My Check Engine Light is on.. what now???

 That's it.. the dreaded Check Engine light pops on in your car.. your thinking "Oh No! What is this going to cost me?" Ok, let's address some of the most common reasons for that light to come on. Believe it or not, something as simple as a loose or faulty gas cap can trigger the light, if the cap doesn't seal correctly, this will allow vapor to escape and cause the car to "see" an evap. system leak.. causing the light! Simple to check, with the car OFF, take the cap off, check that the seal on it is good, put it back on and make sure it is fully sealed. If it is this, it will take a few drive cycles in order to reset the computer and for the light to go off, if that was the issue, the light should go off within a day or 2 at most.

Another common issue,  the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recycling Valve) can have a leak, again, causing the car computer to register a leak in the system and send off that pesky light. This would entail replacing that valve and resetting the computer.

Other common caused are bad spark plugs and wires, that will cause the car to have a mis-fire. Another issue can be the Mass Airflow Sensor, The mass airflow sensor tells the car's computer to add the proper amount of fuel based on the air coming through to the engine. A faulty one can increase emissions, cause the car to stall, and decrease gas mileage.

Catalytic Converters and O2 Sensors can also be the culprit, these need to be correctly diagnosed as well, as the parts are expensive and while they do fail, it is less common than the issues above.

So, before panic sets in, get to your service center and let them check it

out! #check engine #warning light #check engine warning