Understanding Your Car’s Check Engine Light

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IDENTIFYING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT Appears in your instrument cluster on your dash 70 90 110 130 150 50 10 MAINT CHECK REQD May be orange, Sometimes confused with a "Service yellow, or amber depending on the make of your car Sometimes shaped like an engine with the word "Check" illuminated Required" light COMMON REASONS YOUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON REPAIRS IN 2010 LOOSE OR CRACKED GAS CAP O 9.28% of repairs were related to this in 201o o If your light comes on, check to make sure your gas cap is on tight o A loose or cracked cap lets fuel vapors leak out and reduces your gas mileage FAULTY OXYGEN SENSOR O 9.34% of repairs were related to this in 2010 o Oxygen sensor helps the emissions system monitor how much fuel is used o Failure to replace a faulty sensor could lead to a broken catalytic converter, which is much more expensive to repair FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER o 6.4% of repairs were related to this in 2010 o Converts carbon monoxide and harmful materials into benign compounds o Failure is usually a result of lack of regular maintenance FAULTY MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR O 4.36% of repairs were related to this in 2010 o Most mass airflow sensors fail because of an improperly installed or dirty air filter o Will cause a decrease in gas mileage and increase in emissions FAILING SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES O 3:71% of repairs were related to this in 2010 o Properly working spark plugs initiate engine combustion and provent engine misfires o Newer spark plugs can last up to 100,000 miles but still require regular checks PROVIDED BY dekalb tire wWW.MYATLANTATIREDEALER.COM SOURCES: http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/what-your-check-engine-light-is-telling-you.html http://corp.carmd.com/Page/Detail/136 http://autohowstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/diagnosing-car-problems/mechanical/check-engine-light.htm http://lifehacker.com/5878754/the-five-most-common-check-engine problems-and what-you-should-do-about-them http://dashboardsymbols.com/2010/og/check-engine-light-2/