We’ve all had our ‘Check Engine’ light flash in front of our faces, but not everyone takes evasive action, and ignores the warning in front of them.
More than often when the light flashes you don’t notice any immediate difference with your driving experience and therefore tend to ignore it and later forget about it. A lot of drivers can’t figure out what the problem is and therefore don’t take it seriously, in the hopes that it will go away, but it’s really important that you take action and try and diagnose the problem.
Unfortunately, when the ‘Check Engine’ light flashes it doesn’t point out the problem, which means it could range from any number of different things, from small to large. A good idea is to firstly listen for any abnormal noises or clunks that don’t sound right, for example squeaks from the fan belt, after years of driving your car you should be familiar with the noises that it makes and whether its normal or not.
A common problem which could cause your engine light to appear is the likes of a wet engine. Most cars are designed in such a way that water doesn’t seep into the important bits, but unfortunately this can be the result of a heavy period of rainfall or washing your car. Sometimes the wires can get wet and this can cause problems for your starter system.
After a while your engine’s spark plugs can lose their functionality as they erode and therefore might need replacing. Replacing your spark plugs is not expensive and it’s not a difficult task either.
Sometimes the problem is a simple and easy fix, by only adjusting your fuel cap. More than often the ‘Check Engine’ light appears due to the fact that the cap is not properly screwed on, so before you go on a wild goose chase, check your fuel cap to see if it is screwed on properly.
Don’t be a fool and ignore your ‘Check Engine’ light…it’s there for a reason and can help you prolong the life of your vehicle.
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