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What Does My Check Engine Do?

Auto Repair & Car Service

Updated on Jul 31, 2019

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Your car's check engine light is quite possibly one of the best ways that your vehicle can alert you to potential problems. This little light is located on your car's instrument panel on the dashboard. it will light up and beckon to you that there may be a problem.
Consider this, you are driving home from work one day and your check engine light illuminates. Is it steadily lit or is it blinking? The answer to that question is very important in helping you to know what to do next. If it is blinking, pull over to a safe spot, turn the engine off and call your mechanic. A blinking check engine light may be alerting you to a possible emergency situation. That is why it is advised to cease any driving of that vehicle.
If your check engine light is unwaveringly staying lit, it means that there is an issue but it is not cause for panic. Simply take your car in to your mechanic. They can then use a code reading tool to run a diagnostic assessment. The mechanic will take this little gizmo and plug it into a spot under your vehicle's dashboard. The tool will then produce a code to identify the problem(s). There are five common reasons for the check engine light to illuminate:
1- A loose or defective gas cap
2- Your spark plugs and/or spark plug wires need swapped out for new ones
3- The oxygen sensor needs replaced
4- The catalytic converter is not working properly and needs switched out for a new one
5- It is time for a new Mass Air Flow sensor
Once the reason for you glowing check engine light is determined, schedule an appointment with your mechanic to remedy the situation. www.ShiffletAutoCare.com
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