You are on your way to work and you’re already late. You suddenly hear a bell, and you look down at your vehicle’s dashboard. The check engine light is on. Should you be worried? The short answer to this question is yes, but it’s more complicated than this. Let’s talk about an automobile’s check engine warning, and how 2000 Auto can help you if yours turns on.
What Is the Check Engine Light?
Your automobile’s dashboard has a series of warning lights and gauges to keep you abreast of how your vehicle is operating. There are specific problems that have their own warnings, such as the low oil indicator light or engine temperature gauge. The check engine light is designed to report problems that do not have a way of warning you directly. It’s basically a catch-all dashboard warning light ready to alert you of engine trouble whether seen or unseen.
What Turns It On?
Your automobile also has an engine control module (ECM), or engine control unit if you prefer to call it that, and this is the part that is responsible for turning on the check engine light. Every system in your automobile has a sensor, and these sensors send data to the ECM. If one of the sensors reports an error that the ECM cannot fix, it will turn on the check engine light. These errors include
- Catalytic converter malfunction
- Mass airflow sensor malfunction
- Oxygen sensor malfunction
- Spark plug misfiring
- Unsealed gas tank
These are the primary reasons why the check engine warning comes on, but it is also important to understand that it will come on if it senses any type of trouble in the electrical system, exhaust, or transmission. Unless the check engine light comes on because your gas cap is too loose, it’s usually a reason to worry. Something is going on in your engine that isn’t right.
Can I Turn It Off Myself?
Search online and you’ll find all kinds of advice on how to reset a check engine warning so it turns off. We cannot stress enough how much you should never do this. The reason why is simple. Your check engine light came on because there’s a problem. Resetting it does not solve the problem. As an aside, resetting it also voids your extended warranty.
How Can You Tell Why It Came On?
Because this light is a catch-all, we need to run a diagnostic check to see why it came on. As we said above, the sensors report errors to the ECM, and these errors have specific codes associated with them. The test results will give us the error codes, and we will know exactly what we need to do to fix your car.
We are 2000 Auto and we work hard to make sure our customers leave happier than they ever imagined. This is part of what makes us the best auto service shop in Melbourne, FL.