About Check Engine Light is on Inspection
Check Engine Light is on Inspection
The Check Engine Light is one of the most common things you will hear people talk about when dealing with issues with their vehicle. It comes on for simple reasons but also for serious issues as well. In most vehicles the symbol appears on your dash and is yellow in colour and shaped like an engine. This is the onboard Diagnostic system (OBD-II) and monitors the emission system. There is technically two modes for the engine light that you will see. A Solid yellow engine light or a flashing yellow engine light. Solid Yellow Engine Light: Not an Emergency, there may be some drivability issues but you can continue driving. We recommend getting a mobile mechanic to diagnose issue as soon as possible to prevent any further issues. Flashing Yellow Engine Light: This is generally a more severe and serious issue and highly noticeable like a cylinder misfire. Suggest not driving the vehicle and having a mobile mechanic come out right away to diagnose the issue.
What could be the common causes that causes a Check Engine Light to come on
- Faulty Throttle Body: The throttle body controls the air intake for the engine. If it fails the engine may not get the proper air to fuel mixture and loose power or stall.
- Bad Spark plugs or wires: Spark plugs provide the spark to ignite the fuel and air in the combustion chamber. These should be changed at proper intervals to keep vehicle running smoothly
- Faulty Oxygen Sensor: Vehicles have anywhere from 2 - 4 sensors and the engine light will usually tell the mechanic which one has failed. The Oxygen Sensor will tell the computer if there is any unburt oxygen in system and then will adjust the fuel and air intake.
- Faulty Mass Air Flow Sensor: The Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAP Sensor) Tells your vehicle how much fuel to add to the system to mix with the air. If this starts to fail, It will cause poor fuel economy and drivability issues.
- Loose Gas Cap: The gas cap is the last thing people tend to think about when the engine light comes on. It is a seal keeping the fuel pressure in the tank.
What to expect
- One of our Experienced Mobile Mechanics will come and scan the vehicle for engine fault codes to determine the cause of the engine light and will further the diagnostic to locate cause if needed. The mechanic will then give you a copy of the report and an estimated cost for the repair.
How is a Check Engine Light is on Inspection done by a mechanic?
- The Vehicle is scanned for engine code(s). Could be more than one
- The mechanic will provide an estimate for repair based of engine light
- Further diagnostic may be required depending on code(s) shown in system.
- The code is cleared from system after repair is completed
- Note: The vehicle sometimes may have more than one fault code that will be present, it may not show on first visit. It takes a few days of the vehicle driving for it to recognize the repair thats complete. If after then it sees another issue it will throw the code again and further diagnostic will be needed.
How important is having a Check Engine Light is on Inspection?
This inspection is very important. If it’s a flashing engine light it’s best not to run vehicle to prevent anything from being damaged. A solid engine light is not as urgent but a mobile mechanic should come and diagnose the issue right away.
