Has it ever happened that whilst you were travelling by car you suddenly got both the Check-Engine and the Service Engine warning lights appearing on the dashboard?
If this has happened to you, you have certainly asked yourself a lot of questions, if you can still drive to your destination, or if the engine will fail immediately.
You have certainly wondered if you have to stop in the first parking lot or if you have to take the car to the nearest car service. Also, you have more than likely wondered how expensive the repair will be.
Only those who have gone through such a situation know how many questions came to mind, so to know what to expect when you find these warning lights on your dashboard, we invite you to read this article with us.
First of all, you don’t have to worry too much when you see this indicator light on the dashboard, because it’s not nearly as dangerous as it seems, or as you think it would be.
Check Engine light
The moment this light comes on and you see it in the car’s dashboard, it means that either the car’s engine or an electrical system has a small problem, but things are not that serious. There are car manufacturers that use the engine check light for minor problems as well.
To be clear and to understand better, this engine indicator may appear in the dashboard of the car due to the fact that you might soon have to change the spark plugs, or to exchange the oil. So, don’t panic when this sensor lights up.
Reasons why this warning light might light up could be the following: small engine problems such as a fuel tank cap that needs to be replaced, small problems with exhaust emissions.
This indicator may also appear and be visible in the dashboard of the car when one of the car’s fluids needs refilling, whether we are talking about oil, brake fluid, coolant or transmission fluid.
What remains to be done when the on-board check engine light comes on?
Most likely, when you go on the road with your loved ones, hope this light won’t come on, on your dashboard, because most certainly you won’t have in your car the diagnostic tools that you need in this type of situation.
In these conditions, it is extremely important to carefully study the light on board, and to know as much detail as possible about it.
So, if the engine indicator light that comes on in the car’s dashboard is yellow, then you don’t have much to worry about because the problem is a minor one, so you can continue driving without any problems until you take it to a mechanic and he can fix the problem.
But If the colour of the light is red , then the issue is quite severe and the best thing to do is to stop the engine as soon as possible otherwise you risk ruining the engine.
Tow your car to the nearest mechanic and fix the problem before you start your engine again.
Necessary checks when the check engine warning light in the instrument panel comes on
When the engine indicator light comes on in the car’s instrument panel, it is necessary to carefully study the car’s service book if you have it at hand.
It is also very important to check that the fuel tank is closed properly, and you need to listen if there are strange sounds coming from the engine.
Then, it is necessary to perform a check for each type of fluid that the car uses, and here we are talking about engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid or power steering fluid.
Carefully study the car’s service book to know exactly when you were last in service with the car for overhaul. This light may also light up when the time required to leave the car in service is approaching.
If you do not have any problems with the level of liquids, the tightening of the fuel tank cap, and the time for the next overhaul is not approaching, then you should definitely go with the car to the service to read the car’s error code.
If you have an OBD2 scanner at home, you can do the same, and you will discover the error. Once you detect the error, you can search Google for the code that appeared, and it will certainly show you everything you need to know.
There are currently OBD2 scanners that have their own library of error codes, which contain the causes of the problems but also the solutions to solve said problems.
What does the check engine light mean?
Most car manufacturers use a single “check engine” light, while the service light is programmed separately. It should be noted that this test lamp is going to light up when the transmission control unit or when the engine control unit detects a problem with the transmission system or the engine.
If this on-board indicator lights up, the problem can be quickly detected using the OBD2 scanner. It should be noted that this light will never light up as planned in the dashboard of the car, but only when an error is detected.
Why does the engine light come on again in the instrument panel, if it has been reseted recently?
If you have already experienced such a problem, it is important to know that the engine light performs tests for each engine component both when it is started and when they are heated.
If a test performed by the engine indicator does not have the perfect result, i.e. a certain component does not work at optimal parameters, the engine indicator will detect this problem and will light up in the car’s instrument panel to warn you.
If there is an electrical problem, it can be detected quickly, and it is not even necessary for the car’s engine to be started to detect such a problem. If the warning light comes on again after this step, it is necessary to reread the car’s error code memory to find even more information on how to fix the problem.
Well, in conclusion it should be noted that you should not panic when you find that this engine warning light has come on in the dashboard of the car, if its light is yellow.
In the event of a red warning light, then there may be problems, so you need to get the car in service as soon as possible.
However, you can use an OBD2 scanner even at home to diagnose the car problem, and possibly to try to repair it on your own, and thus save some money. At the service you will pay for the scan with the OBD2 instrument, but also for various other tests performed on the car.
