All Of Those "Check" Lights: Are They Really Something To Worry About?
Posted on: 12 July 2019
Driving along, your car is fine. All of a sudden, one of those "check" lights pops on on the dash of your car. Inwardly, you might groan because nobody wants to deal with car repair expenses. If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering if you really should be concerned about any of these lights turning on on your dash. Here is the real scoop on these lights.
They Are Warnings
The lights exist as a warning. They are meant to inform you that something might be wrong with your vehicle because the on-board computer is sensing something is off. They are more precautionary check lights than anything else, but they are still something you would rather be aware of than not aware of at all. Before these dash lights were invented, people would just drive until a vehicle broke down with no idea of what the problem was. Now you at least have some idea, even if you do not like it.
Some Check Lights Are More Serious Than Others
A "check ABS" light may mean anything from a brake fluid leak to something wrong with your brakes. On the more serious end, you would want to know that you have to fix the brakes, but if all you need is a little extra brake fluid, that is a very minor fix in both terms of time and expense. On the other hand, a "check engine" light is more serious. It means that something is very much amiss inside your car's engine. Timing belt, serpentine belt, radiator, carburetor, combustion chambers; you name it, it could be totally off. The brake situation you might be able to put off for a bit if you are not noticing anything really weird, but the check engine light is an immediate repair situation.
Fixing Problems Sooner Equals Less Expense
While it may be disheartening to see that you have a looming car repair, it is important to have any "check" lights checked sooner rather than later. If it is a pretty major repair, then it will cost less to fix it now, right away, than it will later when you lose control of the vehicle or it breaks down someplace you do not want it to break down. If it helps, some "check" lights will come on when there is a short in the electrical wiring in the dash. If that is the case, a quick rewiring job fixes the problem and costs less than the repair suggested by the presence of the "check" light.
For more information, contact companies like Nortown Auto LLC.
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