Check Engine Light Comes On - What To Do?

One of the most dreadful things experienced by car owners is when the “CHECK ENGINE” light pops up on their car’s dashboard. Apart from the fact that something is definitely wrong with your car, you are unsure of what the thing is. It could be a simple thing which you can fix easily and, it could be a serious problem that needs an urgent fix by a mechanic.

Unless you are a mechanic or someone with deep knowledge of car engines and how to fix them, you will surely waste time and money just to know what went wrong with your car, not to talk about fixing it. Since you don’t know what is wrong with your car’s engine. 

Since the introduction of OBDII in 1996 in USA. Car's ECU communication protocols have become more standardised enabling the aftermarket to offer tools to read these parameters. With a simple engine code reader, you will at least be able to read and clear engine-only trouble codes and live data. For those who like to access more than just engine and drive systems, getting a multi-system scanner will help provide access to more systems which can include ABS, SRS, Transmission, Body and more. Depending on the scan tool capability and coverage.

So next time a check engine light comes on, you will have a scan tool to tell you how urgent the problem is before you take to the mechanic.