What is the Check Engine Light telling Me?

Since the dawn of the automobile engineers have taken a relatively simple design, consisting of barely more than 4 (or in the early days just 3) wheels, an engine, and a steering mechanism and turned it into a complex machine full of safety features, computers and endless infotainment. With all that is going on in modern cars and trucks how you be sure if there is a problem or not?

Well for problems under the hood your car is equipped with a check engine light. While many drivers view this little light as a negative thing, it is actually a great early warning system of much bigger potential problems. However, it is important to always get to the repair shop as soon as the light comes on to ensure the small issue does not turn into a huge problem, as demonstrated by this example of a check engine light trigger.

Failed catalytic converter

If your car's check engine light is on and has been for some time and you finally decide to head to the repair shop in order to find out just what is going on don't be shocked if they tell you your car's catalytic converter has failed. This part is responsible for converting harmful exhaust gases into less hazardous emissions and can be one of the most expensive parts to replace on a vehicle. However, it will not fail unless something else does, which would have first triggered the light. This is why it is extremely important to head to the shop as soon as the light comes on.

Loose or broken gas cap

There are some very minor issues that can trigger the light as well. If your car's gas cap is loose or broken it can allow gasoline vapors to escape out of the filler hose. This means fuel you never got a chance to use is being wasted.

Bad MAF readings

The mass air flow (MAF) sensor measures incoming air and determines how much of it needs to be mixed with the gas to create the proper air/fuel mixture to make the vehicle run. If it can't determine the correct amount the engine will run rich, triggering the check engine light.

Exhaust leak

An exhaust leak can cause the oxygen (O2) sensor to take poor readings. The O2 sensor measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust fumes to help determine the proper air/fuel mix. An exhaust leak will lead it to detect more oxygen than is actually in the fumes, resulting in a rich fuel mixture.

Call the auto repair shop for check engine light diagnostics as soon as the light comes on! For check engine light repair in Sacramento head to Freeport Automotive. Our team of professional auto repair technicians offer superior service for all makes and models. Give us a call at (916) 389-2405 to schedule quality auto repair in Sacramento today.

Freeport Automotive Blog

Written and Published By MORBiZ