You are driving along and you hear a ding. You look down at the dashboard and see that the check engine light has turned on. Aside from this dashboard warning, your automobile is acting completely normal. The engine seems to be running just fine, you don’t hear any strange noises, and you don’t smell any strange odors. This being said, a recent study proved that the check engine light is extremely accurate in detecting engine problems. As such, we recommend that you head to our shop right away so we can run a diagnostic test.
The Chip and Sensors
Your vehicle has a main computer chip that receives data from sensors throughout the automobile. This chip works tirelessly to ensure everything is operating as it should be. If something goes wrong that the chip can fix itself, it will do so and you will never know that there was a problem. If something goes wrong that the chip is unable to fix, it will turn on a dashboard warning light.
You are familiar with these lights. The oil light will turn on if there’s a problem with the oil, the ABS light will turn on if there’s a problem with the antilock brake system, and the tire pressure light will turn on if you have low tire pressure. This being said, what does the check engine light cover? The check engine light covers any problem that does not have a dashboard warning light of its own.
The Diagnostic Test
The reason why your check engine light turned on is that there is a problem with your vehicle that the main computer chip cannot resolve. A system sensor reported an error to the main computer chip and the chip realized the problem was something that requires mechanical help. Anytime this happens, the chip will turn on the check engine light.
We can determine why the light came on by running a diagnostic test on your automobile. This test will download the specific error code or codes that were received by the main computer chip. For example, your check engine light may have turned on because the oxygen sensor is malfunctioning. There is a specific code that tells us this is the problem.
The CEL Warning Reasons
Aside from the oxygen sensor, the check engine light will also come on if you have a functioning mass airflow sensor, a loose gas cap, problems with the spark plugs, problems with the catalytic converter, issues with the transmission, or an engine vacuum leak among other problems.
Do not worry. We can determine why the check engine light came on and repair the problem.