The check engine light works as a catch-all. It alerts you of engine problems that do not have lights or gauges of their own. Max Mile Car Care Center can run a diagnostic check to determine why your vehicle’s check engine light has turned on. A recent study showed that the check engine light is excellent at alerting drivers of engine trouble that would otherwise not be seen, smelled, or heard. Here are reasons why your check engine light has turned on and won’t turn off.
Clogged Catalytic Converter
Over time, the catalytic converter can get clogged. When this happens, your check engine light will come on and you will also smell rotten eggs. Your engine may also overheat.
Faulty Sensors
Your vehicle is filled with sensors that talk to the main sensor, the engine control unit, to let it know that everything is okay. If any of these sensors fail, the check engine light will turn on. This includes the engine control unit. The most common sensors that result in a check engine warning are the mass airflow or MAF sensor and the oxygen or O2 sensor. You may also get a check engine warning if your vehicle is having electrical system problems.
Fuel System Problems
The fuel system can get clogged and create an imbalance in the air and fuel in the combustion chamber. When this happens, you will have engine performance problems in your check engine light will come on. It is also common for the check engine light to turn on if you have just filled your tank but failed to screw your gas cap back on tightly. This will definitely turn on the check engine light.
Transmission Trouble
Oddly, the transmission doesn’t have a light so the engine control unit turns on the check engine light if the transmission is having problems. You usually can hear and feel transmission problems, as well. For example, your vehicle will jerk when it shifts gears, or you may hear grinding when the gears shift.
Worn Spark Plugs
Finally, worn spark plugs and broken plug wires can cause a check engine warning. Aside from the dashboard warning light, you will also feel your vehicle jerk and it will stall frequently because the spark plugs are unable to generate the sparks to keep your engine combustion going.
Max Mile Car Care Center in Hallam, PA would be happy to inspect your vehicle to determine why the check engine light came on. Once we’ve found the problem, we will fix it.
