3 Common Reasons for ‘Check Engine Light’

3 Common Reasons for ‘Check Engine Light’

If you are driving and your check engine light came on, do not panic. It might not be as big of an issue as you think!

There are many issues that can lead to the check engine light activating, some of which are rather easy to fix and not at all that serious. Continue reading below to see what these issues are and what they can lead to if not treated in time!

• Oxygen Sensor Failing

Your oxygen sensor is one of the most common reasons that your check engine light might activate. Over time, it wears down and begins to fail, preventing proper readings from being measured by your catalytic converter and engine. This alerts your vehicle that something is wrong with your exhaust system and or engine, so it triggers the check engine light. Not fixing this issue will cause your engine to use more fuel than needed and eventually lead to damage to your catalytic converter.

•Petrol Tank Cap is Loose or Damaged

This issue might surprise you, but your vehicle’s petrol/diesel tank cap can lead to your check engine light activating. Yes, you read that correctly. Your gas cap seals your vehicle’s fuel system and maintains the pressure of the fuel tank and so having that pressure unregulated can lead to your engine acting up. A common side effect of a bad or missing tank cap is more trips to the fuel pump and fuel loss through evaporation.

• Mass Airflow Sensor Failing

Your mass airflow sensor (MAF) is a part that measures the amount of air entering the engine and regulating it to determine the amount of fuel needed by your vehicle. When this system fails it causes the check engine light to appear, reduces your performance and fuel economy, and leads to damage to the spark plugs and O2 sensors.

These are a few of the many reasons your check engine might appear on your vehicle. Some of these reasons, such as the fuel tank cap, are cheap to repair and easy to fix.

(Source: Silver Star Motors)

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