Collaborative Post¦ Everyone who owns a car dreads the check engine light. The check engine light is crucial because it helps you know if your car has an issue, and different types of lights correspond to different issues. Many people ignore this light, especially when they feel their vehicle is running fine. Here are the reasons why you should never do this.
Total Vehicle Breakdown
Even though your vehicle might continue running fine, you never know the extent of the issue or damage until a mechanic looks at it. If you do not do this, you risk the total breakdown of the car. This can make you a few minutes late if it happens at home or cause you to incur hefty towing costs if it happens on a highway.
It Might Lead to Higher Repair Bills
Because the check engine light only comes on when something has gone wrong, it indicates that it is time to do the necessary repairs. If you leave the underlying issues unchecked for too long, the issue may not only get much worse, but may cause another problem down the road. The cost of repairing the first issue and any other resulting issues could lead to very high repair bills.
A great example of this is issues with the catalytic converter. These issues are often caused by other issues upstream, and they can cost you a lot since the catalytic converter is one of the most expensive parts to replace.
Your car stores OBD codes when there is an issue. These are codes that correspond to specific issues with and in your car. They can help you diagnose any issues your car has so you can do the necessary repairs. To read these codes you can use a diagnostic tool such as the Carly OBD2 scanner and then run a diagnostic check using the Carly app. Carly creates diagnostic scanners and smartphones for the easy diagnosis of car issues. Their scanner is available for all car models and the smartphone app provides great insight into your car’s maintenance, health, and other issues. They answer the question of “What are OBD2 trouble codes?” in more detail over at their site.
Increased Running Costs
The most obvious cost of owning a car is gas. Many of the issues that cause the check engine light to come on also affect fuel economy. These include issues like faulty or clogged fuel lines and faulty oxygen sensors. When the car consumes more fuel than normal, you will be forced to visit the gas station more often, leading to higher vehicle running and ownership costs.
Loss of Time and Wages
It might take a few hours for the issue causing the check engine light to come on to be resolved. However, you might have to leave your car with the mechanic for a few days if you ignore the light and the vehicle breaks down.
Without a car, it might be harder to get around and to work which will result in a lot of time wasted and potentially lost wages.
Your check engine light notifies you if something is wrong with your car. Because of this, you should never ignore it, as doing so can lead to catastrophic results down the line.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.