A lit check engine light can be scary for some automobile drivers and owners. Some drivers automatically think that their engine is no good when they see the light. Other drivers feel prompted to take their vehicles to the nearest repair shop. A check engine light can be on for a wide variety of reasons. The vehicle owner may be able to fix the problem without involving a professional mechanic. The following contains some information on common check engine light causes and how an ordinary vehicle owner can fix the issue by performing the repair.
Gas Cap Issues
One of the simplest and most common reasons that automobile owners see a check engine light is the gas cap. Sometimes, the light comes on because the gas cap is not tight enough. Other times, the light comes on because the gas cap is damaged in some manner, which may cause an air leak. The automobile owner may be able to fix this problem by simply unscrewing and rescrewing the gas cap. In the worst cases, the person may have to purchase a new gas gap. Gas caps are fairly inexpensive. They range from $5 to $20 at the local auto parts store.
Spark Plugs and Wires
Spark Plugs and wires may cause the check engine light to come on if they are due for replacement. Poor spark plug wires could easily cause a bad air/fuel mixture that could set the check engine light off. A consumer should change the spark plugs and wires every 15,000 to 20,000 miles for good measure. Self-installation can be easy if the person has a firing diagram to go by. The cost of spark plugs and wires is generally low. A vehicle owner can find a spark plug and wire kit for approximately $50.
Ignition Coil
The ignition coil or coil packs could send the check engine light on a frenzy. A bad ignition coil will make the vehicle run as if it has no power, as well. Self-installation can be easy depending on the vehicle type. A 2005 Monte Carlo coil pack costs approximately $35. The installation job takes less than 10 minutes because the person can see everything. Different vehicles will vary in job difficulty according to their setup.
O2 Sensor
An o2 sensor is responsible for more than 40 percent of all check engine light blinks. The o2 sensor is a small electronic device that controls the air gas ratio. The sensor sends signals that are responsible for the amount of fuel that gets to the engine. A broken O2 sensor will not send the appropriate signals, and the engine will not receive the right amount of fuel. Some o2 sensors are in the exhaust pipe, and other are in different locations. The ease of the job depends on where the manufacturer placed the sensor. The cost of an o2 sensor can be as low as $20 or as high as several hundred dollars.
Bad Catalytic Convertor
A check engine light may come on because of a bad catalytic convertor. The catalytic convertor is the part of the exhaust system that keeps the air clean. Replacing the catalytic converter will be difficult for a consumer who cannot raise the car up over his or her head. A new catalytic converter can cost several hundred dollars. A junkyard may carry a catalytic converter for only a fraction of the cost. Most junkyards offer a return policy of some kind to people who purchase non-working parts.
The check engine light should not cause immediate alarm. The vehicle owner’s responsibility is to check for obvious issues first. The gas cap is the easiest part of the system to check, so the person will want to check that first. The driver can then use the elimination process to find out the root of the problem.