Check
Engine Light
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What Should I
Do When The Check Engine Light Comes On?
Imagine driving down the road and feeling
something is amiss. You notice a little illumination on the dashboard.
It would seem the check engine light has come on. Does this mean you
need to panic and pull the car off the road? If the engine starts to
shimmer and shake in a violent manner, you should. If such a situation
has not developed, you should continue on to your final destination. A
severe problem may or may not be present. However, a problem with the
engine is occurring because your car's computer has sensed such an
issue.
Then again, a serious
problem might not be present. You could pull the car off on the road
immediately and get out of the car to tighten the gas cap. Sometimes, a
loose gas caps causes a leak of fumes which can cause the engine light
to go on. Tightening the cap properly may lead to the check engine light
to go off relatively quickly. If this does not happen, it would be best
to follow the next step which would be to bring the car in to a service
station.
Again, the presence of
an engaged check engine light refers to the computer having picked up on
a problem with the engine. What is the specific problem? Well, there is
no way to ascertain an answer to that question unless you bring it into
the dealer or your auto repair shop. Once it is there, a diagnostic of
the engine can be run. A diagnostic is an electrical scan through the
computer system. Upon scanning the system, the scan will reveal the
computer code that has been recorded. Upon examining the code, the
mechanic will be able to then determine the exact problem with the
engine.
At this point, the
next logical step to follow would be to repair the problems that are
causing the light to come on. Does this mean that you will need major
repairs performed? In most instances, the problems with the car will be
relatively minor. A wire may be loose or a spark plug may need to be
replaced. Such minor problems can generally be fixed in a relatively
short period of time and without huge repair bills. However, do not
assume that you do not need to pay attention to the check engine light.
It would be best to take the car into the shop and have it checked out
as soon as possible. You do not want to have a mechanical breakdown or
learn the hard way that your car is long past due for a major tune up at
an inappropriate time.
The check engine light
means exact that - you need to have the engine checked! And it would be
wise to have it checked as soon as you can! As long as the problem can
be fixed quickly, you will not be too inconvenienced. If there is a dire
need for extensive work, would you not be better off learning about the
problems long in advanced prior to the problems getting worse? More than
likely, you would prefer to get a handle on things early.
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