Is your "Check Engine" light on? Or does it come on intermittently ? Most "Auto Uneducated" people seem to think that if their "Check Engine" light comes on, that they are low on oil, or has something to do with the oil. That is of course, totally wrong. When your "Check Engine" light comes on, it simply means that the vehicles computer that basically controls the fuel delivery system has sensed that one or more of the inputs to the vehicles computer, has went out of parameters. To put it a bit more simply, one of the engines sensors probably needs to be replaced. When this happens a "Fault Code" is immediately stored in the computer. The "Fault Code" that is stored, is accessible by the technician when he goes to diagnose the problem. The technician will plug in a "Scanner" to get a picture of what is going on with the engines computer system and the sensors that provide input to the computer, so the computer can make changes in air and fuel mixture. In most basic terms, your vehicles computer controls fuel delivery by taking inputs from the many different sensors mounted on the engine, then taking that information and turn it into a signal that controls the pulse of the fuel injectors and air mixture. So, if your "Check Engine" light comes on- just know that it has nothing to do with the oil, and there is probably not much you can do by yourself to fix the problem. The "Check Engine" light being on does not mean that you can't drive the car, although it may run rough or puff out black smoke or be hard to start, just to name a few of the symptoms. Take your vehicle to an ASE approved shop, and make sure you understand how they charge for the first part, which is pulling the codes and diagnosing the problem, and then fixing the problem, which usually consists of parts replacement. Beware of any unnecessary work, make sure you get an explanation of what the problem is, and ALWAYS make sure to get the old parts back. Its always a good idea to take your vehicle to a shop that has a reputation for this type of work, ask your friends and family before just taking it anywhere. And of course if its a newer car, thats possibly under warranty, then you'll be taking it to the dealer.
