What is the most common cause of check engine light?

What is the most common cause of check engine light?

Replacing a faulty oxygen sensor — a sensor used to optimize a vehicle’s fuel-to-air mixture to increase gas mileage and reduce emissions — is the most common cause for a check engine light. With over 400,000 repairs nationwide, oxygen sensor replacements account for 8% of all check engine light repairs.

What do you do when the check engine light comes on?

What to Do About the Check Engine Light

1. Look for a serious problem that requires immediate attention. Check your dashboard gauges and lights for indications of low oil pressure or overheating.
2. Try tightening your gas cap.
3. Reduce speed and load.
4. Use built-in diagnostic services, if available.

What could check engine light mean?

The check engine light is a signal that the onboard diagnostics system (or OBD II) has detected a malfunction in the vehicle’s emissions, ignition, fuel or exhaust systems.

How serious is check engine light?

Your Check Engine Light may be indicating a simple problem that’s easy to fix—such as a loose gas cap that needs to be replaced. A flashing Check Engine Light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble, whereas a steadily lit one means less urgent service is needed.

Is it safe to drive with check engine light on?

Can you drive a car with the engine light on? It’s okay to drive for a few miles, but be sure to schedule an inspection of the engine as soon as possible. If the check engine light comes on while you’re driving, don’t panic! Pay attention and see if the car is driving any differently than normal.

Can Autozone reset check engine light?

Yes they can make the light go out temporarily. They do it by using a scanner to erase the readiness monitors. Then until the readiness monitors reset (might be days, weeks or months) the light will stay off. That is, unless there is a hard failure then the light will come back when the car is restarted.

When should I be worried about check engine light?

Unlike a Temperature or Oil Pressure light, a Check Engine light is usually not an urgent, “Stop right now or you may cause permanent damage!” type of situation, unless it is flashing. If the check engine light is flashing, a more severe problem has occurred.

Why is my check engine light flashing?

A blinking check engine light will pop up on your dashboard display when your engine misfires. This means that the engine is dumping unburned fuel into your vehicle’s exhaust system. This is a serious problem because it can rapidly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter.

Why won’t my engine light go off?

Another simple approach to get rid of the check engine light is to turn on and off the car three times. Insert the key in the ignition, turn the car on for a second, and turn it off for another second. Once you turned your car on/off three times, the check engine light should go away by itself.

How much does it cost to get a check engine light reset?

That depends on whether it’s an errant error code or there’s something actually wrong with your car. Resetting the check engine light after you’ve already repaired your car, however, costs nothing if you already have an OBD2 scanner. If you don’t, you can purchase ($30-$70) or rent one from your local auto parts store.

Will check engine light go off after tightening gas cap?

The check engine light should go off after you drive for several minutes if the light was caused by a loose gas cap. Pay attention to the dashboard after the check engine light experience. If you find that the light keeps coming on, and goes off again once you tighten the gas cap, then your gas cap is too loose.

How do you turn off check engine light after tightening gas cap?

How to Reset the Warning Light Gas Cap That Is Loose or Missing

1. Turn off your vehicle’s engine.
2. Step to the gas cap door.
3. Replace the gas cap.
4. Close the gas cap door.
5. Use an OBD-II code scanner if the warning light does not disappear.
6. Continue driving the vehicle.

How long does it take for the check engine light to go off after replacing gas cap?

So first things first, pull over (as soon as it’s safe) and make sure your gas cap is on tight. If this was indeed the trigger, your check engine light should go off within 10 or 20 miles once you’re back on the road.