Of all the warnings that can appear on the control panel, the engine failure warning light o check engine light It is the one that can scare us the most. However, keep in mind that this yellow or red light can be turned on for the most varied reasons. There are so many components in the engine, that to have a warning of each of them we would need a control panel as complex as that of an airplane.
All manufacturers say the same thing if the engine failure warning light comes on: “Go to a home workshop”. there you have diagnostic machines that literally ask the car's control unit what is the specific error that it has detected. Thanks to this, mechanics know what to do, without having to rummage through all the parts of the car. Why doesn't the car give us that information?
An engine failure warning light for dozens of breakdowns
Indeed, with so much computerization and so many screens in modern cars, we have the means to give the owner more accurate information what's wrong with your car. But, although many motor enthusiasts might like this, the brands understand that the user is not a specialized mechanic and it is not necessary to give him information that could be misinterpreted.
At most, some brands differentiate the seriousness of the faults with the red or yellow color of the warning light. However, this is not standardized and each manufacturer does it in their own way.
The car is a machine that over the years has become increasingly complex and is full of interrelated components that depend on each other. In this article we are going to give you the keys to know what to do when the warning light comes on of the engine and, why not, some notions so you can know if the breakdown is serious.
What to do if the yellow check engine light comes on?
When the yellow check engine light comes on on your car's dashboard do not panic, and much less if you are driving on the road or highway. Stand in a safe place and reach for the manual. Remember that if you are on a highway, you must not stand on it or on its shoulder. It is not going to be that you have an accident by stopping where you should not, especially when the warning light has been able to turn on due to a minor fault. Take the first exit there is and stay out of traffic.
You should look at what it says in the manual, because depending on the manufacturer, the engine failure warning light may want to tell you to proceed in different ways. For example, there are those that indicate different gravities as a function of the color of light. Yellow for minor breakdowns, in which you can drive yourself to a workshop and red to indicate that you must stop the car, turn off the engine and call a tow truck.
If your car doesn't discriminate between minor and major faults, there are still a number of symptoms that allow you to get an idea of the magnitude of the problem. This may save you from waiting for someone to come pick you up on a lost road. The range is wide, but as much as cars have advanced, they continue to be governed by the same principles as before.
Symptoms to determine if the engine failure is serious
Formerly the mechanics had to be guided without sophisticated diagnostic machines. Only they used their knowledge and sharpen their hearing or sight. Using this, there are many symptoms that will allow you to discriminate if the fault is serious:
Power loss
There are many causes of power loss in an engine and the cost of its repair is very varied. A multitude of pieces can intervene in this symptom, which, as we have indicated before, are interrelated. It can be for example the turbo (if you have one), one of your sensors or the flow meter. In many cases, the control unit detects one of these problems and goes into "emergency mode", which limits the power of the engine. Something it does to prevent further damage to the system.
excess smoke
When the amount of smoke and its color are abnormal, it means that our car burns fuel poorly. This may be because of diesel heaters, oxygen sensor (or lambda probe), the emission control valve or emissions evaporation system. Some of them can end up spoiling the catalyst (if it is not itself that is damaged), a very expensive piece. So you better not move the car anymore.
Abnormal engine noise
Nobody notices better if the engine does not sound like always, than its owner. if you notice knocking or clicking With the engine running, the engine failure warning light will not be warning you in vain. Get out of the car to hear it from outside to make sure. Stop the car in a safe place and call the tow truck. You may have driven to the garage, but you could aggravate the problem along the way.
Overheating
If the engine failure warning light is accompanied by a engine overheating, you must not continue circulating. You will be able to see it in the needle of the temperature of the car or with another light on. A common fault that causes this is the thermostat.
Consumption increase
If the car does not measure the air and fuel mixture well, it usually manifests itself with a noticeable increase in fuel. To avoid damage to the catalytic converter and other expensive parts, do not continue to use it until it is fixed.
If your car behaves normally with the check engine light on, you may be able to drive to the nearest workshop yourself. Although it is a risk. Assess it yourself based on the time you have and make sure that your insurance includes the towing service at no cost to you. You would not be the first to miss out on it because you are not informed. A simple call to your insurance can save you trouble.
Why does the check engine light come on?
Apart from the examples we have given for severe symptoms, there are many Reasons why the engine failure warning light may come on. All of them require mechanical work to correct them, hence the importance of this witness. But not all of them represent a significant outlay.
