The check engine light is one of the most frustrating and confusing facets of owning a vehicle. It provides no information about the problem and it could be as simple as a loose gas cap, or as serious as the faulty catalytic converter.
The basic rule of thumb is: if it's yellow, you can continue to drive, but bring your car in at your earliest convenience. If it's red, pull over to a safe spot, turn off your engine and give us a call.
Many people fear that when the check engine light comes on, it is going to mean several hundred or more dollars in repairs, so they ignore the light and hope the problem goes away, but data from CarMD makes it clear that not addressing the cause of an illuminated check engine light can cost drivers in terms of wasted fuel and more expensive repairs in the future.
When the check engine light is illuminated, it usually means that the vehicle system, such as the ignition, fuel injection or emission control, is not operating properly, even if the vehicle appears to be running normally. The top 10 most common check engine light repairs as reported by the CarMD Vehicle Health Index are as follows:
- Replace O2 sensor(s)
- Replace ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s)
- Replace catalytic converter
- Inspect fuel cap and tighten or replace as necessary
- Replace evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge control valve
- Replace mass airflow (MAF) sensor
- Replace ignition coil(s)
- Replace evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge solenoid
- Replace fuel injector(s)
- Replace thermostat
If your Check Engine Light has come on, stop by or make an appointment today and we'll get to the bottom of it!
Source: Car Care Council