What Causes Service Engine Light To Come On

You lot are driving on the road, and of a sudden out of nowhere, the 'Service Engine Presently' light appears on your dashboard.

What to do now? Volition my engine get damaged if I continue driving? Should I finish the car immediately and tow information technology to the garage? How much will it cost to get it repaired?

These are just a few of the potential questions that may pop up inside your head.

But exercise not worry, the service engine before long light is not equally dangerous as it seems. In this article, y'all volition acquire everything y'all have to know virtually the service engine soon alert light.

Service Engine Shortly Lite Meaning

The Service engine before long lite indicates there is a minor problem with the electronics or your auto'south engine. Some manufacturers apply the service engine soon calorie-free instead of the check engine light when at that place is just a minor problem with your motorcar and not a severe problem.

It could also mean that it is fourth dimension for a scheduled service, such as oil or spark plug replacement. Some manufacturers only take one indicator for both scheduled service and engine problems.

Mutual causes of the Service engine presently calorie-free:

In that location are some special situations when your service engine before long light is more likely to come on. This differs slightly between automobile manufacturers, but these causes are ofttimes very similar between car models. Here are the causes of a service engine soon light:

Pocket-size engine bug like a loose fuel tank cap.
Time for a scheduled service.
Low level of any fluids (Low oil, coolant, restriction fluid, etc.)
Pocket-size exhaust emission problems

What to do when the Service Engine Shortly lite appears

When you are on the route and your 'Service Engine Soon' light appears, yous volition virtually likely not take any diagnostic tools with yous. You can bank check some mutual things by the side of the road when the calorie-free appears, though.

Bank check your repair manual (if you lot take it with you) for what the service engine calorie-free means on your car model.
Bank check all fluid levels, including the engine oil level, brake fluid level, wiper washer fluid, automatic transmission fluid (if yous have a dipstick for information technology), and the coolant level.
Check to make sure your fuel tank cap is tightened properly.
Listen if y'all can hear any foreign noises from the engine.
Check your service history manual when your concluding scheduled service was washed and check if information technology'southward time for a service. Call your authorized dealer if y'all have a digital service manual or endeavor to notice some information on your dashboard menu.

If y'all tin't notice any problems, yous have to take your car to a workshop to read your vehicle's problem lawmaking retentiveness. Y'all can as well do this yourself if you have an OBD2 scanner at home. If y'all practice non have one and want one, you can check out our OBD2 scanner review article. Check your engine control unit for any stored trouble codes.

If yous receive any codes, relieve them and try to get data almost what they mean. If there are codes for emission bug that are non dangerous for your engine, you lot tin can attempt deleting the code to see if the engine maintenance light goes out.

If the light goes out after you lot delete the codes, it ways that i of the codes stored in the memory is causing the engine maintenance light to come on.

Service Engine Soon light in different colors

The service engine calorie-free tin also occur in different colors, and yous should exist aware of them.

Xanthous lite: Modest Event: Drive to the workshop or diagnose information technology yourself as fast as possible.
Blood-red Light: Major Issue: End and plow off the engine as fast as possible and get it towed to the closest mechanic shop for an inspection.

I cleared the Service Engine Soon light, but it came back?

The engine command module performs all engine components tests at each engine ignition and after the vehicle has warmed upwardly. If it has failed a test several times, it volition determine something is non equally it should be. Therefore, it tin take a long time for the engine control module to discover these problems.

If the Service engine shortly light appears again it means that the problem all the same occurs and y'all need to diagnose it again.

Electrical problems are oft detected imminently and do not require first-upward tests to notice information technology. If the service engine light appears again, y'all have to reread the trouble code memory and try to become more information and solve the problem.

Service Engine Before long FAQ

What causes service engine shortly light to come up on?

There are a lot of causes of why the service engine before long calorie-free comes on. The most mutual cause is that your motorcar has a minor engine result, low fluid level, a faulty low-cal seedling, or a minor emission outcome depending on the motorcar model.

Tin I drive with service engine shortly light on?

The issues causing the service engine presently light in most cases non dangerous for your automobile. However, it is good to bank check all fluids to ensure the level is OK earlier you continue to drive. Nosotros do recommend repairing it as soon every bit possible, though.

How do I go the service engine presently light to go off?

In near cases, you have to repair the problem that caused the service engine light, and it will disappear by itself. If the light shows up considering of scheduled service, you need to reset it with a diagnostic scanner or a particular combination for your car model.

Tin can depression oil cause service engine soon lite?

Yes, Low engine oil level can cause the service engine soon light to appear on your dashboard on a lot of car models. It can also hateful that other low fluid levels are depression or other issues with the automobile. Information technology is relatively easy to check the oil level, though, then you should definitely begin with it.