Deciphering the Check Engine Light
One Light, Many Causes
If your check engine light has come on, perhaps you’re concerned as to what exactly has triggered it. That’s understandable. Although some dashboard lights point to a single problem (the oil light or the temperature gauge, for instance), the check engine light can indicate a wide variety of issues. However, the great news is that you won’t need to worry if you bring your vehicle to Dynamic Automotive in Emmitsburg, Maryland. For more than a quarter-century, we’ve been helping our customers decipher their transportation troubles. We look forward to helping you, too.
The Most Common Triggers
As noted, lots of issues can cause your car’s check engine light to come on. This particular lamp does not identify a single problem at a glance. Once the warning light has been illuminated, one of our certified technicians will need to make an accurate diagnosis. However, we’ll share with you some of the most common triggers we see. Believe it or not, sometimes the culprit is nothing more than a loose or poorly fitting gas cap. Failure of the cap to seal allows for a breach in the closed fuel system. This can allow your gas to evaporate (which is costly), and it can cause a check engine alert.
Components dealing with oxygen measurement are frequent culprits. For instance, the mass air flow sensor checks the amount of oxygen entering the engine so that the correct amount of fuel can enter for optimal combustion. The oxygen sensor detects the amount of unburned oxygen in your auto’s exhaust. If either of these components goes bad, you’ll get a check engine warning. Similarly, a failing catalytic converter can trigger the warning. It’s needed to transform deadly carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. No matter why the light has come on, you should identify and address the cause. You don’t want to let a small issue develop into a significant (and expensive) problem. Also, your vehicle won’t pass the Maryland state auto inspection with the light on.
Your Go-To Shop for Check Engine Light Diagnosis and Repair
Dynamic Automotive first opened its doors in 1995. Interestingly, that closely coincides with the timing of the modern check engine light. All new cars sold in the US in 1996 and after were required to comply with universal trouble code mandates. Thus, when you bring your auto to us for check engine light assistance, we’ll connect it to the OBD-II reader. Once we obtain the trouble code, we’ll use our training and experience to pinpoint the exact problem to make an accurate repair. You can feel at ease knowing that our process saves both time and money. Also, our work is backed with a generous warranty. Come to our Emmitsburg, MD, location to see why we’ve earned so many awards.
