Hello
When the service engine
soon light (Also called the check engine light or engine management
light) is turned on this is to alert you to the fact that Powertrain
Control Module (computer) has detected a failure somewhere in the
systems it controls you may not feel any difference in the way the
engine runs, this can be the transmission or the engine or emission
system, there are fault codes set in the modules memory for these
faults. What needs to happen now is to have the powertrain control
module scanned with a special tool called an OBD2 electronic engine
control scanner or a OBD2 code reader. Once the code(s) are read then
you must perform the diagnostics for each code and make the
appropriate repairs based on the findings of the diagnosis that was
performed, this is called doing "Pinpoint" testing.
The information below was complied by me, it explains what causes the check engine light to come on and the process of finding the cause.
When the Check Engine light (or Service Engine Soon or small picture of an engine) is turned on, the systems computer control unit (called the PCM) has sensed a fault in the electronic controls of the engine and/or the emission system. When this happens you will seldom feel the car engine run any different. There are about 200 possible system faults (the gas cap is just one of them) that turn the Check Engine light on, to know what has developed a problem you must have the system tested, this is called an OBD2 fault code test, Kragen/Oriley and Autozone parts stores (USA only) do this testing for free.
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