DCL light comes on and then goes back off

dcl stands for data communications link. a communications path between various in-vehicle electronic modules

Surely you have decades of experience with check lights on your dash,
of any number of vehicles

They have been on all vehilces in north america buy govt emission
mandates since 1981,some 30 years

As usual, you have a possible system fault or failure,that should not
be a suprise , eg: your car needs repair,possibly,at least check it out

You can not & do not want to make the light on the dash go away
So goes the info stored to find the faults

Just go to a repair shop

DCL is Data Communincations Link... the communication connection between the computers in the instrument cluster and the rest of the car. its usually caused (99% of the time) by a bad connection.

The Data Communications Link (DCL) is a wiring system that allows the sharing of information between the Electronic Engine Control System (EEC-IV) , the Electronic Instrument Cluster (EIC) and external equipment.

The EEC-IV system transmits the following information through the DCL to the EIC:
Engine RPM.
Engine coolant temperature.
EEC-IV malfunction indication.
Fuel used.

The DCL system transmits Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) information to the EIC. The EIC uses MIL information to generate a CHECK ENGINE warning in the event of an engine sensor failure.

The EIC will display the message "CHECK DCL" on its Message Center Display if it is not receiving data from the EEC-IV. This warning is turned off whenever data communication is restored.

The EEC-IV monitors the Data Communication Link for faults. If a fault occurs in data communication a continuous Memory Code is set in the EEC-IV. The DCL Codes (529 for EEC-IV and 533 for EIC) can occur separately or together. These codes are not immediately cleared when data communication is restored.

The existance of a DCL code does NOT mean that a module has failed. also I would check for an oil leak or coolant leak that would be the cause of the smoking under the car.

Check this link for some help on fixing it: http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00086.html

Hope helps.

GO TO THIS LINK FOR A CODE TEST, DCL STANDS FOR "DATA LINK CONNECTOR" THE SYSTEM IS CALLED EEC IV, THIS STANDS FOR "ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL, FOURTH GENERATION". HERE IS A LINK TO TEST OUT THIS SYSTEM.

http://check-engine-light-codes.blogspot.com/2006/04/ford-1985-95-obd1-code-self-retrieval.html

it is a very common electrical problem with digital displays on lincolns, and unless you have extensive wiring experience, I'm afraid that your only option is to replace the display itself, I had to do it on my own 1990 continental twice before the problem went away, my brother's 94 continental still has that issue...luckily most auto salvage yards have these parts available, some even let you pull them out yourself, which makes things even cheaper, I hope this helps.
P.S. if you need instructions on how to take out the display let me know (or go and buy Chiltons)

uve entered the computer universe-my condolences--today everyting is connected in almost an imposible logic-u have an OBD 1 system-before 96-go hav car scanned to obtain a data stream to translate the codes that may appear-repair manuals explain these

the vehicle module sees a problem and without a scanner to retrieve the proper codes, it will be hard to correctly diag your problem....best to have a dealer/shop check that first.... GL

Look for a missing ground in the circuit. Almost sounds like your missing ground is being sought through other accessories. You will need a ground/power test light - This type lights Green for ground/and Red for power to find the problem.

Start with a schematic

DCL stands for Data Control Link.

Basically The Engine computer sees some error with the communication to the instrument cluster. Sometimes the connections are loose, sometimes the cluster is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.

I think you'll have to end up going to the dealer for a proper diagnosis.

I have this same problem, I had it before, but I can't remember what I did to make it go away. I think it was triggered right after I replaced the air-suspension, with a tranditional one, but I can remrember. I am getting this same problem again, my car has 207K+ miles on it.. --Alfredo