How Safe is it to Drive with the “Check Engine” Light On?

The check engine light flashes on your onboard diagnostics system, usually placed near your dashboard, to alert you about any system failure related to the car engine. It is designed to light up usually in yellow color, especially if any of the engine components or sensors start malfunctioning. It can also flash if the system detects any problem with the electronic control system.

The engine compartment and other related electronic systems are diagnosed either with the help of  scan tool or a diagnostic computer, that starts sending signal to the system to switch on the “check engine” light that needs to be addressed by a certified mechanic. To find one for our own Chevrolet car, we searched for the Chevrolet check engine light Apple Valley, and found this shop to be reliable enough to visit for any other technical issue as well.

When we asked if driving the car with the “check engine” light on, is safe enough, the team of mechanics serving there came with these three suggestions:

Reduce the Speed

If your vehicle dashboard shows the check engine light, the first thing you should invariably do, is lower down your driving speed and find a safe place to pull aside to check the possible reasons. If possible, try to unload the vehicle as much as possible to prevent more pricey repairs.

Checking Out All the Possibilities

They said, if the “check engine” light suddenly flashes up, without any apparent reason, and you are at the middle of the road, it is required to know what the  “check engine” light might be indicating at, without starting to panic. At that point of time, it is better to check out all the other possibilities that can work in tune with the engine department. For example, it could be the low oil pressure or simply an overheated engine, that can be addressed right away. After checking all other indications and signals, we can decide, if the light is talking only about an engine failure. But to know all this, we need t pull the car aside, check all the parts, and if the light still stays on, should immediately visit the nearby auto repair shop.

How Safe to Drive with the Check Engine Light On?

The experts at the Apple Valley Chevrolet CEL center as a reply to our above mentioned question asked us first not to panic, then take out a moment to observe if there is any significant changes in the way the car is moving.

If it is bucking, groaning, surging, vibrating not picking up the usual speed, if there is any unusual sound or smell, then one should immediately pull the car aside and call a roadside emergency. But if no unusual phenomenon is apparently visible, then one can certainly continue to drive till the destination arrives, but surely call a certified mechanic, or visit a repair shop at the earliest to get a thorough diagnosis done.