Getting you back on the road
quickly and safely.

Even if you’ve been faithfully servicing and taking proper care of your vehicle, things wear with age and can break down. The team at Frank’s Auto Repair is dedicated to properly fixing any repairs needed so you can get back on the road.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell when you need a repair and what’s broken. You’ll notice an unfamiliar noise or experience a shakier or more difficult drive. Or other times you’ll notice that scary yellow light illuminating your dash.

Watch for the
yellow light.

What it means

The Check Engine light is part of your vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) system. For more than thirty years, computers have been used to control and monitor vehicle performance, regulating engine speed, fuel mixture and more. When the computer discovers a problem in the system that cannot be corrected, it activates a warning indicator. In addition, the computer also stores a “trouble code” in its memory that identifies the source of the problem, such as a malfunctioning sensor or a misfiring engine. That code can be read with an electronic scanning tool or a diagnostic computer – standard equipment in auto repair shops like ours.

The check engine light can mean many things, from a loose gas cap to a seriously misfiring engine. It could also be a sign that your vehicle is getting poor fuel economy and emitting higher levels of pollutants. Ignoring the warning could lead to damage and expensive repairs.

If your Check Engine light comes on, it doesn’t mean you need to pull over and call a tow truck. But it does mean you should call your trusted auto repair shop to have it diagnosed as soon as possible.

What to do

Depending on the issue, your Check Engine light will either blink or remain constant. Either way, you should have your vehicle inspected by a service technician. In late-model cars, a blinking light usually indicates a misfiring engine so severe that unburned fuel is being dumped into the exhaust system, which can lead to very costly repair. If the light is on steady, the issue is not an emergency, but you should still schedule an appointment at your auto repair shop as soon as possible. On most vehicles, the Check Engine light is programmed to illuminate with enough time for you to schedule an appointment to have your vehicle diagnosed.

Tips and tricks

In most cases, we recommend taking your vehicle to a professional instead of trying to diagnose the problem yourself. Make an appointment with a qualified service center to have the codes read and the issue repaired.

• Carefully check your dashboard gauges and lights for indications of low oil pressure or overheating. If these conditions are present, you should pull over and shut off the engine as soon as it’s safely possible.
• The Check Engine light is often activated when the gas cap is loose. When it’s safe, pull over and tighten your gas gap. Keep in mind that it may take several trips before the light resets.
• If the Check Engine light is blinking or you notice performance problems, such as loss of power, reduce both your speed as well as the load on your engine. If you attempt to disconnect the battery or try using other methods to turn off the light, note that this action will erase the trouble codes thus making it very difficult to diagnose.