Is a car repair in my future? For most drivers, having an engine light come on can cause some initial panic. What does the light mean? Is my car safe to continue driving? What will happen if I ignore the light? These tips will help you know what to do when your engine warning light comes on.
First, make sure you're not mixing up the check engine warning light with a maintenance service light. Most maintenance service lights are triggered by hitting a certain number of miles or using a certain amount of fuel, and its just your car's way of letting you know it's time to get some normal maintenance work done. If it does turn out to be your car repair check engine warning light it means your car's computer is sensing a diagnostic trouble. Your light can be coming on for a variety of reasons including a faulty emission control system which means your car is polluting the air and the diagnostic warning light is coming on to let you know that.
Of course there are other car repair diagnostic problems that can trigger the warning light to come on and you need to pay attention to how your car is operating to decide what the best course of action to take is. Does the warning light flash on and off depending on whether you are driving in the city or on the freeway? When the light is on, does the car drive differently?
If the light stays on constantly and you don't notice any difference in your cars ability to drive, it does not mean you're out of the repair shop- just yet. This could mean you have a permanent fault in your emission control system and your car will likely continue to run but you run the risk of the car dying or not starting. You will need to get the car into a repair shop for a repair and correct diagnostic testing.
If the engine warning light comes on and stays on and your car is showing other problems that make driving more of a challenge you need to stop as soon as you safely can do so and call for a tow. At this point your car could stall or stop without warning leaving you in a dangerous predicament. Your best option is to get to a car repair shop and address what your warning light is trying to tell you.
A flickering warning light is serious. A light that is showing a clear pattern of off and on is your worst case scenario light. This likely means you have a severe emission control failure and every time that light flashes your catalytic converter is being damaged by a misfire. This means your catalytic converter is overheating and can start a car fire. Pull over and get towed. This is not a time to try and make it a few miles to your destination.
