No car owner wants to see the check engine light come on, that’s for sure. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the world if you see the check engine light on your car’s dashboard. Here’s what L&D Automotive wants you to know if you see this dreaded dashboard warning light.
Take a Breath and Take Stock
Your first instinct when you see the check engine light is probably to have a bit of a freak out moment and that’s totally understandable. But the check engine light doesn’t necessarily mean the worst just yet. It’s what it says it is, a warning that you need to look closer. So it’s time to just take stock of what’s going on.
Do a Scan of Everything
Do a quick scan. Is there anything else going on? If you’re noticing other symptoms, like weird sounds or smoke or other issues, that’s definitely a big clue. But there could be other signs, too, like additional dashboard warning lights that help you to narrow things down.
Has Anything Changed?
Is there anything new going on? For instance, if you just got gas, the gas cap might not be tight enough. Reseat the gas cap and see if that fixes the light. Or there could be other changes that have happened, like a recent oil change or other service you had done. The check engine light could be related to anything new that has happened, so it helps to just think back about what might have contributed to the warning light.
Get Some Help
You definitely don’t want to sit around and wait for the light to go away. Odds are very high that the light isn’t going to just turn off by itself, first of all. And second of all, you need to know why the light turned on in the first place. If this is a situation that has been brewing for a little while, there may be a lot more going on than you think. If this is something that is related to transmission issues or to something else, you are better served by finding out what’s going on sooner rather than later.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t panic if you see the check engine light on your car’s dashboard. Call L&D Automotive in Lavon, TX and set up an appointment for us to diagnose the situation for you. You’ll have the information you need to take the next steps.