Check Engine Light Service

If the Check Engine Light in Your Ford Lights Up, Visit Bluebonnet Ford in New Braunfels, TX for a Check Engine Light Diagnosis

Your Ford's dashboard has several indicator lights, some more troubling than others. The Check Engine Light in particular is one of the more frustrating and least understood of all these lights. What does it mean? How should you react when it turns on? We'll let you know on this page. To have the check engine light decoded, head to Bluebonnet Ford! You'll find that a visit to us is well worth the drive from Seguin, San Marcos, McQueeney, or beyond.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

Unlike some of the warning lights on your Ford, the Check Engine Light can refer to a whole variety of problems. In modern vehicles, the car's computers can correct problems on its own. When there's a problem that the computer can't fix, the Check Engine Light is turned on. Since modern vehicles are so complex, this could be a number of problems, ranging from bad spark plugs to a faulty mass airflow sensor to a failed oxygen sensor—the only way to tell for sure starts with connecting your Ford with a code reader. Once the computer in your Ford tells the code reader the code that triggered the light, our technicians can inspect the affected system..

How Should I React When the Check Engine Light Comes On?

Some people start to panic as soon as this light turns on, but we're here to reassure you: as long as the light is solid, you don't have to panic. A solid light usually means that the problem is not an emergency; you can finish going wherever you were headed (as long as you weren't going on a days-long road trip). However, as soon as you reach your destination, check the car's gas cap. A loose gas cap can often trigger the Check Engine Light. If screwing the gas cap in tighter doesn't fix the problem, schedule an appointment with Bluebonnet Ford as soon as you can.

We mentioned that a solid light generally isn't an emergency. If the Check Engine Light is flashing or blinking, it's best to pull over and turn off your engine as soon as you can. This type of alert usually tells you that your Ford's engine is misfiring. Misfires can wreck your catalytic converter, which is a very expensive component to repair.