Check Engine Light Meaning

A check engine light or malfunction indicator lamp mil is a tell tale that a computerized engine management system uses to indicate a malfunction.

Check engine light meaning.

The check engine light is an irritation for many drivers but it gives you essential information about your car and shouldn t be ignored. A blinking light or in some cars a red light instead of a yellow or orange. Found on the instrument panel of most automobiles it usually bears the legend engine check engine service engine soon maintenance required emmiss maint or a pictogram of an engine and when illuminated it is typically an amber or red color. If the check engine light illuminates it will either blink or remain constantly illuminated depending on the problem.

Head to an auto parts store and have them run a diagnostic to find the cause of the check. When the engine light is lit up and the engine control unit recognizes a problem with the engine the engine control unit will store a trouble code in the memory. Since the 1980s many vehicles have been built to be run by the engine computer unit ecu which controls vehicle s drivetrain and auxiliary systems based on input from the vehicle s sensors this computer will make adjustments to your vehicle s performance to keep your ride running smoothly. The first thing you should do if the check engine light is flashing or is constant on your dashboard is to read the trouble code memory.

It should never be ignored. Here are the 10 most common issues that trigger it.