Every car will require a number of visits to the auto shop throughout its lifetime. However, some cars are taken in more often for maintenance, and others are taken in more often for repairs. The amazing thing is that if you do take your car in for regular maintenance services, you tend to need fewer repairs. Since maintenance is usually cheaper than repairs, this is a smart strategy to follow. Learn more about the various auto services that are needed for car maintenance on this website. We also include articles about repairs and about auto services in general, simply because we're passionate about these topics.
What Does A Check Engine Light Usually Mean?
When the check engine light goes on, this typically means that something is wrong with your car's engine. You can just take the car to a mechanic, and they'll figure out what's wrong. However, if you like to be a more informed car owner, you may want to know a little more about the most common problems that trigger a check engine light to come on. Here are a few of them.
Loose Gas Cap
Sometimes, a check engine light may mean nothing more than that your gas cap is loose. This can cause emissions sensors to think your car's emissions are not meeting standards. Try tightening your gas cap, and see if that causes the check engine light to go off. If you notice that the gas cap is not closing properly, you could even buy a new one from an auto repair store and install it yourself. This "repair" only involves unhooking the old gas cap and hooking a new one into place. If the check engine light does not go off with a new cap, then you know you have a bigger problem that needs to be dealt with by a pro.
Broken Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter is a part that controls the amount of toxic and polluting gases your car's engine emits. If it breaks, your car will usually keep driving, but your check engine light will go on. You may also notice that the car is giving off dense, black smoke, or that it seems to be accelerating slower than usual. A repair shop should be able to tell, with ease, if this is the problem you're facing. The solution is usually to replace the whole catalytic converter.
Broken Fuel Injector
The fuel injectors are parts that actually allow fuel to reach the engine in order to be burned. If one or more of them breaks, then your engine won't get enough fuel to perform at its best. This will trigger the check engine light to go on, and you may also notice that the car is underpowered or not accelerating quickly enough. Luckily, fuel injectors are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.
If your check engine light goes on, don't get too worried. There is probably something wrong with your car's engine, but many problems that cause a check engine light to turn on are not that difficult or expensive to have repaired.
Contact a company like All German Auto to learn more.