What Causes the Engine Fault Light to Illuminate After Using Low-Quality Fuel?

[GeorgeLynn]

Using low-quality fuel can cause engine wear and trigger the fault light. In such cases, the fuel in the tank should be drained, and the tank thoroughly cleaned. After cleaning, standard-compliant gasoline should be refilled. Apart from fuel quality issues, there are six other common factors that can cause the engine fault light to illuminate: Sensor Malfunction: Sensors such as coolant temperature, crankshaft position, air flow, intake temperature, and oxygen sensors, when damaged, poorly connected, or experiencing signal interruptions, prevent the car's ECU from accurately obtaining engine data, leading to the illumination of the engine fault light. Poor Combustion of Air-Fuel Mixture: Poor combustion can cause engine carbon buildup or knocking. When detected by the oxygen sensor and reported to the ECU, the fault light will illuminate as a warning. Issues like spark plug failure, ignition coil failure, fuel pump failure, or fuel line blockage can all lead to poor combustion of the engine's air-fuel mixture. Turbocharging Issues: Problems with the intake boost piping or turbocharger can also trigger the engine fault light. The most common issue is turbocharger damage, accompanied by symptoms such as oil leaks, excessive oil consumption, reduced power, metallic noises, or blue/black smoke from the exhaust. Intake Issues: If the car's intake system is compromised, it can lead to engine pipe blockages, and in severe cases, the engine fault light may illuminate. A dirty or uncleaned air filter can cause intake problems. Exhaust Issues: Exhaust system faults can also cause the engine fault light to illuminate. Common causes include rear oxygen sensor failure, catalytic converter issues, exhaust camshaft and bearing wear, with the catalytic converter being the most frequent culprit. Using leaded gasoline, lead or silicon-based lubricant additives, physical damage to the catalytic converter, or fuel system malfunctions can all lead to catalytic converter failure. Anti-Theft System Malfunction: If the car's electronic anti-theft system fails or if the anti-theft controller is incompatible with the engine's electronic controller, the anti-theft system can prevent the engine from operating normally, accompanied by the illumination of the engine fault light.