When your check engine light comes on, it is normal to become worried about the reliability of your vehicle. However, there are a lot of different reasons that your check engine light could come on that are not serious problems. While you always want to get a check engine light checked out by a mechanic, you may not really be looking at expensive repairs. Here are some of the common more minor reasons for a check engine light.
Oxygen Sensor
The oxygen sensor on your vehicle is one of the least expensive parts on your car, and it is a fairly easy and cheap fix. The oxygen sensor helps to regulate your vehicle and can affect your gas mileage. It is not an emergency to replace it, as your car will run just fine, although less efficiently, without it.
Loose Gas Cap
On some models, a loose gas cap will cause the check engine light to come on. A loose gas cap can affect how well your car is able to pull gas from the fuel tank and into the car’s main systems. This is a slightly more important thing to take care of quickly, as it will affect the operation of your vehicle, but the fix is only about $25 most of the time.
Other Potential Causes
There are several other potential causes for your check engine light that are not horribly expensive to fix. The following causes of a check engine light range from about $125 to $300 to repair.
- Ignition coils need to be replaced
- Spark plugs need to be replaced
- Evaporative emissions purge control valve needs to be replaced
- Evaporative emissions purge solenoid needs to be replaced
- Bad fuel injectors
- Thermostat replacement
Of course, there could be many other reasons that your check engine light might be on. As soon as you notice it come on, you should contact a mechanic to read the computer and discover the issue so that it can be repaired. If your check engine light flashes, you need to park the car and call a mechanic immediately, as this could be an indicator that a major problem is occurring with the engine or the system is overheating.
If you have a check engine light on in your car, contact us today for an appointment.