Check Engine Light
Neither black tape nor a magic marker is the solution when your vehicle’s check-engine light comes on. When the light, which is shaped like the outline of an engine, illuminates, do not panic! Here is what you want to do:
For starters, it’s important to know what the dashboard light is actually telling you. In some vehicles, there are separate warning lights labeled Servicer Engine or Maintenance Due, versus a more traditional Check Engine light. If there is any confusion about which light you are looking at, check your owner’s manual.
If it is a maintenance related warning light, then you can relax, at least temporarily. This type of warning light is your vehicle telling you that some routine work is due, such as an oil service or air filter replacement.
If you are not sure, call Bob’s Lil Car hospital at (360) 200-5731 or stop by at 1508 Westside Hwy in Kelso/ Lexington and one of our friendly and knowledgeable Service Advisors will gladly walk out with you and read the code causing the light to come on.
What A Check Engine Light Means
If you are positive that it’s a check engine warning light staring back at you from the instrument cluster, there are some key things to remember.
- If the light is a steady orange or yellow and there is no perceptible change in how the vehicle is driving, you don’t need to stop the vehicle immediately and can probably gently drive your vehicle home. There is a good chance it could be a minor problem, but as we stated above, it’s not smart to ignore the problem until the vehicle does have noticeable issues. Dealing with it sooner rather than later could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Sometimes, something as simple as a loose gas cap can be the culprit.
- If the warning light is flashing however, PULL OVER AND TURN OF THE ENIGINE IMMEDIATELY! This almost always indicates a serious problem has occurred and severe engine damage could be done by continuing to operate your vehicle. We always say the cost of a tow is much cheaper and the replacement of a major engine component or worst case, the complete engine.
Testing And Analysis
If you want to know why your check engine light is on, call Bob’s Lil Car Hospital at (360) 200-5731 or visit our auto repair shop. We’ll begin the diagnostic by connecting a manufacturer specific scan tool to the onboard computer system of your vehicle. This very same onboard computer system will communicate the issue or issues to the tool. This will help our technician determine which system is being affected and aid in tracking down the problem.
In the majority of cases, our technician manually go through a very complicated testing and analysis procedure, so they can track down the problem and determine why it happened in the first place. This has to be done in order to repair your check engine light properly and prevent any serious problems in the future.
Schedule an appointment with our certified technicians, whenever your vehicle's check engine light is on. Our auto repair shop has the necessary experience and computer diagnostic tools to diagnose and repair the check engine light on almost every vehicle on the road today!