The Enduring Mystery of the Check Engine Light

A running joke on television’s The Big Bang Theory is the fact Penny’s Check Engine light has been on for years and she obviously has no intention (or money) to do anything about it. Contrary to popular belief, that light doesn’t mean the end of your vehicle. It could be indicating something as minor as a faulty […]

A running joke on television’s  The Big Bang Theory  is the fact Penny’s Check Engine light has been on for years and she obviously has no intention (or money) to do anything about it.

Contrary to popular belief, that light doesn’t mean the end of your vehicle. It could be indicating something as minor as a faulty gas cap. Still, it shouldn’t be ignored. The Check Engine light is your car’s way of letting you know something’s wrong. It makes sense to head to a mechanic to see what’s going on. You would hate to find out later the light was warning you about a costly problem that could’ve been avoided. But before you make that move, there may be a few things you can do yourself.

Check the oxygen sensor.  The oxygen sensor monitors burning fuel. When it’s not working, the computer can’t read data efficiently. This could cause a decrease in gas mileage. This can happen when the sensor is covered in oil ash and could lead to a busted catalytic convertor. Check the manual. The sensor’s easily unclipped and replaced.

Look at the gas cap.  Loose or cracked gas caps can throw the fuel system off leading to reduction in gas mileage and an increase in emissions. See if there are any cracks in the cap and make sure it fully tightens. It can be replaced for a few dollars.

Replace wires and spark plugs.  Though they can fail at any time, on the average post-1996 vehicle, these should be replaced every 100,000 miles. It’s a fairly simple process, often done in the auto parts parking lot.

There are plenty of other reasons the Check Engine light may come on but these are some common ones that can be dealt with quickly. If you have done a basic check of the vehicle – or don’t know what that entails – it might be best to get your car over to a service like the Tucson auto repair specialists at  Automotive Recalibration. The bottom line is that the Check Engine light is serious business and, if not dealt with promptly, can lead to expensive problems that you don’t want.