Ready to begin your day, you start your car only to find the dreaded check engine light appear. Without knowing what’s wrong with your car, you can’t know if driving it will make the problem worse. Worse yet, you could find yourself stranded on the side of the road. When your check engine light appears, the best course of action is to make an appointment at Speedi Automotive in Rutland for a check engine diagnosis. We can determine the exact issue and help you make the right decisions about necessary repairs.
So your check engine light just came on. Nearly every driver has experienced this scenario, and it almost always comes with confusion about what the issue is and concern that costly repairs may be ahead. The check engine light doesn’t indicate a specific problem, but that something in your engine does need to be addressed. The problem could be extremely minor, or it may be something more serious. If your vehicle seems to be driving normally, you may be tempted to put that check engine light on the back burner. However, doing so could be risky.
Some common causes of check engine lights are:
Almost any issue with the powertrain, which includes the engine and transmission, can cause the check engine light to come on. Other parts of your car such as the braking system have their own indicator lights, so you can rule them out when considering what issue has caused your check engine light to come on.
The best way to diagnose your engine issue is to go an auto repair shop. They can plug your car’s on-board diagnostic (OBD) system into a computer to reveal a code. That code will tell them exactly what triggered the check engine light.
It’s a good idea to get a check engine diagnosis as soon as the indicator comes on. Even though the problem could be very minor, some issues that trigger the check engine light get worse the more you drive. You could inadvertently turn a minor issue into something that requires major repair.
If the check engine light is solid and your car seems to be driving normally, it is usually OK to keep driving the car to the mechanic. However, a flashing check engine light indicates a major engine problem, and you should pull over immediately to prevent severe damage to your car.
