Does the engine malfunction indicator light being on after gas conversion have any impact?

[AngelinaLynn]

After converting from gasoline to gas, it is common for the malfunction indicator light to turn on, which is a normal phenomenon. Generally, this is considered normal. The mixture concentration of natural gas and gasoline is different, and the oxygen content in the exhaust gas varies. When the oxygen sensor detects this, it triggers an alert, but this does not affect usage. Therefore, sometimes there is no need to be overly concerned. Below are additional explanations for the reasons why the malfunction indicator light may turn on: 1. The signals detected and sent by the original vehicle's oxygen sensor differ when running on gas compared to gasoline. 2. The original vehicle's ECU self-learning function will memorize the state when using CNG. The gasoline ECU will perceive this as a fault and record it, entering a fault mode where the malfunction indicator light turns on. 3. When switching back to using gasoline, this will affect the gasoline control process, severely impacting the gasoline operation, mainly manifested as unstable idle speed, poor fuel supply, weak acceleration, and engine hesitation during driving when running on gasoline.

[Arianna]

I've driven a taxi for ten years, on the road every day, and the most common issue with CNG-converted vehicles is the check engine light coming on. When this light turns on, it's essentially telling you that the oxygen sensor has detected something abnormal, because natural gas and gasoline have different combustion characteristics. You might not notice any immediate problems in the short term, but prolonged neglect can affect engine lifespan. Incomplete combustion tends to cause carbon buildup, and ironically, fuel consumption may increase. Whenever I encounter this situation, I immediately return to the conversion shop for inspection. Most of the time, it's due to improperly adjusted gas-air mixture ratios – after readjustment and ECU rematching, the issue is resolved. Don't wait until you notice significant power loss to address it, as repairs will become more costly and troublesome.

[FelixAnn]

Last year, right after I converted my car to run on gas, the malfunction indicator light stayed on constantly. After consulting a mechanic, I learned that this was a false alarm caused by a conflict between the control method of the gas system and the original ECU. Although there were no noticeable issues while driving at the time, the mechanic warned that leaving it unresolved for a long time could indeed damage the catalytic converter and might even lead to aging of the ignition system. It was recommended to use a diagnostic tool to read the specific fault codes. If the issue was due to the air-fuel mixture being too lean or too rich, recalibrating the gas injector rail could solve the problem. Additionally, if the low-quality pressure reducer used in the conversion was faulty, it should be replaced promptly, as unstable gas supply could affect safety.

[LaCamille]

The illuminated fault light after LPG conversion mainly involves combustion system matching issues. Due to the different octane ratings between LPG and gasoline, combustion parameters exceed the factory sensor settings, triggering the alarm. This causes two impacts: 1) The engine operates under non-standard conditions long-term, accelerating wear; 2) Exhaust emissions may exceed standards, potentially causing annual inspection failure. We recommend installing a dedicated LPG ECU during conversion, which simulates gasoline data to prevent fault light illumination. After tuning, remember to drive for several days during the break-in period to allow new data to be written into the engine computer.