Check Engine Light is On – What to Do
We have all experienced this in our lives. Riding along without a care in the world and suddenly, the check engine light in our car comes on!
For those of us who aren’t mechanical in nature, our first thought is to pull right over and call someone. This isn’t always the case, but what should you do if the check engine light comes on?
A surprising fact is that more than eight percent of all cars on the highway keep going for long miles with their check engine light on. Why? Most people have been told by their friends that it could be just a loose gas cap or a missing gas cap, so they drive on and on.
But, what if it isn’t that? When your check engine light comes on, it could be for a multitude of reasons.
First, you don’t need to panic. As safety became so important in vehicle design, so did warning systems, and that’s all this is—a warning that something may need to be repaired or fixed—not fail.
Take Your Car to the Repair Shop
Your best option is to visit your repair shop to see why the check engine light came on in the first place. All vehicles these days have a computer that is called the ECM or the Electronic Control Module and this computer can diagnose problem areas causing your check engine light to illuminate. Once you are at the repair shop, the ECM will give codes to your technician telling them what is wrong with your vehicle.
Some codes may just be a missing gas cap. Or, if the check engine light is flashing, it could mean your engine is misfiring—something you should take care of right away. Since the computer onboard your vehicle is there to detect things, it could be things like low oil pressure or an overheating condition.
A check engine light can mean that some bulbs aren’t working correctly. Things you can do are to check your dashboard for other gauges such as oil pressure or heating controls. If they are lit as well, you may have solved the problem. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get these fixed, however.
Even tightening your gas cap can help solve the problem. There are many reasons why your check engine light can come on and unless it resets itself (usually be the tightening of a gas cap), you’ll need to go to your repair shop to see what is wrong with the vehicle.
Read Your Owner’s Manual
The best advice is to read your owner’s manual when you first buy your car. They have a detailed section on what your illuminated check engine light could mean and types of things you should be concerned about before you continue along the road.
The best way to ensure that your check engine light stays off is to keep up with the required maintenance your manufacturer’s make and model recommends. We all practice preventative maintenance when it comes to our health so why not practice it with your vehicle?
Don’t Just Ignore It!
Remember, ignoring an illuminated check engine light could bring serious problems. One big issue is that if your light comes on and you do nothing, the computer can indicate to the technician how long it has been on and if it’s a warranty repair condition, you could be denied repairs for ignoring the problem.
Be smart with your car and have it looked at if your check engine light comes on.
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Filed under: Vehicle Maintenance
We are lucky to have Auto Zone’s help with ‘Check Engine’ light issues. They run an ‘On Board Computer’ check, tell me what the problem or problems are at no-charge and with no obligation or pressure to purchase parts from their store.
Most likely your light isn’t on because of a “glitch.” The vehicle monitoring system is extremely reliable and stable.
The engine appears to be running okay when suddenly a ‘check engine’ light or an engine icon illuminates the dash panel. What’s going on?Is the engine about to pack it in?