Can i drive with the malfunction indicator lamp on

When something goes wrong in this complex collection of components and sensors, it triggers this light. Did You Know? But if no problems are detected, it should turn off within 6 seconds. Check whether your car is behaving differently. Is it bucking, surging, or making unusual sounds?

If you observe nothing strangely unusual, you could keep driving to your nearest car dealership or repair centre. When the light is on, the engine control unit actually stores a fault code related to the malfunction, which can be read and interpreted by an On-Board-Diagnostics or OBD2 scan tool. All cars built in the US after , in Australia after petrol and diesel , in Canada after , and in the UK and Europe after petrol and diesel , are OBD2-compliant.

The thing is, this warning light can indicate almost anything from a loose fuel cap to a far more serious engine knock. No confusing acronyms, no technical jargon, no obscure references that only automotive engineers can decipher.

The Oxygen Sensor measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust system. A faulty oxygen sensor is not an alarming problem, but get your mechanic fix it as soon as is convenient.

Tighten or replace the gas cap, then keep driving. After driving for a while, the check engine light should go off. It converts carbon monoxide and other harmful gases into less harmful byproducts. And some cars have four of them! Therefore, if it is the cause for your car check engine light to come on, get a mechanic to check it out. Do not attempt to drive any further as you could cause costly damage to your car.

A MAF sensor failure is not an emergency. However, until you have it replaced, you will experience a decrease in fuel economy, poor car performance, and rough engine idle. If not, bad or failing spark plugs could be the reason your check engine light is on. Does this sound correct? Hello there. Costs will vary depending on whether you have the 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder. The 6 cylinder requires 3 hours to complete the two tasks alternator plus belt.

The 4 cylinder requires a little over 2 hours. Car sputters, shakes, and check engine light on A good first step that you can perform is to check the engine for air leaks. Any rubber boot, bellows or vacuum hose that is allowing air to leak in can affect the way the car runs.

Whether or not If the light does illuminate, that means there is a malfunction in the security system. Obviously, if this problem started immediately after you Is There a video showing how to do this Hello, we do not have repair videos available at this time. Otherwise, look to the internet After getting the code, you can search to find the issue it corresponds with online.

However, be careful of jumping to conclusions and applying fixes yourself. For example, if the code indicates a certain sensor is broken, it may be that the sensor is totally fine but the wires leading to it are damaged. For assistance in fixing the problem yourself, consult your car manual, which can often be found online. This entry was posted on Friday, January 11th, at am and is filed under Tips and Tricks.

However, as with all check engine light diagnostic trouble codes, you should repair it as soon as possible to return the vehicle to normal operation. However, the repair cost can really vary depending on what is found to be wrong and the type of car. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Ben Davis February 19, What does it mean when the Malfunction Indicator lamp comes on?

Can I drive with the Malfunction Indicator lamp on?