You are driving on a rainy night in the woods when, suddenly, the check engine light turns on. It doesn’t have to be so dramatic, but whenever the check engine light turns on, many car owners are stressed, as they believe their car is in significant danger.
It doesn’t have to be like that. The check engine light may turn on for a numerous reason, and usually, it is nothing that will endanger your life so you can drive your car to mechanic first thing tomorrow morning.
What are the reasons the check engine light might turn on?
The Check Engine light can be steady, or it blinks. If the light is constant, the problem with your engine is not an emergency. However, the best thing is to fix the appointment Qualified Service Technician as soon as possible. If the check engine light blinks that means that more severe problem occurred in the engine, so you should reduce power and have the vehicle checked urgently.
Five of the most common reasons for turning on the Check Engine Light are problems with the oxygen sensor, loose or faulty gas cap, catalytic converter, mass air flow sensor or sparkling plugs and wires.
Can a light turn off and why?
Check Engine light might also turn off, but it doesn’t mean that your car engine repaired itself. At the same time when the light turns on, the computer in the engine receives a trouble code. Later, the code is read by an electronic scan tool, or a diagnostic computer and your mechanic will know what the exact problem was. So even though the Check Engine Light turns off, be sure to drive your car for an expert check.
Do-It-Yourself code reader
If you are overly concerned about the problem and you wish to know what is happening inside the engine, you can get the code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers purpose in case of emergency.
All you have to do is to plug in the reader, turn the engine on and follow the auto code reading procedure from the instruction manual. The code will point you in the direction of the problem. Some of those problems, such as a loose closed gasoline tank, you can solve yourself. But most other issues require an experienced technician to diagnose and repair the engine adequately.
Today there are numerous code readers available on the market. So if you wish to save some money you would pay for an expert reading, you can buy one and check the car yourself. When you choose your code reader make sure it is up to date and that it reads most, if not all types of vehicles, and all aspects, and also that updates are performed regularly. You can check the types of code readers on obd2pros and can choose the one that suits your needs the best.
Wrap up
One thing is sure: if you ever see Check Engine Light turn on and off, even if you can check the engine yourself, visit the certified service to be sure that you can drive safely and enjoy the ride!
