So, your
'Check Engine' light is on.... is that serious?
Chances are,
if you drive a modern vehicle with an On-Board-Diagnostics (OBD)
system you are familiar with the myriad of indicators and warning
lamps on your dash. These may range from oil warnings, ABS,
headlight/tail light indicators, and that pesky check engine light.
More than likely you have also had one of these indicators on at one
time or another when the car was “running fine.” Making sense of these
indicators and how to respond is crucial to ensuring maximum
performance from your vehicle.
The question
asked time and time again is: “What do I do when this light is on?”
and “Is it actually important?” The answer to the latter is
quite simple: of course it’s important! The question of what to do is
slightly more complex. Putting a perfectly running vehicle on the
first tow truck and towing it to the dealer for nothing more than a
light may result in nothing more than a hefty diagnostics fee.
Ignoring that pesky “Check Engine” light or your other indicators,
however, can lead to serious damages to your vehicles engine and
drivetrain.
In older OBD
systems, the indicator lights would only come on when an actual
failure had occurred. This usually indicated a vehicle that was not
fit for normal use and travel. The check engine light in newer OBD-II
vehicles is much more complex. Today’s engine control systems or ECM
(sometimes referred to a powertrain control module or PCM) have the
ability to recognize degradation of a component or system and warn the
driver of potential issues before the vehicle becomes unsafe to drive.
The ability to
properly diagnose your vehicle OBD system and determine the cause for
the indicator light can lead to significant savings, and ensure you
are getting the most out of your vehicle. Simple hand held scanners
will allow you to read the basic diagnostics codes and the simple
fault description. For more detailed information and the ability to
monitor your entire diagnostics system there is PC based software such
as
PCMscan or
ScanXL which when coupled with an OBD scan tool such as the
ELMScan 5 or
Mongoose J2534 cables will allow you to fully diagnose your
vehicle. For those that what a constant update on their vehicles
status, the
DashDAQ
and
DashHAWK systems will allow the user to monitor, log, and test the
vehicles air, fuel and related systems in real time.
By reading
your vehicles trouble codes you can tell whether you simply need to
clean your MAF sensor, replace an EGR valve, or if you may have a more
severe engine problem. The ability to read a vehicles diagnostics
system as important to the professional mechanic as it is to the DIY
garage warrior. Understanding of your vehicles OBD system is one of
the most critical steps in properly diagnosing and repairing your
vehicle.
This article has been adapted from Magnaflow Bulletin TB-80008 March
12, 2009
