tool Pants]

Look first then ask a question. You pull off the black cover to the left of your left foot and there is a paper sheet on the back with a listing of the fuse locations.