Debunking Common Car Diagnostic Myths in Sheffield - Expert Insights from Autotecnic

Myth conceptions about the Engine Management Light (EML)

Many people are confused about the engine management light and why it comes on. We thought we would address some of these common myths about why your check engine light comes on and clear up some of the fallacies about it.

This is an expensive frame of mind. The EML directs your attention to a problem. A trouble code description then directs you to a circuit or system. It will not tell you what sensor to replace. It is about as vague as stating that a book is in the automotive section of the library. You now know what section to go to, but no clue where to look yet. That is why there are guided fault sequences on Manufacturers Diagnostic Equipment that incorporate flow charts or trouble code trees and diagrams to guide you through specific tests to determine what is the problem. These problems can be numerous, from a broken wire, loose connector or some other cause, other than the sensor itself.

This is true on pre-96 vehicles and very few if any, OBD2 vehicles. Some customers will say, “I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes and the light went out, so it cleared the check codes”. No, it didn’t. It may have reset the ECU (Engine Control Unit) and the light is no longer present, but the code is still there and if the problem has not been repaired, the light will come back on. The next time you have a problem, now you or the technician who is working on the vehicle are going to have to contend with that code as well as any other that is present.

Note: There are rare cases where the Manufacturer has made provisions for clearing the codes by disconnecting the battery or removing the ECU fuse. In most cases of post-96 vehicles, that is not the case, as most Manufacturers have made the ECU/ECM/PCM retain the information, even in the event of battery voltage loss. In the largest percentage of the vehicles, unless specifically stated by the Manufacturer, equipment i.e. Mercedes – Benz STAR, Audi/Volkswagen VAG 5051B, Bosch KTS or an alternative OBD2 scan tool is required to clear or reset the codes.

One of the first things that needs to be done when diagnosing the engine management light is to clear the trouble codes, road test the vehicle and then recheck the trouble codes. If the codes come back, then start with the lowest number code and go through the flow charts and diagrams.

Anyone who has taken this to be true and has spent quite a bit of money on replacing oxygen sensors knows this is not true. First, you will not know, nor will anyone else, what the problem is until you have the fault/trouble codes. Even if it is an oxygen sensor code, a lot of times there are other causes for the code to come about.

Vacuum leaks, poor fuel quality, low or high fuel pressure, a compression problem or a plugged catalytic converter could cause it. If the oxygen sensor is bad, then replacing the sensor still does not finish the repair. If an oxygen sensor fails, then there is a problem with the emissions of the engine. Usually, when an oxygen sensor fails, it is because it has become contaminated. Contamination is caused by an engine that is not running properly. So you will still need to determine where the originating problem came from. More often than not, there will be no trouble codes for that problem and it will not be evident without some specific tests.

We hope that this will clear up some “myth-conceptions” about the engine management light because we have seen many people all over who have been telling customers that it is on because of this or that. We’ve tried to locate where it is that they buy their crystal ball, but alas, we have yet to find a reliable crystal ball. Until then, we rely on good old common sense, trained technicians and quality diagnostic equipment.