This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at How.com.vn where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 29,991 times.
Learn more...
There’s nothing scarier than a random error warning popping up on the dashboard while you’re driving—especially if there are no other signs that something is wrong to help you narrow down the problem. Luckily, it’s likely that this isn’t anything serious if your car is running just fine with the light on. However, you do need to investigate what is going on and address the problem. In this article, we’ll help you get to the bottom of this so that you can get your car back in tiptop shape.
Things You Should Know
- The check engine light indicates something is wrong with your engine, the emissions system, or the computer that monitors those two.
- If there are no other symptoms, your check engine light may indicate a problem with your computer, a loose gas cap, transmission errors, or problems with your O2 sensor.
- If the check engine light is blinking, pull over and call a tow truck. The blinking indicates a more serious problem.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
Warnings
- A check engine light indicates that something could seriously be wrong with your vehicle. Do not ignore this indicator or you could end up causing permanent damage to your engine.[9]Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-repair-maintenance/what-does-check-engine-light-mean-a2041364753/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-repair-maintenance/what-does-check-engine-light-mean-a2041364753/
- ↑ https://globalautomotiveva.com/2019/10/02/signs-your-vehicle-has-a-bad-o2-sensor/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-repair-maintenance/what-does-check-engine-light-mean-a2041364753/
- ↑ https://www.cars.com/articles/what-are-common-catalytic-converter-problems-1420663031608/
- ↑ https://hoganandsonsinc.com/nine-signs-that-your-transmission-might-not-have-much-life-left/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-repair-maintenance/what-does-check-engine-light-mean-a2041364753/
- ↑ https://www.repairsmith.com/blog/how-to-use-obd2-scanner/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-repair-maintenance/what-does-check-engine-light-mean-a2041364753/
About This Article
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.