 Common Engine Problems: Check Engine Light Is On
Posted by carsandtrucks on Wednesday, December 26 @ 08:10:47 PST
The most common car or truck problem today has to be the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) being illuminated. The common name for the MIL is the check engine light. This light comes on as warning whenever there is a problem detected within the onboard electronic controls. These electronic controls assure that your car or truck is meeting federal emission standards, manages your engine performance, and controls your power train. There are several sensors that are monitoring the workings of your vehicle. When one of these sensors detects a component is constantly
not functioning properly the MIL is lit. The question that is often asked when the light comes on is can I continue to drive my vehicle. The short answer is it depends. It depends on what the performance of your vehicle is telling you. If the engine and transmission seem to be performing normally then you can drive the vehicle. On the other hand, if the performance of your vehicle has changed get to a repair shop asap. The repair shop will connect your vehicle to a scan tool via a data communication link located under the dash. This scan tool will provide the technician with a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that will lead the technician to the problem. The DTC is only the first step in identifying the causal part. As an example the technician may discover a misfire code associated with number 4 cylinder. Now the technician has to determine what is causing the misfire. Is it electrical related, fuel related, an ignition problem or engine mechanical failure? These are just a few questions that have to be answered to properly repair the problem. Here lies the problem for the consumer. if you chose a repair facility that is not able to properly pinpoint the cause of the check engine light being on, you probably will be buying parts that are not necessary. I have seen many cases with the repair procedure was nothing more then throwing parts at the problem hoping to hit on the one the makes the fix. Professional shops do not function in that manner. A good shop has a diagnostic path mapped out for check engine light problems. When you are faced with the check engine light on you should ask the shop what type of diagnostic process will be performed. Also, once they tell you what the diagnosis is, ask what happens if that does not fix the problem. If the answer is “we will try something else.” you would be better off looking elsewhere. There are times when more then one component will be causing the check engine light to come on, but when the shop starts listing multiple parts as the culprit you should be suspect of the diagnosis. There are costs associated with proper diagnosis. Shops invest thousands of dollars in equipment and training to do it right. This cost of course is passed on to the consumer. But in the end you will pay less then using a shop that guesses at what is wrong.
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