Can you drive with engine malfunction light on?
Flashing Check Engine Light The rule of thumb is that if the check engine light is flashing, you can’t keep driving the car. It’s an emergency. Often it indicates an engine misfire. If you keep driving, you will likely cause irreversible damage, mostly to the (expensive) catalytic converter.
How long does it take to fix an engine problem?
The time it takes to pull and replace an engine is 8-15 hours depending on the car’s model, age, the skill of the mechanic, and type of engine work (replacement vs. repair). Some cars are notorious for having harder than usual engines to replace or repair. Ask your mechanic for a quote and compare options.
What does a malfunction indicator light on a car mean?
In many cases, it means that you’ll be visiting the car dealer to repair the issue and get the light turned off. The check engine light — more formally known as the malfunction indicator lamp — is a signal from the car’s engine computer that something is wrong.
What causes a check engine light to illuminate?
The check engine light could illuminate for a number of reasons, the 5 most common being your: 1. Oxygen sensor needs replacing. This sensor tracks the amount of unburned oxygen in your car’s fuel system. Without fixing, a faulty sensor leads to bad fuel economy and potential spark plug and catalytic converter damage.
What should I do if my check engine light does not go off?
After driving for a while, the check engine light should go off. if it doesn’t, it may be time to ask your mechanic to check it out. A Catalytic Converter controls emissions in your car’s exhaust system. It converts carbon monoxide and other harmful gases into less harmful byproducts.
What to do when malfunction indicator light illuminates?
If you have a OBD-II scantool (for example one with ELM327 chip) and OBD diagnostic software, you can check the reason for the problem yourself. For example, our car diagnostic software can read the DTC code from the car and give you description of the code. Those will guide you towards the main cause of the problem.