Lots of car owners really worry when they see the check engine light and that’s understandable. But sometimes what you really need to do is to avoid panicking and try some of these ideas to see if you can sort out the cause. Here’s what Kauai Auto Repair recommends.
Look at the Rest of Your Car’s Dashboard
Take a deep breath and look at the rest of the car’s dashboard. Do you see other warning lights? Do you see anything that helps you to understand why the check engine light might be on? If you don’t, you still shouldn’t panic. It’s entirely possible that there is a simple reason that the check engine light is on.
Think for a Minute and Listen to the Car
If the car is running, listen to it. Does it sound different than usual? Are you hearing any distinctive sounds that might help you to determine what’s happening? Think for a minute, too. If you recently did something like get the oil changed or get gas, the check engine light might be related to those activities. In the case of getting gas, double check your gas cap to make sure it’s fully tightened down. If that doesn’t fix the light, you still shouldn’t panic.
Get Out the Owner’s Manual
The last thing you might feel like doing is a little bit of light reading in your car’s owner’s manual, but it can help. Find the section that talks about the check engine light and see what your car’s manufacturer has to say. It’s possible that there is something small listed here that can help you to figure out what’s going on. If those troubleshooting steps don’t help, you need to move on quickly.
Make a Plan
Finally, you need to make a plan. It’s really tempting to just pretend you never saw the check engine light and that it will go away on its own. But that’s not how this works and you can end up with a much bigger problem on your hands. Believe it or not, most of the time the check engine light is an early warning system. Odds are that your car’s engine isn’t about to blow up right this second, but you do need to take action.
Don’t wait if you’ve got the check engine light beaming at you from your car’s dashboard. Give us a call today at Kauai Auto Repair in Lihue, HI. We’ll diagnose the issue for you and let you know what your car needs in order to get you back on the road safely again.
