It is true that your check engine light could come on because your vehicle’s gas cap is too loose, and that certainly isn’t the end of the world. Still, you should always stop driving if your check engine light comes on to ensure you don’t cause damage to your car, truck, or CUV/SUV’s engine. There are many reasons why the check engine light comes on because this light is a catch-all for the systems that don’t have a dashboard warning light. Don’t worry. J&S Auto Repair in Warwick, RI, can find out why the light is on and fix it.
Safety First
The reason why we suggest you pull over and stop when your light comes on is simple: It helps keep you and your automobile safe. Until you know why this dashboard warning light came on, you don’t know what’s really going on underneath the hood. If you did just fill up and the check engine light came on as you were leaving the gas station, check the gas cap and tighten it if it’s loose. If this solves the issue, great. If it doesn’t, err on the side of caution and call for a tow truck. Here’s why.
Check Engine Warning Reasons
As we said above, the light turns on for a variety of reasons and it takes a diagnostic check to determine what those reasons are (unless it’s the gas cap). Some of the issues that trigger a check engine warning could be dangerous, and if you continue to drive, you’ll open yourself up to that danger. Each check engine warning is different, but generally, your check engine light will come on if
- Your catalytic converter is going bad (which could expose you to carbon monoxide)
- You have an electrical problem (which could result in a vehicle fire)
- You have a mass airflow sensor problem (which can affect the air/fuel mixture in the engine)
- You have an oxygen sensor problem (which affects your vehicle’s exhaust)
- You have a spark plug or plug wire problem (which affects how your engine fires)
As you can imagine, these issues will also affect your engine’s performance, which is another reason why we recommend you call for a tow truck. In some cases, such as an electrical or spark plug problem, your vehicle might stall and refuse to start again, which will leave you stranded anyway.
Whatever you do, don’t panic. J&S Auto Repair can run a diagnostic check to find out why you ended up with a glowing check engine light. Contact us today!
