The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostic system (OBD-II). All vehicles manufactured in 1996 and later are required to have OBD-II. The check engine light has several purposes, including:
The check engine light is a warning that something is not working properly. Because some codes are serious, you need testing by an experienced auto tech as soon as possible.
When you have the check engine light checked immediately, you can prevent additional damage. While some problems may not cause additional damage, others can cause catastrophic issues to the engine.
If the problem is serious, the vehicle may go into limp-home mode. If this happens, do not shut the vehicle off until you can pull off into a safe place. This is designed to provide minimal power to get you home, to a shop or out of traffic.
If you are within a mile or less of Eastside Automotive or home, drive to either place, but do not force the vehicle to go faster. Depending on the model, it may not allow you to drive over 25 or 30 mph – sometimes even slower. If you give it more gas and try to force it, you could damage the engine.
In many cases, when a vehicle goes into limp-home mode, once you shut it off, you won’t be able to restart it.
Our certified and experienced technicians have the newest equipment to diagnose the check engine light issue. It’s not a simple matter of pulling codes and replacing a sensor. The engine has two types of sensors: Those that send readings to the computer and those that make adjustments to the system for the computer.
For example, a throttle position sensor tells the ECM what position the throttle is in and how much fuel the engine requires, based on your request. The computer adjusts the engine RPMs with the idle air valve to keep the engine from stalling when you take your foot off the throttle. If the idle air valve is not working, the vehicle will stall when you come to a stop or when you slow for a sharp turn as long as the engine RPMs drop below a certain number.
When you first come in, an advisor discusses the issue with you to get as much information as possible to help with testing and inspection. The advisor will usually ask if the vehicle was running any differently and, if so, what it did.
The tech then hooks the vehicle up to the diagnostic machine to scan the codes. Once he has the codes, he knows where to start looking for the problem and can run further diagnostics. Once the tech diagnoses the cause of the problem, Eastside Automotive will call you to explain the problem and obtain your permission to repair it.
After the tech completes the repairs, he clears the codes and test drives the vehicle to ensure the check engine light stays off.
When you need preventative maintenance or repairs, contact Eastside Automotive at (864) 801-0202 for an appointment. We are conveniently located at 2010 River Road, Greer SC 29650.
