3 Reasons You NEED To Address Check Engine Lights

Nobody enjoys dealing with an unexpected automotive repair. Unfortunately, check engine lights can often feel like the ultimate automotive gut punch. You're driving down the road, your vehicle seems to be behaving as usual, and that tiny light appears on the dash. If you don't have any noticeable drivability issues, this might feel like your car arbitrarily demanding that you open your wallet and pay up!

As frustrating as this situation can be, there are plenty of excellent reasons why you shouldn't ignore your check engine light. Even if it's just a sensor, you will still want to address the problem as soon as possible. Keep reading to learn three reasons why ignoring your check engine light can end up costing you more money in the long run.

1. You'll Obscure More Severe Issues

Some check engine light issues are legitimately very minor. For example, problems with your EVAP system are often non-critical. This system deals with your car's evaporative emissions control system, which manages pollution generated by evaporating gasoline. While EVAP problems are a genuine environmental concern that you shouldn't ignore, they do not usually affect how your car drives.

However, it only takes a single error code to trigger your check engine light. If another error code appears in the future, most cars won't have any way to let you know that you now have a second problem. As a result, you may continue driving your vehicle with a more severe issue because you've already been ignoring your check engine light this entire time.

2. You Can Impact Your Vehicle's Performance

Many people choose to ignore their check engine light when they learn that code relates to a faulty sensor. After all, didn't cars run before manufacturers started including a vast array of sophisticated sensors? While older vehicles didn't rely on these sensors, modern cars need them to operate with peak performance and efficiency.

A faulty sensor can impact everything from fuel delivery to ignition timing. As a result, a relatively minor sensor problem can cause massive drivability issues and even damage expensive components by forcing your engine to run rich or lean. If you want your car to run efficiently and reliably, you shouldn't ignore error codes triggered by faulty sensors.

3. You May Waste More Money

Believe it or not, quickly addressing your check engine light is often the most cost-effective option. Not only will you avoid causing more damage to your car, but many error codes indicate a problem that can impact fuel economy. Since you'll need to eventually repair the faulty part, waiting for too long just means burning more gas and wasting more money in the meantime.

Remember that your check engine light isn't your enemy. While it can be frustrating to see an expensive repair in your future, this little light provides valuable information that can allow you to fix problems before they leave you stranded.

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