How to Determine your Check Engine Light
Is Your Engine Light On?
If you have ever seen the engine light on your vehicle illuminate, you can relate to the sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. The engine light could be telling you there is something seriously wrong with your car or it may have simply misfired when starting. You start to question if your vehicle is safe to drive and how much it's going to cost to repair. At Maple Honda, we want to help ease some of your worries. Schedule an appointment with our Honda factory-trained technicians for a complete vehicle diagnostics before spending your hard-earned money on unnecessary repairs.
What Is The Check Engine Light?
The check engine light is one of the most frustrating and confusing alerts that simply pops up without warning, or providing any information. This warning light is part of your car's onboard diagnostics system. When a problem in the electronic control system is found a computer turns on a yellow warning indicator. In addition to the check engine light appearing, the computer stores a "trouble code" in its memory that identifies the source of the problem. This code can be read with an electronic diagnostic tool in our Service Centre when you schedule a Honda Engine Light Diagnostic in Maple.
Some common check engine light causes are:
- Faulty ignition coils and spark plugs
- Faulty oxygen sensors
- Faulty catalytic converters
- Loose gas cap
- Faulty emission control valve
- Faulty airflow sensor
What Should You Do If Your Engine Light Comes On?
It's important to address problems associated with the check engine light. Ignoring them could lead to larger, more expensive problems later. Here are some steps you can take on your own:
- Check your vehicle's gas cap. A loss gas cap sends an error message to the car's computer, reporting a leak in the emissions system. If the gas cap is loose, tighten it and continue driving. It may take some time for the light to turn off, so keep an eye on it.
- Check your vehicle's engine fluid levels. Make sure your engine oil level is adequate. If your engine oil or any of the other engine fluids are low, top it off or contact us for more information.
- Contact our Service Centre technicians or schedule an appointment online.
If your car isn't performing oddly, you should be able to safely operate your vehicle temporarily, with a check engine light on. However, we recommend you schedule a service appointment as soon as possible, with our Honda Service Centre, to diagnosis the issue and address the problem before matters worsen.