It’s important to read your handbook and know what stages your engine check light has. In some cases, a flashing light means stop the car and a solid engine check light means your vehicle needs attention but it’s still possible to drive it home.
You may even find your car goes into limp mode. That’s when power is reduced but you can still get home.
When your engine check light comes on you need to look at what is causing the issue and deal with it. The best course of action is to get your car serviced by a reputable mechanic, you can learn more here about one near you.
The Engine Check Light Goes Out
An illuminated engine check light can be worrying so you’ll probably feel relieved when it goes out. Yes, the engine check light can turn itself off.
Your engine check light is told to turn on or off by the onboard computer. This reacts to sensors in the engine and around the vehicle. When one of these sensors says there is an issue the computer can turn on your check light.
If the sensor no longer detects the issue then the onboard computer turns the light back off.
This is a basic electronic system, not artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, this is rarely the end of the matter. In most cases, the engine light has gone out because the fault is temporary or intermittent. This is actually a sign that a component is failing and needs to be repaired or replaced. Ignoring these warning signs is likely to give you a bigger headache in the future.
As the component continues to fail the engine check light will continue to come on and go off. Ultimately it will stay on, signifying the failure of the component. At this point, you may damage the engine of your vehicle by continuing to drive with the engine check light on.
Dealing With The Engine Check Light
If your engine check light comes on, and even if it goes back off, you need to visit your local mechanic and have them use their computer reader. It will scan the onboard computer and find any fault codes. This will point your mechanic in the right direction to identify the fault.
They will then be able to advise you regarding whether it is a sensor fault or component failure. They can also tell you whether the car can still be driven and how quickly you need to have the repair done.
