| |
| |
TIPS FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT |
| |
|
If
Your CHECK ENGINE LIGHT Comes On... What Does It Mean? |
|
|
You are driving down the road, enjoying the day, thinking of all of the things you have scheduled yourself
to get done today, when you happen to glance down and notice that a light you don't recognize is glowing at
you brightly from the instrument panel, insisting you take notice. Then you carefully focus in on the offending
glow and make out the word "CHECK" brightly displayed within the outlined illustration of an engine.
Then it hits you, my CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is on! The next thing that pops into your mind is "Oh No!, NOW WHAT?"
Then the analytical side of your mind kicks in... "Alright, what do I do next?" "Should I keep driving?"
"Will my car be damaged if I don't stop right now?" "WHAT DO I DO???"
The first thing you should do is not panic.
What the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (also known as the "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" {MIL} or "Service Engine Soon {SES} Lamp") is telling
you is that the computer in your vehicle (commonly referred to as the Engine Control Module or "ECM") has identified a fault somewhere
in the engine management (i.e. control) system of your vehicle. These system or component malfunctions can result in excessive vehicle
emissions, which must be corrected as soon as possible.
Beginning with 1996 model year vehicles, the Federal Government instituted
a series of standardized regulations concerning the diagnostic capabilities of your vehicle. These diagnostic capabilities were
specifically targeting the emissions systems, engine, and automatic transmission components of your vehicle and are designed to assist
Service Technicians in the quick diagnosis and repair of the malfunction. These regulations established what is known as On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation (or OBD-II for short).
Whenever the ECM in your vehicle detects a fault in the engine management
system, it will set a Diagnostic Trouble Code ("DTC" for short) and store it in the "memory"of your ECM. At the same time, the ECM
will illuminate the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT to inform you of the stored DTC and that there has been a fault detected in the system. The cause
of this fault could vary from a simple oversight, like not properly tightening the gas cap after refueling your vehicle, to a major
failure of one of the components in your engine management system.
In many cases, your vehicle will seem to operate the
same as it did before will allow the engine management system to try to operate your vehicle as close to "normal" even with a known
fault occurring.
In the event the ECM no longer identifies the fault, a couple of things are possible. The first is that the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT may turn
itself off. This would only occur if the fault that was identified had little to no effect on your vehicle's emissions output.
Even though the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is no longer illuminated, the DTC will still remain in the ECM's memory for forty-two (42)
ignition cycles (engine start-ups). If the fault does not reoccur in those forty-two ignition cycles, the DTC will be automatically
erased.
If the fault did,
in fact, have a significant detrimental effect on your vehicle's emissions output,
the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT will remain illuminated, but the ECM will go back to
normal operation, unless the fault reoccurs. Because of this
particular fault's negative effect on your vehicle's emissions output, this DTC would not
automatically erase regardless of the number of ignition cycles. This is the
reason why an illuminated CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is grounds for an automatic failure during a
periodic Smog Check required in several states for vehicle registration.
|
| |
|
OBD-II Trial Run |
|
|
To ensure that the OBD-II
system is operating properly, including the light bulb in your instrument panel, the CHECK
ENGINE LIGHT will illuminate briefly after engine start-up. This
is commonly referred to as "bulb check". The OBD-II system has the ability
to warn the driver if there is a potentially serious problem occurring
that could be very detrimental to vehicle systems or components. The warning will go unnoticed
if the bulb in your instrument panel is burnt out!
|
| |
|
EEEK...
A Flasher! |
|
|
There may be an occasion where the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT may flash repeatedly. The flashing of the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT only identifies one type of fault being detected. That fault is engine misfire. If the OBD-II system identifies any amount of engine misfire, the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT will flash repeatedly as long as the misfire is detected. Misfire is a very serious condition that will cause a dramatic increase in exhaust emission levels as well as a high potential to cause damage to drivetrain components. Once the misfire subsides, the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT will remain illuminated. Remember that continuous misfire can result in serious internal engine damage!
If
you ever experience an engine misfire condition (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT flashing), gradually
ease up on the accelerator until the misfire stops (the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT should
stop flashing). If the misfire does not subside, stop
your vehicle as soon as it is saft to do so and immediately
seek assistance from your local Daewoo repair facility. Continued driving under these
circumstances is NOT recommended! Driving up long grades, driving with the vehicle heavily loaded, and
using low-quality gasoline can increase the possibility of engine misfire.
|
| |
|
Not Another Test! |
|
|
One question that gets asked very often is "How do I find out what the problem is with my vehicle?" In the event the OBD-II system in your vehicle has identified a concern and illuminated the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, a qualified Technician is able to connect what is called a Scan Tool to a standardized diagnostic connector in your vehicle. The Scan Tool is capable of communicating with the ECM of your vehicle and retrieving the DTC(s) and also additional information
about the specific vehicle condition/operating parameters when the fault was actually detected. Once your
Daewoo Technician has determined the cause of the concern and
completed the necessary repairs, he can use the Scan Tool
to erase the stored DTCs by "clearing" the ECM diagnostic memory. After
adequately road testing your vehicle, your Daewoo Technician can use the Scan
Tool to verify that the DTC(s) have not reoccurred and that your vehicle
has been properly repaired. Remember, an intermittent fault means that when your
Daewoo Technician is attempting to diagnose your vehicle, your vehicle may, in fact, be
operating properly. Unless your Technician is able to get
your vehicle to fail during the diagnosis process, it may be extremely difficult
to identify the exact cause of the concern. This is another reason
why it is important to make your vehicle available for repair as soon as possible
before any information stored in the ECM is automatically erased.
|
| |
|
Let's Review... |
|
|
If you happen to look down and the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is illuminated, remember, don't panic! Unless you notice that your vehicle is not operating properly, it is probably not necessary to immediately stop your vehicle and become a pedestrian. The ECM can, and will if necessary, illuminate the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT for any number of minor faults it may have identified. At your earliest convenience, take your vehicle to your local Daewoo service facility and have your Daewoo Technician retrieve the DTC(s) and determine what caused the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT to come on.
If your vehicle does exhibit some type of unusual characteristics, such as rough running, overheating, lack of power,
etc., stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so and contact your local Daewoo service facility. You can discuss your
specific situation with your Daewoo service provider and determine
what the best course of action should be. If you are not sure
who to call, contact the Daewoo Customer Relations Department toll free at
1-877-GO-DAEWOO (1-877-463-2396) to locate the closest Daewoo repair facility or you can visit the Daewoo
website at www.daewoous.com and click on the "Service/Part Locator" link.
|
|
|