What do you do?
Its just a light, with no information telling you what the problem is.
Do this first
First of all, is the light blinking or steady?
According to Consumer Reports,blinking could indicate an emergency.
If the light is blinking, pull over, turn the car off, and call for assistance.
A steady light means theres no immediate cause for alarm, but you should still get it checked out.
Call ahead and confirm they can handle your make and model, since some cars have special computers.
Lets take a look at the most common issues.
It helps monitor how much fuel is burned.
A faulty sensor not only reduces gas mileage, it also increases emissions.
Taking your car into a shop will cost you around $200, depending on the car.
Regardless of how you approach it, get this fixed right away.
When its loose or cracked, fuel vapors leak out and can throw the whole fuel system off.
This causes a reduction in gas mileage and increases emissions.
This means its either cracked or just wasnt tightened well enough.
Continue driving and see if the check engine light turns off.
All it’s crucial that you do is take the old one off and screw on the new one.
If youve already made it to the store, you might as well replace it.
While not car-threatening, its good to take care of this right away to improve gas mileage.
It converts carbon monoxide and other harmful materials into harmless compounds.
Catalytic convertors shouldnt fail if youre keeping up on regular maintenance.
When it fails, it stops converting carbon monoxide into less harmful emissions.
If your catalytic convertor fails completely, you eventually wont be able to keep the car running.
A faulty one can increase emissions, cause the car to stall, and decrease gas mileage.
Most mass airflow sensors fail because of an improperly installed (or never replaced) air filter.
You should replace the air filter at least once a year to help prevent the airflow sensor from failing.
Theoretically you’re free to drive for a few weeks or even months with a broken MAF sensor.
You will notice a decrease in gas mileage and over time the car will eventually start stalling a lot.
When the plugs are failing, the spark plugs misfire.
Youll feel a little jolt in your cars acceleration when this happens.
Most spark plugs in cars from before 1996 should be replaced every 25,000-30,000 miles.
Newer ones can last up to 100,000 miles.
Still, plugs fail over time and theres not much you could do about it.
Get them replaced right away.
Its easy, cheap, and your car will run better for it.
Its simple enough that Ive seen people doing this in the auto parts parking lot on several occasions.
