What causes the engine light to come on after an oil change?
1 Answers
When the engine warning light comes on after an oil change, you should first check the coolant temperature gauge and oil pressure warning light. If the coolant temperature gauge and oil pressure warning light are not activated (the needle-type coolant temperature gauge should read around 95 degrees), the car can still be driven, but you must pay attention to controlling the speed and drive to a repair shop for inspection promptly. Reasons for the engine warning light to illuminate: Poor combustion of air-fuel mixture: Issues such as faulty engine spark plugs, defective ignition coils, malfunctioning fuel pumps, or clogged fuel lines can all lead to poor combustion of the air-fuel mixture. Poor combustion can cause engine carbon buildup or knocking, which is monitored by the engine's oxygen sensor. The warning light will illuminate after the issue is transmitted to the electronic control unit (ECU) as an alert. Sensor problems: These include sensors for coolant temperature, crankshaft position, air flow, intake temperature, oxygen levels, etc. When these sensors are damaged, have poor connections, or experience signal interruptions, the car's ECU cannot accurately obtain engine data, causing the engine warning light to come on. You should promptly take the car to a repair shop for inspection and repairs. Oil quality issues: The fuel added to the car usually has a specific rating, and engine oil can be categorized as semi-synthetic or fully synthetic. Manufacturers typically recommend the fuel rating and type of engine oil that owners should use. If the owner does not add the required specifications, long-term engine wear can occur, leading to the warning light illuminating. Carbon buildup issues: After a certain period of use, some carbon deposits will inevitably accumulate inside the engine. This can alter the engine's design parameters, and since carbon deposits are thermally unstable, heat accumulation can cause erratic engine ignition, leading to engine knocking. In such cases, the engine warning light will illuminate.
