My Check Engine Light is On
Many years ago, a friend was nice enough to give me a ride. When I looked at his dash there was a post it note. The bright yellow sticker was covering the check engine light. Which was still glowing through the paper. So much for out of sight, out of mind! But we were teenagers so this light was pretty far on the back burner.
Flash forward to owning a vehicle that is a necessary part of my day. Kids need a ride to school, must stop at the grocery store, and this car is invaluable to the daily work commute. There are not enough sticky notes to cover a worry some light on your dashboard.
A check engine light is a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) that the computerized engine-management system uses to indicate an issue. That little engine-shaped icon on the dashboard’s instrument cluster is programmed to turn on when your car’s electronic brain detects something is wrong and needs to be fixed.
Here are the most common problems that can trigger a check engine light. These fault codes are stored in your car’s onboard computer.
Oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. An O2 sensor measures the amount of unburned oxygen in your vehicle’s exhaust system. If you don’t replace it, your engine will burn more fuel and you’ll lose fuel economy. Not to mention a faulty sensor can damage spark plugs or a catalytic convertor.
Loose or missing gas cap. The gas cap seals the fuel system and maintains pressure in the tank. No seal means the tank could be releasing fumes into the atmosphere.
Catalytic convertor failure. Your catalytic converter helps protect our environment by converting harmful carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
Spark plug/ignition coil issues or Bad spark plug wires. Not replacing bad plugs or wires can lead to poor vehicle performance such as reduced power and damage to coils.
There are other failures that could cause the check engine light indicator like the mass airflow sensor, a Vacuum leak or battery issue. Your Check Engine Light can glow or blink off and on depending on what’s wrong with your vehicle. A flashing Light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble. A steady light means less urgent service is needed.
After you have the issue causing the failure code fixed, you may need to reset the MIL. Most of the time, the light will go off on its own once your engine computer unit recognizes the issue has been fixed. Some vehicles will reset after restarting the car 3 times or disconnecting and reconnecting the battery.
Long story short, the best course of action is to find an expert and address it. Taking care of it quickly can save you money and prevent further damage down to the road. Call Muffler City to schedule an appointment or drop by to find out what failure is causing the light and how to repair it.
Learn more here: Why is my check engine light on?