Check Engine Light diagnostic and repair in Fremont
Welcome to the Fremont Auto Center – the premier Fremont auto repair shop. We offer full check engine light diagnostic and repair – whether the cause is the gas cap (yes, it can cause the check engine light to come on) or major engine or catalytic converter problems.
We equip our nationally ASE certified Master Technicians with the latest digital equipment, as well as the latest training. They can diagnose and repair problems indicated by the check engine light, and get your car back on the road.
The check engine light can have different appearance, depending on the make and model. In most cases, it will come on as “service engine soon” or “check engine”, or an icon of an engine and the word “check” or simply the icon of an engine, without any words. Most are either orange or red in color.
What should you do when the Check Engine Light becomes illuminated?
While every situation is different, we do have some rules of thumb that can be used when the light comes on (they are not guarantees, just rules of thumb – when in doubt, tow your car to an auto repair shop):
A) If the check engine light is flashing on and off, or it is blinking, you should stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so, and turn off the engine. You should call a tow truck to bring your car to an auto repair shop. If you drive with the check engine light flashing, you are risking expensive damage to your vehicle.
B) If the light is illuminated, not blinking ( just a steady illumination) BUT the engine is running rough, if you are in the vicinity of an auto repair shop, you should drive straight to the shop. If you drive around for days with check engine light on and rough running engine – expensive repairs are very likely.
C) If your vehicle’s check engine light is illuminated, but not flashing on-and-off, if it glows a steady glow, and the engine is running normally, then you can usually continue driving the car but should make arrangements to get it to an auto repair shop as soon as you can. Depending on the cause of the light being illuminated, prolonged driving without fixing the cause can result in expensive repairs.
What causes the Check Engine Light to come on?
Surprising as it may seem, there are literally hundreds of conditions that can cause the check engine light to come on and stay on. The problems they signal can range from simple and easy to fix, all the way to major engine or catalytic converter problems.
The simplest to repair but quite common problem that causes the check engine light to come on is the gas cap. As it gets old, the seal does not hold tight, and a sensor turns on the check engine light. Replacing the gas cap will solve the problem – but it may require a professional scanner to clear the code and turn off the check engine light.
Once you eliminate gas cap as the culprit, things get complicated pretty quickly. While the spark plugs can also be the culprit, so can hundreds of other causes. At this point you may require help of a professional.
Some vehicle owners buy $69 scanners on Amazon and scan the codes – well, that’s the first step. Once you know the code, you then need the training and experience of a professional auto repair specialist to figure out exactly which subsystem the code implicated, and what is wrong. Many codes can be thrown by multiple subsystems in your vehicle. Codes you get from the code reader are kind of like an x-ray, i.e. they provide information if you are trained to interpret them, and if you can perform additional diagnostic work to confirm what the x-ray seems to be indicating.
That’s why we recommend that you take your car to a professional auto repair shop right away. Here, a professional technician, preferably an ASE certified Master Technician, will hook up a professional level scanner and read the codes, other information, and use them as sign posts to further test of various subsystems until he comes up with the root cause of the problem. BTW: professional scanners can cost as much as $15,000, they provide a lot more information than the $69 scanners that can be bought online, yet even with such equipment, technicians need to draw on their vast knowledge and experience to properly diagnose the check engine light’s root cause. That’s why we recommend visiting a shop that employs at least one nationally ASE certified Master Technician. When the root cause is discovered, you will be provided with details of the repairs needed to fix the problem.
We understand that having the check engine light come on is not a happy occasion. That’s why, when you bring your car to the Fremont Auto Center, one of our nationally ASE certified Master Technicians will perform the diagnostic and we will provide you with a digital vehicle inspection and clear answers as to why the check engine light came on and what needs to be done to repair the problem.
So if your vehicle illuminated the check engine light, bring it to us as soon as possible. Driving with the check engine light on can lead to expensive repairs. Making an appointment is easy – you can do so online, or simply call us. All repairs performed at the Fremont Auto Center carry 36 months / 36,000 miles nationwide warranty.