General Automotive Questions & Answers
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| My check engine light is on. Is my vehicle safe to drive? |
The “check engine” light or “service engine soon” light, also known as the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated by your vehicle’s onboard computer system to alert the driver to a problem with the engine control system. Your onboard computer monitors hundreds of sensors and actuators which are designed to assist the computer in the proper control of the ignition, fuel and emission control systems. Although these sensors or actuators may at times fail and provide a faulty reading to the computer, the MIL may also be on due to a mechanical failure of the engine that the computer control system is not able to adjust. The computer will store a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) any time that the light is illuminated which will allow a properly trained technician to perform a series of diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the problem. A common misconception is that the computer is able to diagnose the vehicle and then give a fault code regarding the repair that is needed. A common example of this misconception is that the computer may set an oxygen sensor fault code to the onboard computer indicating that the vehicle needs to have the oxygen sensor replaced. However, the oxygen sensor is only an indicator that determines the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas. At times there may be a mechanical failure in the engine or a mis-calibration of another component that causes the oxygen level in the exhaust to be outside of normal parameters. The oxygen sensor may be providing accurate information of another problem that is causing an oxygen deficiency. In many cases the oxygen sensor code may be caused by a failure that is in no way related to the oxygen sensor itself. Proper diagnosis of a check engine light involves many specialized tools and highly trained technicians. Consequently an improper diagnosis will result in an incorrect repair and failure to repair or replace the malfunctioning parts or vehicle components. Our service advisors are available at any time to answer your questions and help assist you in obtaining a proper diagnosis and repair of your check engine light.
Last update: 07:10 PM Friday, May 21, 2010 |
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