What Is Your ‘Check Engine’ Light Telling You?

What Is The ‘Check Engine’ Light Suggesting?

The Vehicle Care Council reports that one inch 15 vehicles inspected at its National Vehicle Care Month Vehicle Check-Up Occasions had its “check engine” light illuminated.

This light is among the most significant components to some correctly functioning vehicle. It alerts the motive force to a number of potential issues in line with the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system.

Once the check engine light occurs, this means that the system inside your vehicle – for example ignition, fuel injection or emission control – isn’t operating at peak performance, even when your automobile seems to become running normally.

A glowing check engine light does not mean you have to immediately pull over aside from the road, but you need to get the vehicle examined as quickly as possible. Ignoring the warning light could seriously damage engine components and incur additional repair expenses.

In case your check engine light occurs, first look into the gas cap to make certain it had not been left loose after refueling. Sometimes this could trigger the sunshine. When the cap was loose, the sunshine is going out following a couple of short journeys.

When the light remains on, possess the system examined as quickly as possible. An easy that flashes signifies a far more severe condition that needs to be examined immediately to avoid harm to the catalytic ripper tools. When you have a flashing light, minimize driving at high speeds or under heavy loads.

When scheduling service, make certain the automotive shop that diagnoses your vehicle has professional technicians who’re correctly certified for OBD II (on-board diagnostic systems) diagnosis and repair. The specialist will connect your vehicle’s computer to some diagnostic computer, that will give a “trouble” code indicating why the sunshine was activated.

As the diagnostic computer is linked to your vehicle, the specialist can look into the idle speed, throttle response, engine temperature, fuel system pressure, manifold vacuum, exhaust emission levels and lots of other key indicators.

Once the issue is diagnosed and glued, your car’s computer ensures things are normal again, then turns from the check engine light.

The Vehicle Care Council recommends studying your automobile user guide and familiarizing yourself with the objective of the check engine light and each other gauge and warning indicator in your dashboard.

The Vehicle Care Council may be the resource for that “Be Vehicle Care Aware” consumer education campaign, promoting the advantages of regular vehicle care, repair and maintenance.