Service Engine Soon Light

You are driving on the road, and suddenly out of nowhere, the 'Service Engine Soon' light appears on your dashboard.

What to practise now? Will my engine get damaged if I continue driving? Should I stop the motorcar immediately and tow it to the garage? How much will it cost to get it repaired?

These are just a few of the potential questions that may pop up inside your head.

Merely practise not worry, the service engine presently light is not every bit dangerous every bit it seems. In this article, you volition learn everything you have to know most the service engine soon warning light.

Service Engine Presently Light Significant

Service Engine Soon Light Dashboard

The Service engine soon light indicates there is a small-scale problem with the electronics or your automobile's engine. Some manufacturers employ the service engine soon light instead of the cheque engine light when there is just a small trouble with your car and non a astringent trouble.

It could besides mean that information technology is fourth dimension for a scheduled service, such as oil or spark plug replacement. Some manufacturers just have 1 indicator for both scheduled service and engine problems.

Mutual causes of the Service engine soon calorie-free:

There are some special situations when your service engine shortly lite is more than likely to come up on. This differs slightly between car manufacturers, but these causes are often very like between car models. Hither are the causes of a service engine soon light:

  • Minor engine issues like a loose fuel tank cap.
  • Time for a scheduled service.
  • Depression level of any fluids (Low oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.)
  • Minor exhaust emission issues

What to do when the Service Engine Soon light appears

Service Engine Soon

When you are on the road and your 'Service Engine Soon' light appears, you volition most likely not have any diagnostic tools with you lot. You lot tin check some common things by the side of the route when the light appears, though.

  • Check your repair manual (if you lot take information technology with y'all) for what the service engine light means on your car model.
  • Check all fluid levels, including the engine oil level, brake fluid level, wiper washer fluid, automated transmission fluid (if you have a dipstick for it), and the coolant level.
  • Check to make sure your fuel tank cap is tightened properly.
  • Heed if you can hear any strange noises from the engine.
  • Check your service history manual when your last scheduled service was done and check if it'southward fourth dimension for a service. Phone call your authorized dealer if yous have a digital service manual or try to find some information on your dashboard menu.

If you can't find any issues, you take to accept your automobile to a workshop to read your vehicle's trouble code memory. You can also do this yourself if you have an OBD2 scanner at home. If y'all do non have i and want i, y'all can check out our OBD2 scanner review commodity. Bank check your engine control unit for any stored trouble codes.

If you receive whatsoever codes, save them and endeavour to go information virtually what they mean. If there are codes for emission issues that are non dangerous for your engine, you tin endeavour deleting the code to encounter if the engine maintenance low-cal goes out.

If the lite goes out after yous delete the codes, information technology ways that one of the codes stored in the memory is causing the engine maintenance light to come on.

Service Engine Before long light in unlike colors

The service engine lite tin can as well occur in unlike colors, and you should be aware of them.

  1. Yellow light: Minor Issue: Drive to the workshop or diagnose information technology yourself every bit fast equally possible.
  2. Cherry Low-cal: Major Issue: Finish and plow off the engine as fast as possible and go information technology towed to the closest mechanic shop for an inspection.

I cleared the Service Engine Shortly light, only information technology came back?

Diagnose Car

The engine control module performs all engine components tests at each engine ignition and after the vehicle has warmed up. If it has failed a test several times, information technology will determine something is not as it should be. Therefore, it can take a long time for the engine control module to find these bug.

If the Service engine presently light appears once more information technology means that the problem nevertheless occurs and you lot need to diagnose it once more.

Electric problems are oft detected imminently and do not require starting time-up tests to notice information technology. If the service engine lite appears again, you lot have to reread the trouble code memory and try to get more information and solve the problem.

Service Engine Soon FAQ

What causes service engine soon light to come up on?

There are a lot of causes of why the service engine soon light comes on. The most common cause is that your car has a small engine issue, low fluid level, a faulty light bulb, or a minor emission issue depending on the car model.

Can I drive with service engine soon light on?

The problems causing the service engine presently light in most cases non dangerous for your car. However, it is good to check all fluids to ensure the level is OK before you keep to drive. Nosotros do recommend repairing it equally soon as possible, though.

How practice I become the service engine soon low-cal to become off?

In nigh cases, you have to repair the trouble that caused the service engine light, and information technology will disappear by itself. If the light shows upwardly because of scheduled service, you need to reset it with a diagnostic scanner or a particular combination for your motorcar model.

Can low oil cause service engine soon calorie-free?

Yes, Depression engine oil level tin cause the service engine before long low-cal to appear on your dashboard on a lot of car models. It can also hateful that other low fluid levels are depression or other problems with the motorcar. It is relatively easy to check the oil level, though, so yous should definitely brainstorm with it.

Magnus Sellén

Magnus is the owner and master author of MechanicBase. He has been working every bit a mechanic for over 10 years, and the majority of them specialized in advanced diagnostics and troubleshooting. Certified Automotive Diagnostic Technician.