Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

One of the most common problems the customers of Kennedy Transmission contact us about is the "check engine light" problem! The check engine light on a vehicle, also known as the "Service Engine Soon" light is known to the automatic transmission specialists at Kennedy Transmission as MIL, standing for Malfunction Indicator Lamp. Kennedy Transmission tells our customers that rely on us to offer the best transmission repair in the Minneapolis area, these are all frightening names for the same thing, and they need not be frightened at all. When the check engine light appears on the dashboard it is indicating that the computer in the vehicle has identified a problem that needs the attention of a skilled automatic transmission specialists like those employed at Kennedy Transmission.

When the check engine light appears, Kennedy Transmission advises that the vehicle be brought into our auto repair shop and have the computer system checked and scanned to pinpoint any areas that may have shifted outside normal operational ranges. And while our automatic transmission technicians know this may sound baffling to our average customer, in reality the check engine light problem is the vehicle's computer's method of letting a vehicle owner know they should bring it to Kennedy Transmission to have it checked. Fortunately the technology is intended to help bring problems to the attention of the vehicle's owner that might not be noticed during normal driving conditions, and it should be inspected and diagnosed by an automatic transmission specialist before becoming more serious.

Quite often our customers in the Minneapolis area that rely on us for our automatic transmission expertise wonder why their vehicle's system needs check engine light. Our transmission technicians are quick to inform customers that as a vehicle's operating system(s) have become more technologically advanced the more that same system needs to assist in monitoring and diagnosing problems.

As most recently manufactured vehicles have been developed to operate much cleaner than those being driven around the Minneapolis area just a decade ago, the majority of the time the check engine light problem is indicative of an emission problem the vehicle is experiencing. And even though a vehicle's owner is not always concerned about environmental issues, a light check engine light indicator that results from an emission problem should be checked by an auto repair technician as any problem that results in increased emissions may in turn result in lower fuel efficiency, or in other words the burning of more gas!

Another reason not to ignore a check engine light when driving around the Minneapolis area is that when circulating additional fuel through an engine, the result can be a catalytic converter forced to work overtime to burn offer excessive hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. This can result in the catalytic converter overheating and burning out over a very short driving distance. And when being required to pass the next smog or emission test, the replacement of a catalytic converter can be quite costly.

Fortunately for those in the Minneapolis are that have a check engine light problem, they can call Minneapolis and take advantage of our skilled automotive technicians who use the latest and most up to date check engine light diagnostic equipment designed to diagnose even the most complex computer system today's modern vehicles. If you live in the Minneapolis area and have a check engine light problem, use our appointment form today!