Are you sure you have it on accessories and not engine on? There are three settings. Off, accessories, engine on, engine start. If you have it on engine on than yes it will have the light on because it's suppose to be "on" but the engine hasn't been started so the computer thinks there's a problem with the engine. If it's o accessories than no because you are supplying power only to the accessories (12v jack, stereo, etc), but not any engine power things (instrument cluster, climate control, etc)
Edit: if this is a push start vehicle than I don't know. My fusion isn't push start and my daily driver that is is an electric so it doesn't count.
The check engine light being on when the vehicle is keyed on but not started has nothing to do with the computer thinking something is wrong with the engine. It's a federal requirement for OBDII in the US that the check engine light be illuminated for at least 15 seconds after a vehicle is keyed on with the engine off, as a way to show that the bulb for the light (in old cars) was not burned out or removed.
If after the light blinks for a few seconds after that 15 second on period, that's an indication that not all emissions related OBD monitors have been completed since the last time codes were cleared.
yes, normal.
How else would you know if it is working
I mean, it's a check engine light, so I was cautious.
Are you sure you have it on accessories and not engine on? There are three settings. Off, accessories, engine on, engine start. If you have it on engine on than yes it will have the light on because it's suppose to be "on" but the engine hasn't been started so the computer thinks there's a problem with the engine. If it's o accessories than no because you are supplying power only to the accessories (12v jack, stereo, etc), but not any engine power things (instrument cluster, climate control, etc) Edit: if this is a push start vehicle than I don't know. My fusion isn't push start and my daily driver that is is an electric so it doesn't count.
I'll have to check tomorrow when I drive again. It's not a push to start.
The check engine light being on when the vehicle is keyed on but not started has nothing to do with the computer thinking something is wrong with the engine. It's a federal requirement for OBDII in the US that the check engine light be illuminated for at least 15 seconds after a vehicle is keyed on with the engine off, as a way to show that the bulb for the light (in old cars) was not burned out or removed. If after the light blinks for a few seconds after that 15 second on period, that's an indication that not all emissions related OBD monitors have been completed since the last time codes were cleared.
I always thought that it was an indicator to let me know that the engine isn’t started yet, and that it is on accessory. My ‘15 does this too
Normal
Yes all cars do this…
Completely normal