It’s Lit!

It’s a beautiful summer day- the sun is out, the birds are chirping. Everything is peaceful and calm. UNTIL a quick glance at your dashboard in your peripheral vision alerts you to a symbol lighting up. Darkness descends upon your day. The check engine light is on. BUT WHY?! Don’t panic! We’ll walk you through a few things you should do when your dash tells you it’s time for a checkup on your engine.

Why is the darn light coming on in the first place?

It’s perhaps a bit misleading to call this light the check engine light as the light can be activated by a number of issues that don’t necessarily have to do with your engine. In fact, this light is also called the malfunction indicator light (MIL). Basically, the light is activated when a car’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) system detects a problem with the performance of some of the car’s major components. Depending on your car’s year, make, and model the OBD will be looking for different warning signs.

The top 5 reasons a check engine light might activate. You could need to:

1. Fix a loose, damaged, or missing gas cap

2. Replace your oxygen sensor

3. Replace your catalytic converter

4. Replace your massive airflow sensor (MAF)

5. Replace your spark plugs or plug wires

So, how do you figure out what the real problem is? Your best bet is to get your vehicle checked out as soon as possible. While having your MIL light on isn’t usually anything to panic about, it shouldn’t be ignored either. By dealing with the issue immediately, you will likely save yourself from a more expensive trip to the service center.

So what do you need to do? When the MIL is activated, the car’s computer memory stores a “trouble code” specifying the problem. By translating this trouble code,  your mechanic can pinpoint the problem and make the necessary repairs. To do this, an electronic scan tool or diagnostic computer is used to read this code. While you can certainly do this on your own, for the most accurate diagnosis of what is going on with your car, you really should go to a professional. The Technicians at Fiore Toyota will be more than happy to help you out and get your car back in pristine shape.

So when your check engine light comes on, don’t panic. Get it checked out before it becomes something you really need to worry about. By fixing the little things early, you are helping to stop the bigger things from happening.