Probably every car owner’s biggest worry is seeing the check engine light come on. But is that really the worst news that you could get? Believe it or not, it might not be that bad. SDS Automotive has some suggestions for you if you see the check engine light on your dashboard.
Listen to the Car as it Runs
Does anything sound different than usual as your car is running? You might hear knocks, pings, or other sounds, like an air leak, which can help you to determine what is going on. Paying attention to these sounds can be helpful to describe when you bring the car in for someone to get a more thorough diagnosis of the issue.
Look at the Rest of the Dashboard
It’s entirely possible that there is more information on your car’s dashboard besides the check engine light, but that one tends to get all the attention. So, while you’ve got the car running, take a quick inventory of what else seems to be going on. If there are other warning lights, those can help you to narrow down what is causing the check engine light to turn on and it might be something you can take care of right then.
Think about Anything New You Might Have Done
Have you made any changes to anything lately? If you got the oil changed and something didn’t go quite right, maybe that is what the car is letting you know. Or if you just got gas, it’s possible that the gas cap isn’t fully tightened down. Looking at what you’ve had done recently can help you to narrow down what might be going on.
Get Help Sooner Rather than Later
The big thing to remember is that the check engine light is a warning that something is impacting your car’s engine. If you wait and just hope the light turns off on its own, you are going to be disappointed. You’re also likely to deal with a much bigger problem later than you will if you get the light checked out right away.
Did your check engine light come on? Give us a call at SDS Automotive in Sacramento, CA. We’ll perform accurate diagnostic testing and get you a comprehensive answer about what is going on with your car. From there, we’ll help you to put a plan together to get the problem resolved for good.