Have you ever had your check engine light come on? I bet you have, just because statistically it’s almost impossible that you haven’t experienced this before. How did you feel when that happened? Panicked? Upset? Anxious? It’s okay, we all feel that way when that little light flashes on and then stays there, taunting us with our failures until we take the car in to get fixed. Well, there’s a generally accepted list of five things that are the most likely culprits of the check engine light going off. Check them out below and then take a deeeeep breath. You are a champion.
It could be that your oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) needs to be replaced. This measures the amount of unburned oxygen in your vehicle’s exhaust system. If you don’t replace it, your engine will burn more fuel than it needs, causing your MPGs to decrease. Leaving this unrepaired can also damage your spark plugs and catalytic converter.
It could also be that your gas cap is loose (or broken, or missing). This is most often the cause of a check engine light coming on, and it’s the easiest fix. The problem with having a loose or broken gas cap is that the gas cap seals off your fuel system and helps to maintain the proper pressure in your fuel tank. It also keeps gas fumes from being released into the atmosphere while you’re not even using the car. If you don’t fix this, you can lose some of your (increasingly more expensive) fuel via evaporation and have to stop at the pump more. Nobody wants to spend more money on gas!
Your catalytic converter could also need to be replaced. This is part of your exhaust system, and it converts carbon monoxide, which is a harmful pollutant, into carbon dioxide. If your cat has failed, it’s probably because you haven’t gone in for maintenance when you should have. If you don’t replace this, then your vehicle won’t pass an emissions test, you won’t get the performance or fuel economy that you’re used to, and your vehicle might run at a higher temperature, giving you more risk of overheating the engine.
It might be that your Mass Airflow Sensor needs to be replaced. This measures the amount of air that comes through to your engine and takes that information to calculate how much fuel your vehicle needs to run efficiently. If you don’t get this fixed, then you can damage your spark plugs, O2 sensors, or cat. You’ll also have reduced performance and fuel economy.
Finally, it could be that your spark plugs (or plug wires) need to be replaced. These ignite the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your vehicle, making it go. The spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If this doesn’t get replaced or repaired, you’ll have poor vehicle performance (i.e. reduced power) and reduced fuel economy. Worn plugs or wires can clog your cat and even damage your ignition coils and O2 sensors.
Basically, check the gas cap first and if it’s not that, take your vehicle in as soon as you can so that we can take a look. The sooner you bring it in, the sooner you’ll be back on the road without that horrible panicked feeling you get whenever you see that check engine light! It’s a great feeling, trust us!
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