Air Measurement Components
These are the flowmeter, which measures the air intake that reaches the engine, and the Lambda Sensor, which measures the amount of oxygen in that air. These parts are very important for the system to know the precise amount of fuel it needs at any given time.
Plugs
Are spark plugs as such in gasoline engines and glow plugs or heaters in diesel engines. In the first case, they are responsible for igniting the mixture of fuel and air. In the second, they increase the temperature of the mixture so that it sets correctly even when cold. The diesel engine ignites the sparkless mixture by subjecting the fuel and air to high pressures as the piston moves up inside the cylinder.
Catalyst
It is responsible for reducing car emissions. As we have already explained, it can be damaged by continuing to use the car when it does not burn fuel well. Whether it's the spark plugs, air metering components, or other factors.
Particle filter
This component can be damaged for the same reason as the catalytic converter. Although it can also be due to something lighter, such as always going low on revs with a diesel engine. You can try to fix it with a particulate filter treatment and take the car high in turns on the highway for a bit. Normally 3.000 rpm at 120 km/h, for about 5 minutes, is recommended. There are also people who use smoke reducers o injector cleaners.
reservoir cap
This is a very simple and cheap fault, but it also causes the check engine light to come on. Among its functions is that of maintain pressure in the tank of fuel so that it reaches the system well.
Thermostat
A very important piece for the car cooling system regulate engine temperature. If it stops working, it will not regulate the passage of refrigerant through the pipes.
Ignition system
Both ignition coil as spark plug wires and distributor, they should work properly. If not, the engine will run poorly and the engine fault warning light will come on.
Emission control: EGR, canister…
There are several systems that handle keep emissions in check which, with the tightening of regulations, are growing in number and complexity. The usual ones are EGR valve, the system canisters or the emission control valve.
Turn off the engine fault warning light
Depending on what caused it to turn on, the solution will be easier or more difficult. For example, when the car carbon the exhaust system gets too dirty, and the warning light comes on, normally it is enough to drive on the highway at high speed for a few minutes (3.000 rpm). To improve this trick, you can use some product against carbon and accelerate from time to time in third or fourth until reaching 4.000 rpm.
If what leak es any of the pieces that we have mentioned before, you must replace it or clean it properly (something very common in the EGR valve of some models, as you have seen above). Many of them do not require great knowledge of mechanics and, if you enter the links that we have put in some of them, you will be able to know how to do it. In any case, a trusted workshop will always be a good option.
Engine fault warning light goes off and on
In this case, the most common is that there is an imperfect connection in some system of the car. For example, air sensing components. This can happen in very old cars, if you have had a blow or if you have gone through a very large pothole. It is also a problem that can occur if the engine has been improperly cleaned. In the following video you can see how to do it without causing problems:
If your check engine light comes on and off, make sure all wire connections are tight and there is no dirt inside. Of course, always with the car completely off. In many cases it is solved with something as simple as this. However, if you do not succeed in this way, we recommend that you take the car to a trusted workshop.
Cars with less chance of the engine failure warning light going off
El engine failure warning light is something that can appear to anyone, even if you have the most expensive car on the market. However, the records of the workshops and the daily use of the owners show that there are huge differences in reliability between brands.
To have things clear in this regard, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has prepared the 2020 Reliability and Satisfaction Survey. 40.000 European drivers have participated in it, of which 8.000 were Spanish. In the video below you can see how reliable brands are today, as well as how satisfied customers have been on a day-to-day basis.
As you may have seen, in the studio there are some surprises that come from relatively new brands. In addition to the occasional contrast between the high price of some houses and their reliability.
If what you are looking for is a car in which the engine failure warning light does not go off, the top 5 brands in this video are the most suitable. You will see that they are not necessarily the most expensive. At least, if you settle for those that do not occupy the first and second position.
How much can the repair cost?
Depending on the brand and the part to be replaced, the price varies a lot. A new fuel cap does not usually exceed 15 euros, But a catalyst or a turbo can reach up to 1.000 euros. Between these extremes there is a whole range, but you have to bear in mind that what increases the bill the most is usually the workforce. With the workshop work included, the price of a Lambda Sensor can be around 200 euros, that of a flow meter around 150 euros and spark plugs 70 euros.
It tienes knowledge of mechanics and you dare to do it yourself, there are some parts that are not difficult to change. This is the case of diesel heaters or spark plug wires. In these articles we give you the necessary notions to change them yourself.
