Get Your Vehicle in For Maintenance If your vehicle seems to be running smoothly otherwise, remain calm and drive your vehicle to your local repair shop. A check engine light is a serious problem that needs immediate attention. Let the professionals take a look so you can get back on the road safely.
If your car has this feature and your check engine light flashes on and off intermittently or glows red, it's a sign you should get your car to a mechanic as soon as possible. Depending on your car's make and model, a solid yellow or orange light may indicate lower severity.
Turn Your Car Off and Restart It
This should be your first step if the check engine light comes on. You must do this at least three times to reset your vehicle's trouble codes. This is worth trying before you start thinking about more complicated solutions.
The Check Engine light might be triggered by almost anything affecting the monitored systems, from just a loose gas cap or bad spark plug to a pricey computer control module or catalytic converter. Check your gas cap first.
The solution is to try tightening your gas cap, or if that fails, replace it with a new one. Doesn't get much easier than this. Faulty oxygen sensor: Another common engine issue that can cause the check engine light to come on is a faulty oxygen sensor.
Take your vehicle to a professional at your earliest convenience, and a trained technician can diagnose the problem. A flashing light may indicate an engine problem (such as a misfire) that does require immediate attention. Get your car to a mechanic as quickly as possible.
The short answer is, “Probably not.” There's no need to panic, as the reason for the check engine light is to alert you to something that needs attention. Sometimes, the cause of this light is something as minor as a loose gas cap.
A non-secure gas cap will not only let fuel vapors escape the gas tank, but it can also let in grime and dirt. These fuel vapors may trigger errors in the emissions system, which would light up the check engine light. Dirt and Grime that gets into the fuel tank could also contaminate fuel injectors.
One of the most common reasons your check engine light may come on is that your oxygen sensor is failing. Your local auto repair shop in Western Washington can replace it for you quickly, which will restore your vehicle's ability to measure unburned oxygen in its exhaust system.
The light generally has two stages: steady (indicating a minor repairable fault, but service on the vehicle is strongly recommended as soon as possible to prevent future damage) and flashing (indicating a severe fault and an emergency that makes the vehicle unsafe to drive and it is strongly recommended that the ...
One thing you can do is to check the battery. If the battery is low or if there is corrosion on the terminals, the starter motor may not be able to turn the engine over. You can test the battery by using a voltmeter. Another thing you can do is to listen to the starter motor when you try to start the car.
Using a diagnostic tool, Jiffy Lube® scans for trouble codes and provides you with a written description of any codes to help ensure optimal performance, reliability and longevity of your engine.
If there is not enough oil, the engine components may not receive proper lubrication, resulting in increased friction, heat, and potential damage. If the oil light comes on, it's advisable to pull over safely and check the oil level. If it's significantly low, add more oil according to your vehicle's specifications.
Most auto parts stores will run a code scan for you for free. It's worth it to them because then you will buy the sensor from them that the code indicates is the issue.
Water does not burn like gasoline, and when it enters the combustion chamber, it can prevent the gas from igniting properly, leading to misfires, rough idling, and overall poor engine performance.
If the light comes on and remains on, yet everything seems to be working like normal, you should be able to continue driving. But it is important to schedule an appointment to have the issue diagnosed and fixed. If the light comes on and it is blinking, this is an indication of something more serious.
If the check engine light illuminates, it will either blink or remain constantly illuminated, depending on the problem. A blinking light, or in some cars a red light instead of a yellow or orange light, indicates a problem that needs immediate attention. Either way, you should have the vehicle checked by a mechanic.
If you notice anything, pull over and turn off your engine as soon as you find a safe place to stop. This is especially true if your light flashes or turns red.
1) Check your gauges – Look for an indication of low oil pressure or that your vehicle is overheating. If either of these issues are present, turn your vehicle off to prevent any further damage. 2) Inspect the condition of the battery and charging system – If you lose power from the battery, your vehicle will die.
Check engine lights can turn on for a number of reasons. Some can be minor problems such as tightening the gas cap, and others can be serious problems like engine issues. If your vehicle is running fine, the check engine light may signal a minor issue, but it is best to visit a mechanic to make sure.
Yes, if enough time has passed since disconnecting the battery. Once all residual electricity has dissipated from your car's circuits, the volatile memory in your car computer, also known as the Engine Control Unit (ECU), will be cleared, resetting it to its default settings.
Yes. You can call us out for an engine management light if you have breakdown cover with us.