You may be wondering why your Check Engine Light is on. Here are 5 reasons your Check Engine Light may come on.
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Your gas cap may be loose, damaged or missing
Your gas cap seals the fuel system and helps maintain pressure within the fuel tank. It also prevents gasoline fumes (hydrocarbons) from being released into the atmosphere.
What if I don’t replace it?
- You can lose fuel through evaporation
- You may make more trips to the gas pump
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Your oxygen (O2) sensor may need replacing
Your oxygen sensor measures the amount of unburned oxygen in your vehicle’s exhaust system.
What if I don’t replace it?
- You may experience loss of fuel economy (up to 40% if ignored)
- Faulty sensor(s) can cause damage to your spark plugs and catalytic converter, or even worse, your engine!
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The catalytic converter may need replacing
Your catalytic converter helps protect the environment by converting harmful carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Damage usually occurs due to neglected maintenance (reasons # 1, 4, and 5). Using low (87) octane fuels can also damage catalytic converters. It’s always best to use name brand gasoline. Using 93 octane fuel minimizes nearly all problems with catalytic converters.
What if I don’t replace the catalytic converter when needed?
- Your vehicle will not pass an emissions test
- You will experience reduced performance and fuel economy
- Your car may run at a higher temperatures ultimately causing engine damage
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The mass Airflow Sensor may need replacing or cleaning (MAF)
Your mass airflow sensor measures the amount of air entering the engine to determine how much fuel is needed to run your engine efficiently.
What if I don’t replace or clean it?
- Faulty or dirty sensors can cause damage to spark plugs, O2 sensors or catalytic converters
- You will experience reduced performance and fuel economy
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Spark Plugs may need replacing
Your spark plugs ignite the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your vehicle. The spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs.
What if I don’t replace it?
- You will experience poor performance (reduced power, engine missing) and reduced fuel economy
- Worn spark plugs can cause clogged catalytic converters or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors
Mark Martin’s Auto World services all of these systems on your vehicle whether domestic or import.