Of the nearly four dozen concerns that can cause a car's Check Engine light to illuminate, none is so small it can reasonably be ignored.
There are more than 40 reasons why the Check Engine light on a car's dashboard could come on. Some are major and some are not, but because each can affect engine life efficiency and performance, motorists should investigate them all.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 6 million Americans are currently driving cars with Check Engine warning lights on. The campaign's radio, print and point-of-sale advertising educates drivers about the importance of having an qualified automotive technician thoroughly check their engine whenever the warning light comes on.
There are a variety of circumstances under which the Check Engine light could come on, but the vast majority fall under a category are called catalyst-damaging occurrences. All automobiles that are model year 1995 or newer are subject to stricter federally mandated emissions standards known as OBD2, and their on-board computers trigger the Check Engine light whenever exhaust emissions fall outside the normal range and could damage the catalytic converter.
The problem can be anything from a lean or rich air/fuel mixture, a bad spark plug or plug wire, or a failed oxygen sensor. Issues like these account for the lion's share of Check Engine cases he sees.
Anything that causes poor engine performance or inefficiency could trip the light. And because a car's sophisticated computer systems are connected and interdependent, seemingly unrelated problems with the transmission, anti-lock braking system or even a loose gas cap could trigger a Check Engine warning, also.
Because a quick-and-simple analysis with a hand-held device will not necessarily pinpoint the problem and may lead to misdiagnoses and incomplete repairs. A qualified service technicial can perform a thorough diagnostic evaluation as soon as a car's Check Engine light comes on.
Though the warning's cause may be minor, it can predict a potentially dangerous situation. A thorough engine analysis is the only safe and reliable way to find out for sure.
