Even though our cars are a vehicle that allows us to go where we want faster in our daily life, and sometimes we can spend time as a hobby, sometimes they can cause big problems for us. While you are traveling with your car, you may encounter an unexpected malfunction lamp on the instrument screen. Even if this lamp sometimes causes greater dangers, sometimes it has the possibility of burning even from simpler problems. If it hasn’t happened to you before, you may be wondering why the check engine light comes on in cars.
As we said above, the engine fault lamp can come on for dozens of reasons. It could mean something is wrong with your engine, something wrong with your transmission, or maybe a minor sensor has come loose. But no matter what, we strongly recommend you to take the necessary precautions when you are faced with the engine fault lamp. Because your car, which you use with confidence, can cause irreversible problems from even the slightest problem. If you wish, without further ado, why does the engine fault lamp come on in cars, what are the reasons? Let us answer for you.
Why does the check engine light come on in cars?
First, let’s look at the colors and meanings of the check engine light:
- Yellow check engine light
- Red check engine light
- Continuous flashing check engine light
Yellow check engine light:
A yellow check engine light means that the engine fault is due to a simpler problem. So, if you’re experiencing a yellow engine malfunction, it indicates that your car has enough of a problem that it can be serviced. Such engine failures may occur for simple reasons such as sensors and filters. However, if a dirty substance has come to your throttle, your car may still turn on a yellow check engine light for this reason. In such cases, you can take your car to the nearest service center and find out what kind of problems have occurred in the car with the error code.
Red check engine light:
If the red check engine light comes on while you are driving with your car, pull your car to the right safely and quickly and stop. A red engine failure, as can be seen from its color, means that a critical problem has occurred in your car. If your car has already come to a point where the red engine fault lamp is on, you can understand this by the strange sounds coming from your engine or transmission along with the lamp. In such cases, you should call a roadside assistance service before you move your car.
Continuous flashing check engine light
If the engine fault lamp is flashing, it indicates that there are smaller problems that may occur in the engine. Of course, these problems can lead to bigger problems later on and cause the light in your car to turn red. If you encounter a flashing check engine light in your car, you should go to a car dealership and seek professional assistance as soon as possible.
So why does the check engine light come on in cars?
Problems in the engine
If the engine fault light is on, some problems may have occurred in the engine. This malfunction may also say that instantaneous DPF and EGR cleaning is required, there may be a problem with your turbo, there may be a problem with your glow plugs. In case of problems that may occur in this type of engine, you may encounter an engine fault lamp on your car’s display. You can go to a service as soon as possible and find out what is causing the problem.
Problems that may occur in the gearbox
The transmission system, which works with the power transmission from the engine, is a very sensitive piece of equipment. If the engine fault lamp is on in your car, you may be experiencing problems with your transmission. For example, there may be a problem with your transmission gears. If it is a transmission-related problem, it is worth saying that it should be resolved as soon as possible. Because, gearbox repair and replacement is one of the automobile equipment that is quite expensive.
Problems occurring in emission parts
Your car has different parts for emission. If we need to give examples of these, we can say a few parts, especially the exhaust gas recirculation system, the catalytic converter. If a problem has occurred on the emission side of your car, you may still encounter the engine fault lamp. Problems that may occur in exhaust emissions are a problem for your car, and exhaust emissions are carefully checked during regular inspections.
Problems with sensors and modules
Our cars are equipped with dozens of sensors. These include oxygen sensors, MAP sensors, and there are quite a few sensors that can turn on a check engine light for the slightest problem. If you are facing the yellow check engine light, you may be experiencing a problem with the sensors in your car. But of course, we would never advise you to skip saying “it’s just a sensor”. Although these sensors may seem simple from the outside, they can sometimes even prevent your car from starting.
Problems in the air fuel mixture
Starting from the fuel you buy for your car, one of the reasons for the malfunction light that you may encounter with different problems is the problems occurring in the air-fuel mixture. If your car doesn’t start or has trouble starting all at once, you may be facing a problem with the air fuel system. However, if you have noticed a decrease in throttle response and acceleration while driving with your car, you may be dealing with an air-fuel mixture problem.
Problems in the ignition system
Problems with the ignition system can become a very critical problem in your car. For example, the occurrence of more than normal temperature in the ignition system, increased resistance and some electrical fluctuations may cause you to encounter an engine malfunction lamp. The ignition system has a very important place in the engine compartment of your car. Therefore, if you do not take your car to a workshop as soon as possible, different problems may occur one after another.
As a result of problems that may occur for you, why does the engine fault lamp come on in cars, what are the reasons? We answered your questions. If you are faced with an engine fault lamp in your car, you need to fix it as soon as possible. You also need to choose the service you will take your car to for repair. Otherwise, you can find the engine of your car with no wiper fluid on the ground, with the excuse of “there is no part of this, bro”. Have you encountered the engine fault lamp problem before? Do not forget to share the reasons with us if you have encountered it.