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| − | Detroit, MI is commonly recognized as the Motor City and the neighborhood or local auto repair shop is generally your best and most accesible source for diagnostic information when something abruptly goes wrong with your trusted automobile.
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| − | The check engine light formally named the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) - is a warning sign from the car's engine computer that something is wrong. Your nearby auto repair shop has all the diagnostic equipment to decipher the codes from check engine lights.
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| − | Begining with model-year 1996, car manufacturers standardized their platforms under a standard protocol known as OBD-II, which stipulated a standardized directory of diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) and required that all automobiles provide a universal connector to access this information. It is usually located beneath the steering column and is easily accessible.
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| − | Do-it-yourselfers can purchase reasonably priced code readers that attach to this standardized onboard diagnostics (OBD) port and look for the code's meaning in their supplied device owner's manual or on various web sites such as Engine Light Help. Authorities point out that a number of motorists confuse the "service required" light on the gauge cluster for the check engine light. These cautionary lights are unrelated. The service required light just means the car is due for an oil change or other scheduled maintenance. You can visit any auto repair facility and let them to make clear the difference between the two. It is not the indicator of problems that the check engine light is. The check engine lights come in orange, yellow or amber, depending on the manufacturer. If the light begins blinking, however, it indicates a more severe problem, for instance a misfire that can quickly overheat the catalytic converter. These emissions devices operate at high temperatures to cut pollution levels, but can pose a fire risk if faulty.
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| − | Ten percent of all cars or trucks on the road have a check engine light on, and the drivers of half of these vehicles have ignored the light for more than three months. If the light comes on, the driver should initially see if the gas cap is loose. A loose cap sends an error message to the car's computer, reporting a leak in the vapor recovery system, which is one aspect of a car's emissions system. If the gas cap is loose, tighten it and continue driving, it might take some time for the light to go off.
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| − | Even with the code and its meaning available, do-it-yourself interpretation can be a little tricky even those they may be mechanically inclined. Sporadically, the check engine light comes on when nothing is wrong. It might be a temporary problem brought on by a change in dampness or other factors. In such cases, the light ought to go off by itself after a brief time. Your neighborhood auto repair shop will be able to confirm whether additional investigation will be necessary.
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| − | Five of the most frequent check engine light codes in order of occurrence are:
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| − | O2 sensor (part of the emissions system, monitoring and helping adjust the air-fuel mixture)
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| − | Loose gas cap
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| − | Catalytic converter
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| − | Mass air flow sensor (monitoring the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)
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| − | Spark plug wires
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| − | In the occasion one of your car's check engine lights are on, it is always wise in Detroit, MI to pay your local auto repair shop a visit to confirm the seriousness of the indicator light. These especially important but often times under utilized neighborhood auto repair shops can mean the difference between a good running vehicle and a great one.
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| − | [http://www.viewdocsonline.com/embed/k91x71 auto repair, tire sales, tire shops, auto mechanic, brake repair shops, oil change service, tire repair, auto shop]
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