Why is my Check Engine light on?

One of the most nerve-racking things that can happen when you’re on the road is to notice your Check Engine Light has come on. It’s nice that the light is there to tell you that something is wrong, but in most vehicles, that’s all it tells you. It doesn’t say what’s wrong or what you should do about it. It just turns the little light on! So why is your check engine light on? Well, we thought we’d give you a few ideas as to why it might be on, and what you should do about it.

[ READ MORE: Tips & Tricks from Gils Auto Sales ]

Orange Check Engine Light Indicator_bThe worst part about the Check Engine light coming on is that it could be something as easy and inexpensive as having not completely tightened your gas cap, or it could mean something that’s generally quite costly is truly broken under the hood. There’s no way to know for sure just by looking at your instrument cluster. If you know it’s not your gas cap, then you can bring it to a local service department and they’ll diagnose the problem for you.

Causes for Check Engine Light

  • We already mentioned one reason the light might come on: your gas cap is loose. It’ll also come on if the cap has been damaged or you’ve lost it. You want to make sure an unbroken gas cap is on at all times, or you’ll be wasting gas and we all know gas isn’t cheap.
  • Your Oxygen Sensor or Mass Airflow Sensor might need to be replaced. These are both fairly inexpensive fixes that, if left unchecked, could lead to much more expensive repairs, plus you’ll be wasting a lot of fuel.
  • You could need to replace your spark plugs or plug wires, which if left in disrepair could lead to much more expensive repairs.
  • Another big reasons for the Check Engine light to come on is a damaged or failing catalytic converter, which is unfortunately quite expensive. But your vehicle will not pass an emissions test with a failing converter, and you’re putting your engine at a higher risk of further breaking down.

If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call. We’d be happy to help you figure out why the light in your used vehicle is on. If your engine recently failed and you’re looking to purchase another vehicle, we can also help you find the right used car today.