Is it Safe to Drive with Your Check Engine Light On?

Your check engine light is part of your car’s onboard diagnostic system. It either flashes or remains steady whenever something goes wrong. Before we conclude whether it’s safe to drive with this light on or not, let’s first find out why it could turn on in the first place. Below are four common reasons.

Bad Catalytic Converter

The catalytic converter constitutes your vehicle’s exhaust system. Its role is to transform carbon monoxide into carbon. Its failure is usually indicated by a rotten egg-smell emission. If the catalytic converter is faulty, the check engine light will turn on.

Something Is Wrong with The Gas Cap

The gas cap ensures the fuel system is intact and nothing is lost through evaporation. If you did not tighten your gas cap after the last refill, it could be the reason your check engine light is on. A broken, missing, cracked, or loose gas cap will turn your check engine light on.

You Need to Replace The (MAF) Sensor

This sensor regulates the amount of air entering the engine to mix with the fuel. If it fails, your car won’t get the right air/fuel mixture, thus low fuel efficiency and poor engine performance. It could also damage other vehicle components such as the oxygen sensor and the spark plugs.

Faulty Plugs or Wires

Generally, any problem with your car’s ignition system will lead to a check engine warning. So if your plugs or wires have not been changed for a long time, you need to see your mechanic. Besides poor engine performance, bad spark components can damage the oxygen sensors, ignition coils, and even the catalytic converter.

So, can you continue driving even though you have a check engine light warning?

As you have seen from above, the reasons for a check engine light warning could be simple or very serious. It is therefore not good to drive with the light on in case it is a major issue. Instead, you need computer diagnostics performed on your car to find out the problem and fix it before it’s too late.

If you need check engine light repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!