ASK THE Auto EXPERT
12 • March 2018 •
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NOW WHAT?
T
he MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) takes a few different forms. It can be a picture, symbol, or an icon of an engine; it can say “Service Engine Soon” or simply “Check Engine”. What it means is that one of the computers that manage your cars vital systems has recorded a fault and wants you to know about it. It can represent over 2500 different faults and until you hook up a Scan tool to the OBD data port, you can’t be sure what it means.
is monitored by the ECM (Engine Control Module) the Transmission is monitored by the TCM. Body functions like windows, door locks, etc., are monitored by the BCM and so on. These modules communicate and share information on both High Speed and Low speed networks.
ECM codes are generally P codes, Transmission codes are also P codes. BCM codes are B codes and Chassis codes are C codes. Communications problems are usually U codes. The Check Engine light The check engine light does not does not represent a represent a single problem, rather telling you single problem rather simply telling you that something is in need of attention. that something is in need of attention. The In 1996, any car sold in the US, must most common codes relate to the vehicles have an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) con- Emissions system and will not affect nector in it. They are usually located near drivability but will cause the car to fail the base of the steering column or under emissions. In fact a person should never the dash. This is how Automobile Techni- attempt to go through the state emission cians hook into the cars network to gather testing process with the light on. It’s a information. guaranteed failure and why waste $27? Another common code appears if you Vehicles have used computers to manage don’t tighten the Fuel Cap after refueling. vital systems since the 1970’s. The Engine Some seniors with poor strength in their
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hands have a hard time screwing down the cap until it clicks. As a vehicle ages it becomes more common for the light to appear. Don’t freak out but do get it checked out. If the light is on and flashing, it’s likely to be a more serious issue like a miss fire that can ruin a Catalytic Converter. When you start your car you will see the light for a moment as the instrument cluster does it’s light and system check. It should go off almost immediately if all is well. Today’s vehicles are much more reliable than ever but that does not mean they don’t develop issues. It’s impossible to simply look at a component and determine if it’s working properly. The code obtained by scanning a vehicle may or may not point directly at the problem. You could get a code for an oxygen sensor but you can’t blame the sensor if a rodent ate through a wire going to the sensor. Sometimes a Check Engine Light will come on and then go out. The fault is still recorded in the appropriate module but it usually refers to an intermittent prob-
lem that currently does not exist. A good example of this is a sensor that swings in and out of acceptable performance range. There are three types of code status. History, current and pending. History means that the problem happened in the past but is not currently occurring. Current means that the problem is happening now and Pending means that the module can see the problem coming but it has not faulted enough times to actually request the MIL on. It all appears complicated but not to someone who works with modern cars all the time. You can have your car scanned for free at many places including Auto Parts stores but you would be smart to have a ASE Professional Automobile Technician do a Diagnostic check before simply replacing parts. I will save you time and money. Mitch Clousner is the Owner of Mitch’s Econo Lube located at 17217 N. Tatum Blvd, Phoenix AZ and has been serving the NE phoenix community for 23 years. Mr. Clousner is an ASE Certified Automobile Technician.
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