How does the check engine light work
The check engine light can mean a lot of different things for a driver. Most commonly people ignore this warning function in their car assuming they will be able to get by fine. This is perhaps because the check engine light checks for an incredibly long list of things. So what happens when you are pulling onto the street to start your day and the check engine light won’t go off?
A very long list of things can cause the check engine light to turn on but a few of them are things like a blown gasket head, worn-out spark plugs, and loose or cracked hoses/manifold. These are just a few potential things that can cause the check engine light to go on. The check engine light tends to check for symptoms rather than root causes which is why it can seem like nothing is wrong when the like randomly turns on.
Yet if they light does go on it can mean something very serious can broken down within your engine and it needs immediate attention. From your engine simply being wet to a deteriorated fuel injector O-ring the variation in what causes your check engine light to turn on causes a lot of confusion.
The check engine light is initiated when the different parameters measured throughout your cars engine give a reading that is a little bit out of whack. When this happen the light turns on and you are thus informed about a potential for a larger problem. To most people this means swinging by the shop and making sure your car isn’t going to break down tomorrow.
The check engine light is a precautionary parameter to ensure that your car stays in working order. The onboard engine diagnostic system is typically responsible for initiating the check engine light. An engine is a complex machine and it has all kinds of different sensors and readings to measure. The check engine light is a catch all for these readings that tells you to essentially go take a look.
The purpose of the check engine light is to let you know about potential harms before they occur. In short the check engine light’s purpose is to save you time and money in the long run in exchange for a little worrying in the short run. The check engine light succinctly sums up when any potential reading in your engine is off and gives you more power as a consumer.