You might think that your check engine light means your car is toast right there, but that’s not necessarily the case. Gulf Breeze Automotive does want to caution you that your check engine light is a serious situation, and these tips may help you to determine what all is happening and how to solve the problem.
Scan Your Dashboard Warning Lights
If your check engine light is suddenly on, it might not be the only one. Look at your dashboard carefully to see if there are any other warning lights on. If there aren’t, make sure that you check your gauges, too. Looking at things like temperature, oil pressure, and more can help you to determine what might be causing the check engine light to have come on.
Slow Down and Remove Anything You’re Hauling
Are you carrying anything heavy or unnecessary in your trunk or cargo area? When you’re hauling more than you need in your car or when you tow something, that places additional strain on your car’s engine. With the check engine light coming on, that means that extra strain needs to be reduced. Slowing down is also going to help to reduce that extra effort.
Check That Your Gas Cap Is Tight Enough
While you’re stopping to assess what you’ve got in the trunk, take a quick second and check your gas cap. It might sound silly, but this is a lot more common than you might think. If the gas cap isn’t tight enough, gas fumes can escape from the tank and that affects engine performance. Tighten the cap until it clicks a couple of times and then check if the light turns off.
Don’t Ignore the Problem
If the gas cap was the problem, then you’re likely fine. But if the light is still on, you cannot ignore this warning for long. The check engine light is there to tell you that something is not right somewhere that affects how well the engine functions. Ignoring the check engine light now might mean you can still go where you want to go today, but that doesn’t mean that your car’s engine won’t experience a catastrophic issue tomorrow.
Gulf Breeze Automotive in Gulf Breeze, FL has the experience and the tools to diagnose what’s wrong with your car’s engine. Give us a call today so that we can get started on finding the issue for you and get you safely back on the road.