Is your “check engine” light on? You’re probably paying more for gas than you might have to.
“Check engine.” When the little yellow light bearing this rather obscure message suddenly began to glow on my dashboard - I had no idea of exactly what I was supposed to “check” my engine for. Consequently, being a typical female - I simply did my best to ignore it. A few weeks later, it blinked off as quietly as it had blinked on.
When it came on again, however, I took the time to do a little research to make sure that I wasn’t running the risk of suddenly finding myself stranded on the interstate contemplating just how I was going to afford whatever damage I had created with my ignorance.
Not surprisingly, however, the car care book I had purchased for my late model Nissan Altima wasn’t much help. I quickly realized that while the little light could have simply meant that my gas cap was loose; it could also mean that my engine was seriously misfiring.
By ignoring whatever it was that my automobile was trying to tell me, I was not only running the risk of causing damage to expensive components of my car’s engine but I was also increasing the amount of money I was pouring into the gas tank and the amount of pollution I was dumping into the environment.
Just in case you find yourself staring blankly at the same illuminated light, it may ease your mind to know that you do not have immediately pull over and arrange to have your vehicle towed to the nearest service station. You should, however, make it a point to schedule a visit to your nearest dealership or automotive repair shop.
Apparently, that little light is connected to the onboard diagnostic system of my automobile. The OBD controls and monitors the vehicle’s performance and regulates the engine speed or RPM, fuel mixture and timing of the ignition. In some models, the OBD is also responsible for telling the automatic transmission when it should actually shift.
If a problem arises in the electronic-control system that can’t self correct, the engine light glows. It also stores a code in the computer’s memory that will identify the source of the problem. When a repair shop connects the car to a diagnostic computer, they can then read the code to identify the problem.
In 1996 automobile manufacturers were required to install much more sophisticated systems than had been used in the past and these new systems began monitoring emissions more than anything else. The system not only samples exhaust emissions but also monitor’s your car’s fuel system for gasoline vapors that may be escaping into the atmosphere due to a loose or missing gas cap or potential leak.
It’s important to understand that the system will not turn on the light immediately but will instead wait to see if the problem auto corrects. If it doesn’t, the light glows. A blinking light indicates a serious problem that should be checked immediately.
If you’re driving a late model car and your light is blinking, it usually indicates a serious engine misfire that is dumping unburned fuel into the exhaust system. This can be expensive if it’s not fixed right away.
So… if your engine light is on - the first thing to do is to tighten your gas cap. In most cases, this quick fix will be enough to solve the problem. It may take a few trips before the light resets so wait a few days to see if it goes off.
If it doesn’t, you really do need to have the code read and make arrangements to have the necessary repairs made. You can, however, buy an inexpensive diagnostic tool that will allow you to read the code yourself.
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