I have a '96 850 Turbo with 110K miles The check engine light came on 3 weeks ago but the car drove OK; so I just left it alone. When I was free I took it to a AutoZone auto parts store for a free diagnostic check. The guys there were hilarious! They had no idea where to find the OBD II plug. One guy at one store tried to use a pocket knife to pry open the little covers next to the gear shift because he "knew it was there". I told him to stop and went to the next store. Of course the guys there couldn't find the plug either.
A week later I looked under the dash and found a diagram showing where the plug was. It is located right in front of the shift under the coin tray, which serves as a cover. In fact the coin tray even has "OBD II" stamped on it. So I took it to AutoZone again. The first guy plugged in the dianostic tool and it came back with a "zero" reading. He said that there should be nothing wrong with the car. He tried to clear/erase the code but it didn't work. So the check engine light stayed on; until I got to the next store. The lady there plugged in the disgnostic tool, a different tool this time. It came back with a "P0040" reading and a message "EVAP emission system malfuction". Then the check engine light disappeared and never came back on.
I called the local dealer and asked the service manager if there's a chance the light came on by mistake. He agreed that could be the case but told me to pay him a visit if the light comes on again with the same code.
Well, I save myself $75 (not visiting the dealer) but spent at least 2 to 3 hours driving around and talking to the AutoZone guys who probably had no idea what they were doing. And I think there might be a next trip if the light comes on again...
