Four Solid Steps to Take if You See Your Check Engine Light

Do you know what to do if you ever see your car’s check engine light? Lots of people don’t know what to do and it can be a little frightening. HRS AutoCare has some tips that you can use.

The very first thing to remind yourself if you see your car’s check engine light is that panic is not your friend. If you feel freaked out, you’re not alone. No one likes to see their check engine light. But if you panic, you can miss signs that let you know what’s going on. The problem might be an easy one to resolve, and your car might have information for you that you don’t want to miss.

After a deep breath, focus on the rest of the car’s dashboard. What other lights are you seeing on the dash? If there aren’t any other warning lights, check any gauges on the dashboard to see if those tell you anything. Pay special attention to things like temperature and oil pressure, because those can be big issues that impact your car’s engine.

Did you recently get gas? One of the easiest problems to resolve when the check engine light comes on is to undo your car’s gas cap and put it back on, making sure that it threads correctly and that you hear or feel the clicks that mean it’s properly sealed. There are sensors that let the car’s computer know if that cap isn’t fully sealed, and that can trigger the check engine light.

None of the above helped? Don’t wait. Get some help right away. It’s always better to take your car in to the shop right away if the check engine light is on. You might be tempted to wait, but honestly the problem is only going to get worse. The car’s computer is alerting you to a problem before the issue is catastrophic so that you can still take some action. It’s going to be a lot less expensive and scary to get the correct answer now rather than waiting.

HRS AutoCare in Nicholasville, KY is here for you if your check engine light has you feeling a little skittish. We’ll thoroughly assess the situation and give you straightforward information about what’s wrong and what your car needs. We can help you to get safely back on the road as fast as possible.