If you see the check engine light appear on your vehicle's dashboard, don't delay taking it in for service. There are a lot of different reasons for this light to come on. While some of those reasons can be minor, a few are very serious. If the light is flashing, that's an indication of a critical failure or problem. It's best not to drive your vehicle at all with a flashing check engine light.
Even a light that's steady and not blinking could be warning you of a serious problem, though. Don't settle for crossed fingers and hope. Instead, bring your vehicle in and have it checked out. Then, you can get any issues corrected before they become worse. You don't want to do additional damage to your engine by driving it when there's something going wrong.
What Causes a Check Engine Light?
A check engine light can come on when there's a critical failure, but also for a multitude of different problems. If it's coupled with another light, such as the oil or coolant light, that's an indication of something more severe. If you have several lights that come on, including your check engine light, it's time to stop your vehicle in a safe place and get help from a mechanic.
You may need to have it towed since driving it any distance with multiple warning lights could cause a lot more damage and expense. That's the biggest issue with check engine lights. They don't really tell you what's wrong. You don't want to take the chance, though. You need to at least work with a mechanic to find the cause of the light. Then, you can get information on whether it's a serious problem and if your car is safe to drive until you can have it repaired.
Is It Safe to Drive With the Light On?
Because a check engine light can come on for a number of different reasons, it may or may not be safe to drive with it on. It's much better to be safe than sorry, so you should take your vehicle in for service right away. If you take your vehicle in for service and the cause of the light isn't serious, you'll know you can drive with the light on for a while. Until you find out the reason for the light, though, it's too risky to just keep driving the car and hoping that it's not going to cause any issues.
It's Important to Protect Your Vehicle
Your vehicle needs to be reliable. To help keep it running well, it's important to get the services you need most. That includes oil changes, new tires and brakes, radiator fluid checks, and more. It's best to catch issues and correct problems when the check engine light comes on, but sometimes, you don't know there's a problem until the light appears. By maintaining your vehicle as well as possible and taking it in promptly if the check engine indicator lights up, you'll have a better chance of keeping your car running reliably for a long time.
We Can Find the Cause of Your Check Engine Light
Reach out to us today at South Park Tire & Auto Center if you're in the Littleton, CO, area and have a check engine light on in your vehicle. We know there are multiple reasons that this light has come on, and we will diagnose the problem to get you back on the road again. You can contact us online or give us a call at 303-945-3780 to make an appointment. We can correct the issue and help you drive with more peace of mind for the future.