Everytime I get my car serviced the check engine light come on. From getting the timing belt changed to just replacing a bad headlight makes it go on? What causes this and how can I keep it from happening everytime I get my car fixed?
2007-03-19 11:18:21 · 9 answers · asked by chchhart 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
My guess is that there is something else wrong with your car. You take it in, the tech fixes something and resets the check engine light. Then after awhile the computer senses the problen still exists and engages the check engine light again.
2007-03-19 11:23:40 · answer #1 · answered by ragbagz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Year/make/model??? This information would help determine which onboard diagnostic your vehicle has.
How long does it stay on? Does it come on momentarily, stay on for a few days, or is it always on?
Do you have it worked on at the dealer's service center, or the local repair idiot? (neither one may do repairs as they should)
Every time the check engine light comes on a code is stored in the onboard computer (except when you first start your engine, as the light will come on just as a bulb check). If you have a dignostic computer you could determine which systems are causing the light to come on. I don't know why a new headlight would make it go on, as the check engine light only comes on when something is amiss with one of the systems that would effect EMISSIONS. I wouldn't be too concerned with it if it goes out in a couple days. It may only be coming on because the battery may have been disconnected for the repairs, and the light may be coming on until the onboard diagnostic retests all of it's systems.
2007-03-19 11:54:45 · answer #2 · answered by wise1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You say this happens everytime you get it serviced right? A lot of places disconnect the battery first before working on anything, then reconnect it after the work is done. This resets the On-board Diagnostics (OBD) which makes it run its learn cycle again and turn on the light if anything is wrong. Most likely you then have it turned off and it remains off because that initial learn cycle has already been done.
Something is wrong though, so get the code read and replace whatever sensor (most likely culprit) has gone bad.
2007-03-19 12:05:53 · answer #3 · answered by mcmax20 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure the mechanics are switching the light off. They are supposed to do it after they service it but maybe they arte forgetting to. Most cars have a switch somewhere under the hood, so be sure to ask them about it next time.
2007-03-19 11:22:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have them check the engine light when they are done servicing your car to see if it happens to them also.
2007-03-19 11:26:18 · answer #5 · answered by shorty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's likely that the check engine light could just be broken. I've had a couple of cars where they ran every diagnostic they could and the only thing that wasn't working properly was the light itself. I just put electrical tape over it so it didn't bother me anymore.
2007-03-19 11:26:44 · answer #6 · answered by xskeptictankx 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My room mate that has a Toyota has the same problem all the time. Never fails his light comes on every time they work on it!!
2007-03-19 11:26:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could have a bad oxygen sensor; minor fix.
2007-03-19 11:21:13 · answer #8 · answered by OPTIMIST 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wherever you are having it serviced is either not resetting it... or screwing something up.
2007-03-19 11:22:12 · answer #9 · answered by lovepink317537 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