If your vehicle’s check engine light is flashing, it means that you have a problem. The reason why this light appears is because there are issues with your vehicle’s engine that needs to be fixed immediately before it causes an accident.
Some of the most common reasons why this indicator comes on include a loose gas cap, bad battery, disconnected air filter, fuel line blockage, transmission problems, and other engine related issues.
This article will help you solve some of the more common reasons why the DTC comes on. Furthermore, it also teaches you how to reset this indicator to ensure that it does not come on during a driving trip.
To reset the check engine light, follow these simple steps: Turn on the headlights and turn on the parking brake. Wait for 10 minutes. Reconnect the car battery cables (from the negative first to the positive, last) with the appropriate wire nut and secure them securely with your hand screw.
After you have done that, disconnect the battery from the vehicle’s main fuel system by reconnecting the negative cable first and then the positive cable. Use the repair manual to change the codes.
Another common reason why the DTC comes on is when the malfunction indicator light is flashing. The best way to determine which one of two codes is telling you that your vehicle requires maintenance is to check your car’s owner’s manual.
In your owner’s manual, there is a detailed list of all the codes that are associated with your vehicle. You can compare the code that is indicating a problem with the one that is indicating your current oil pressure by reading your owner’s manual.
In case you are not sure which one is the one that indicates a problem in your car, then you can use the OBD scanner to diagnose the problem. However, if you are certain that the codes are telling you that your car needs maintenance, then you should consult the on-board diagnostics scan tool.
The on-board diagnostics scan tool has a feature called OBD pulse width. This feature determines the physical size of the faulty pixels and is used to determine if the pixel is a part of the emission control system. If it is, then the malfunction indicator light will go out. On the other hand, if the pixel is a non-part of the emissions control system, then the malfunction indicator light will stay on. This tool can only indicate malfunctions with the engine without performing any other tests.
The other reason why your check engine light keeps going on is because the gas cap is dirty. If you notice that the gas cap is dirty, then you should take your car in for a cleaning. If you do not clean the gas cap, then your engine will continue to run with a dirty catalyst. Cleaning the gas cap will also get rid of the moisture and salt deposits that have built up on the gas cap over the years.
The last thing that can cause the “CHECK ENGINE” light to come on is a blown gasket. Although this is not usually considered a serious problem, it is still something that you should keep in mind. If the “CHECK ENGINE” light comes on when the engine is starting up, then you may need to replace the gasket.
On the other hand, if the “CHECK ENGINE” light goes on when the engine is at idle, then there may be some other problem. You should contact a mechanic to determine what the problem is.
