1996 Ford Escort Owner's Manual - Page 126

serviced as soon as possible. This indicates a possible problem with one of the vehicle's emission control systems. You do not need to have your vehicle towed in. If the light turns on and off at one (1) second intervals while you are driving the vehicle, it means that the engine is misfiring. If this condition persists, damage could occur to the engine or catalytic convertor. Have your vehicle serviced at the first opportunity. You do not need to have your vehicle towed in. If the light turns on and off on rare occasions while you are driving, it means that a malfunction occurred and the condition corrected itself. An example of a condition which corrects itself occurs when an engine running out of fuel begins to misfire. In this case, the Check Engine Warning Light may turn on and will then set a Diagnostic Trouble Code indicating that the engine was misfiring while the last of the fuel was being consumed. After refueling, the Check Engine Warning light will turn off after the vehicle has completed three consecutive warm up cycles without a misfire condition occurring. A warm up cycle consists of engine start from a cold condition (engine at ambient temperature) and running until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. On the fourth engine start up, the Check Engine Warning Light will turn off as soon as the engine begins to crank. It is not necessary to have the engine serviced. 125