There are certain things in life that just seem calculated to drive up your blood pressure. Your teenager staying out too late. A scary medical diagnosis. And…your check engine light coming on during rush hour on your way to work.
Well, we can’t help with the first two of those. But if your check engine light is on, there are a few simple steps you can take to address this problem before it becomes out of control.
What To Do
First, determine whether the light is blinking or solid. If it’s blinking (or in some models, red as opposed to yellow or orange), that usually means the car needs urgent attention. If it’s a solid light, or it’s yellow or orange, it’s not as urgent, but you should still get it to a mechanic as soon as possible.
Look For Immediate Problems
You can take several steps on your own to address small problems or rule out smaller ones. Find out if your engine has a missing cap, or if there is a loose or unplugged wire which might have been chewed by a mouse.
Check The Gas Cap
Sometimes simply tightening the gas cap can fix the problem. However, you may have to drive for a while after this before the check engine light comes off.
Reduce Load Size and Speed
High speeds or large loads, such as pulling a smaller vehicle on your hitch, can put pressure on your engine. Try removing any heavy loads and driving more slowly to see if that fixes the problem.
Perform Diagnostic Services
Your car’s computer system stores the various trouble codes that trigger the check engine light. Our experienced mechanics at McKinney Motor Company can investigate the source of the problem based on these stored codes.
Other Dashboard Lights
Don’t get your check engine lights confused with other indicators that might turn on to signal a problem. For example, your low oil light indicates that your car is in need of an oil change.
Whether it’s a check engine light or some other unknown problem, you can count on McKinney Motor Company to get you back on the road again with minimum stress.
