What is that light?

Check engine lights have been around for a long time. In the past, a check engine light being on would mean that you had a simple concern.

Nowadays the check engine light comes on for so many reasons I couldn’t even start to list them here.

When a check engine light goes on it means there is a problem in a monitored system. When we plug in a scan tool or computer to diagnose the problem it is only the start.

Once a code is attained the tech must diagnose the entire system related to that code.

For example, if a code came up with bank 2 sensor 2 oxygen sensor heat circuits. The tech would have to check the sensor, the connector to the sensor, the wiring, any other connectors and junctions, and the computer to eliminate all possible problems.

And this is a simple problem. Some diagnostic procedures take as many as 40 or 50 steps and tests.

So the next time the check engine light comes on make sure to give the service facility some time to diagnose the problem correctly and not just pull a code. A guess can cost you much more in the long run than spending a little time diagnosing the problem.