Can You Still Drive with the Engine Showing a Fault?

[McMarcus]

You can still drive with the engine showing a fault, but if symptoms like severe shaking or loss of acceleration power occur, it is not advisable to continue driving. Continuing to drive may worsen the fault, damage the engine, or cause other issues. An engine is a machine capable of converting other forms of energy into mechanical energy. The first external combustion engine was invented by R. Stirling from Scotland, UK, and later improved by Watt into the steam engine. Engines can refer to both power generation devices and the entire machine including the power unit (such as gasoline engines, aircraft engines). Types of engines include internal combustion engines (e.g., gasoline engines), external combustion engines (e.g., Stirling engines, steam engines), gas turbines (used in racing cars), electric motors, etc.

[KathrynLee]

That day I was driving to pick up my kids when suddenly the check engine light popped up on the dashboard. To be honest, I panicked a bit, but the car sounded fine at the time—no smoke or severe shaking. I drove slowly to the repair shop, even turning off the AC along the way to avoid extra strain. The mechanic later diagnosed it as a faulty oxygen sensor, and the fix only cost 200 bucks. Now I’ve learned my lesson and want to remind everyone: If the light comes on but the car shows no obvious issues, don’t push your luck by driving long distances. Get it checked nearby ASAP. My neighbor ignored a similar warning and ended up with a seized engine, costing 8,000 for a major overhaul.

[LaIris]

Last week while delivering packages, my check engine light came on with severe shaking. I immediately pulled over and called my mechanic buddy. He warned me not to drive it: running with a misfiring cylinder causes unbalanced wear on internal components, and could even bend piston rods. I once saw a driver insist on driving a smoking car for three kilometers - ended up completely destroying the catalytic converter, costing over 4,000 yuan for replacement. His advice: pull over immediately when the warning light appears, and if the engine sounds abnormal, shut it off completely and wait for roadside assistance.

[HeidiDella]

When I first saw the warning light come on after buying the car, I tried to drive slowly home to check it. The mechanic later said that continuing to drive caused engine misfires, which led to catalytic converter clogging. Now I've developed a habit: whenever the light comes on, I do three things - pull over to check if the oil level is sufficient, feel the exhaust pipe temperature to judge if it's overheating, and sniff the exhaust for any gasoline smell. Remember, if it's accompanied by power loss symptoms, you must not drive no matter how close you are to home. Last time this happened, I directly called my insurance company for a free tow truck.