So your check engine light is on? Don’t panic. Robinson Gomez Automotive offers a Free Check Engine Light Code Retrieval Service designed to provide the answers you need. Once the fault code (also known as OBD II code) is retrieved from your engine’s onboard computer, our professional technician will discuss your diagnostic options, to help get you on the road quickly as possible.

How this system works: The Check Engine Light location and color will vary by vehicle, but in most cases it is a dashboard warning light that is yellow and shaped like an engine. It may or may not have the word “check” integrated into the design.

This indicator is part of the onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) system and in all cases it indicates a problem with your emissions system. Basically, it is an emissions monitoring system. A Check Engine indictor will stay solid or blink.

If the indictor is blinking, the situation is usually serious, such as a severe misfiring of the engine. This would allow unburned fuel to dump into the exhaust system, pushing the temperature of your catalytic converter to the breaking point. Slow the car down, find a safe place to stop, and request a mechanic to perform a diagnosis.
A steady light on the other hand is not an emergency situation. You can continue driving, but you should schedule an appointment with a mechanic as soon as possible.