You’re driving down the road minding your own business when it happens: your dashboard informs you that you need to “check your engine.” Strange! Nothing seems to be amiss. There has been no indication that anything is wrong underneath your hood. No banging, pinging, slapping, gurgling, steaming or loss of power. But you know that if you ignore the light, you may cause engine damage—an expensive proposition, to be sure.
So…what to do?
Some of the most common check enginelight service problems include oxygen sensor issues (failure to do this when prompted can cost upward of $2K in repair bills later); gas cap issues (failure to replace can cause gas guzzling and air pollution); catalytic converter issues (total catalytic converter failure can cost $2K to fix); mass airflow sensor issues (usually caused by a poorly-installed or rarely-replaced air filter); and spark plug and wire issues. (There are other reasons for your check engine light to come on; this is by no means an exhaustive list.)
Please take a few moments and watch one of our videos below that will visually explain some of the reasons a check engine warning light can appear.
O2 SENSOR
MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR
EGR VALVE
FUEL CAP
OIL TEMP SENSOR
IGNITION COIL
SPARK PLUGS
For check engine light service, it’s best to let the pros handle the details. Here at Chuck’s Auto Repair we take such notices seriously—you should, too. Although you may have no other indication (beyond the warning light) that your engine needs help, it’s always a good idea to stop by our North Seattle or Shoreline locations to have your engine checked out by one of our AAA-approved for total car care, ASE-certified master mechanics. Because you never know when your check engine light is sending you a 911 call (‘Gasp! Your engine is about to croak!’) or just of a courtesy call (“Your gas cap is loose and costing you money.”). We can scan your computer and figure out which message it is for you fast.
If your check engine light is on, give us a call.
Jeremy C.
Seattle, WA
Came in with a check engine light on, and my car needed a fair amount of maintenance work. They were very good about balancing my budgetary concerns with the work that critically needed to be done. Bill came out about 10% under estimate, and it seems like they did a little extra work for no charge. The inside of my car was nicely vacuumed when it was returned to me. Though I hope I don't have any need to get my car worked on for a long time, I will definitely have Chuck's perform any future work on my vehicle.
Very, very nice and honest mechanics! I had a very annoying check engine light that just would not turn off, but eventually it was all figured out. They communicated with me every step of the way. Thanks guys!