What Causes the Engine Fault Light to Illuminate?
2 Answers
The engine fault light can illuminate for numerous reasons, with the following being the most common: 1. Oxygen sensor connector damage or looseness, leading to a mixture that is too lean or too rich. 2. Poor quality or substandard gasoline, resulting in incomplete combustion of the air-fuel mixture during engine operation. 3. Poor engine maintenance, where issues with spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel pumps, or fuel line blockages cause improper combustion of the engine's air-fuel mixture. 4. The engine requires air for combustion; a dirty car air filter or lack of regular cleaning can affect the air intake, leading to long-term blockages and potentially causing the engine fault light to illuminate.
The engine warning light in my car came on last time, which really freaked me out, so I immediately drove it in for a check. The mechanic said common causes include a dirty oxygen sensor leading to reduced combustion efficiency, or a faulty ignition coil causing misfires; there could also be a loose gas cap triggering a leak alarm, or a clogged catalytic converter affecting exhaust. I noticed weaker power and slightly higher fuel consumption while driving. They used an OBD scanner to read the error code and found insufficient fuel pump pressure—replacing it fixed the issue. They advised not to ignore this light and to address it early to avoid engine damage or even a breakdown.
