What’s Bugging Your Engine?

Bugs, The Exterminator, And The Check Engine Light — API Auto Repair

If you’ve ever had a bug invasion, you know that while the exterminator can easily identify one variety from another, it’s a bit harder for the untrained eye. What’s more, you likely don’t care what kind of bugs they are. You just want them gone! Strikingly, that’s not very different from the check engine light on your car. When it illuminates, the root cause could be any one of several issues. You know that you need the light to turn off, but the certified technicians at API Auto Repair in Bel Air, Maryland, can positively identify the source of trouble and take steps to correct it for you.

Common Causes

Just as there are known pests that tend to trouble homeowners according to the area in which they live, so are there common culprits that are the most frequent triggers of the check engine warning. Perhaps the simplest (yet unbelievably common) source of trouble is the thankless gas cap. If it’s loose (poorly fitting or damaged), it creates a breach in the fuel system. Not only can it cause the check engine dash indicator to illuminate, but it can also allow your fuel to evaporate. Who wants to lose the gas they’ve paid for?

Another frequent issue is with the oxygen sensor. That’s the part that measures the amount of unburned oxygen in your car’s exhaust. When it goes bad, the light comes on, and your vehicle won’t pass an emissions inspection until the problem is corrected. Likewise, a malfunctioning catalytic converter will cause the light to come on. This component converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Another issue might be aging spark plugs or wires. Finally, the mass airflow sensor could cause a warning. It’s needed to regulate the amount of fuel injected for combustion by measuring the amount of air going into the engine.

Goodbye, Check Engine Light!

Like a good exterminator can identify and eradicate insects, the professional mechanics at API Auto Repair in Bel Air, Maryland, can find the kinks that caused your car’s check engine light to illuminate and stamp them out. A technician will connect your auto to an OBD-II (Onboard Diagnostic system, second-generation) machine. This piece of equipment will contact your car’s computer to obtain a trouble code. This code will then point our technician in the right direction of the source problem. Next, they will use knowledge and experience to pinpoint the exact nature of the issue within the category indicated by the OBD-II reader. Finally, we will make the needed repair to ensure that your car is safe, capable of passing inspection, and that the light that causes such aggravation turns off.