Can I Drive with my Check Engine Light on?

Your check engine light is an alarm on your car; however, it isn’t specific. A check engine light may become lit due to simple maintenance issues. A check engine light may also become lit as a warning that your car is about to break down and leave you stranded on the side of the road. Therefore, you should not ignore your engine light just because the car is still running. You may not see an immediate effect, but it may cause severe damage to your car.

Here are some common reasons your check engine light might be on:

Ignition coils or spark plugs

Ignition coils magnify the voltage of your battery and helps distribute it throughout the engine. Spark plugs give the spark needed to ignite the air and fuel mixture. Together these two pieces create essential functions for the operation of your vehicle. Sparks plug will begin to wear over time; generally between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.

Mass airflow sensor

The mass airflow sensor is accounts for the amount of incoming air to your engine. It then projects the amount of fuel that will need to be released.  The check engine light will light up when this sensor needs to be replaced. Additional diagnoses include; jerky acceleration, reduced fuel economy and engine stalling.

Fuel Cap

This is a best case scenario. If your fuel cap is not properly fixated vapors will escape causing the evaporation emissions system to flag an issue. Many new vehicles have foregone a fuel cap altogether, making this issue obsolete.

Catalytic Convertor

There is usually an underlying issue that will cause a failure in your catalytic convertor. Unfortunately, the prices for these have soared due to inflation in metals. If your check engine light is on and you begin to notice dark exhaust smoke and dragging acceleration your catalytic convertor may be the culprit.

Although some of these issues may seem small, it is still best to have your car checked through a trusted technician whenever you notice your check engine light come on. Your car is a machine made of different subparts. Each subpart relies on one another to keep your vehicle healthy; if one subpart goes out it will affect the running as a whole. Bring your car into Alamo AC today, we can diagnose and fix whatever is creating the issue your vehicle is warning you about!