Check Engine Light
That ‘check engine’ light is like being told the guy with the mask is phoning from inside your house. Something is wrong, but until they put the decoding machine in, you don’t know what or how much it will cost.
If your ‘check engine’ light is flickering, the guy with the mask is standing right behind you. That flickering light means something is going wrong right now and you had better pull over.
The thing is, you cannot ignore it. Better to get the get it checked and have it fixed. It could be something as cheap as a faulty filler cap or as expensive as a timing chain. That light is an unlucky packet, but one you have to buy.
The check engine light is telling you something is wrong with your engine and you have to find out what. This light can come on by mistake, but this is rare.
Here are three of the most common causes of your ‘check engine’ light and an indication of how serious it is.
Faulty oxygen sensor
This writer did not even know he possessed an oxygen sensor, but apparently he does. These things measure the ratio of unburned oxygen to fuel to check optimal fuel efficiency. When this malfunctions, it will send wrong data to your car’s engine management software. This can seriously raise your fuel consumption. Your engine may stall or hesitate when you accelerate, which could be dangerous in traffic. Your car can also idle roughly.
Oxygen sensors usually fail because of residue build-up in the engine, which may point to an oil leak. Replacing this should not be massively expensive.
Petrol cap leak
If your car is not doing anything strange when the light goes on, stop and check your petrol cap. It may just be loose and you need to tighten it, or it may be cracked or the locking mechanism damaged. Tighten or buy a new one – they are not expensive. Ok, they can be if your car is a certain level of German or Italian, but then you would not care, would you?
Apart from the fact that it will increase fuel consumption, you don’t really want the bit that keeps the flammable petrol in to be damaged and possibly leaking.
Catalytic converter
Now you are looking at serious bucks. Your catalytic converter changes carbon monoxide and the like into harmless compounds. If it is failing, your fuel consumption will go up and your car will not accelerate properly. The converter should not fail on its own, and this is usually caused by bad spark plugs or a faulty oxygen sensor as mentioned above.
There are many other reasons why that evil light goes on, some expensive and some less so. Take it to your dealer and have it checked. Sometimes it’s worth fixing and sometimes it is a sign that you need to trade in your wheels.
