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My 'Check Engine' light is on. What should I do?
By Kirk Swanda and Ron Wygladalski
Most people are uncertain what to do when their 'Check Engine' light comes on. How serious is it? Should I immediately pull over to the side of the road and shut off the engine or can I ignore it and drive another 20,000 miles?
The good news is there is rarely any serious damage potential when the 'Check Engine' light comes on, but it is best to consult your owners manual and/or your neighborhood automotive repair facility. This light is the warning light from your vehicle's complex computer control system. Your vehicle's computer monitors over 50 sensors and hundreds more system performance indicators for the ignition system, fuel system, cooling system and other systems.
The computer has specific parameters for all of these readings. When the computer has received a signal, from the monitoring sensor, that is outside of it's specified parameter, the computer then illuminates the 'Check Engine' or Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) as a warning to have the system analyzed for potential trouble. The vehicle will be either outside of the optimum emissions performance, have reduced fuel economy or may even perform poorly.
A new Georgia State law prevents you from getting an emission inspection if your 'Check Engine' light is on. You'll need to have your car serviced before the State inspection can even be performed. This requires connecting a diagnostic tester to your vehicle's computer retrieving data that will lead to the cause of the problem. Most reputable repair facilities will charge a separate "diagnostic" fee to determine the cause of the problem. In this area the charge ranges from $59 to $89. This includes up to one hour of technician time to research the problem to provide a diagnosis.
The most common cause of this problem is lack of maintenance. It can range from a very dirty air filter, worn or defective spark plugs or spark plug wires, defective EGR (exhaust gas re-circulation valve) or PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valves, a build up in the fuel injection system or air induction system, or just a sensor which has gone bad.
For any questions about your car, send your e-mail to: info@cba-suwanee.com
(Kirk Swanda and Ron Wygladalski are with Christian Brothers Automotive in Suwanee, Georgia)
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