Check Engine Light On? Never Fear!

Do you have feelings of existential dread, impending doom, or gripping fear when you see your check engine light come on? It shouldn’t be a regular occurrence by any means, but if you’ve ever had that little light show up on your dash then you might know what I’m talking about. Luckily, it’s not the end of the world! The five most common causes of the check engine light coming on are actually not complicated problems, and though they range in cost-to-fix from free to kind of expensive, they’re not mysteries by any means. Check them out below, and then take a deep breath.

1. Gas cap. Your check engine light could have come on simply because your gas cap is either not screwed on tightly enough, broken, or missing entirely. Whenever the check engine light comes on, check your gas cap first. If it’s broken or missing, it can be replaced very inexpensively.

2. Spark plugs. Every 100,000 miles or so, your spark plugs will need to be replaced. The light coming on could simply mean that it’s that time.

3. Mass Airflow Sensor. This component monitors the amount of air coming through your engine so that it can tell the engine how much fuel to use. If it’s broken, your emissions increase and your car can stall.

4. Oxygen sensors. Also known as O2 sensors, these monitor the amount of unburned oxygen in your exhaust, which is a measure of how much fuel is being burned in your engine. When these are broken, your mileage can decrease and you can burn out your catalytic converter.

5. Catalytic Converter. This is unfortunately the worst-case scenario as it is typically the most expensive repair. If your cat is broken or malfunctioning, it won’t reduce your exhaust gases the way it is supposed to, which can decrease your MPGs and affect your acceleration power.