You’re heading down the road, enjoying every moment behind the wheel of your Porsche Cayenne, Macan, or Taycan. You glance down, and your heart skips a beat when you notice the engine warning light on your dashboard is on. You immediately wonder what’s wrong and how much it will cost. Below, our technicians at Porsche Stevens Creek give five possible reasons why the light could be on and what to do.
Advice From Your Porsche Dealer: Is Your Engine Warning Light Turning On?
The Gas Cap Is Loose
When the engine light goes on, check your gas cap before you start worrying. While your vehicle is running, the computer monitors the pressure in the gas tank. The gas cap seals the gas tank and maintains proper pressure to prevent gas vapors from escaping. If the gas cap is loose or there’s something wrong with the seal, it will trigger the engine light. Tighten the gas cap and wait for the light to reset itself.
The Spark Plugs Are Worn or Fouled
Spark plugs ignite a mixture of fuel and air to create combustion to start your car. Worn or fouled plugs not correctly firing will cause misfires, increase emissions, and lower your car’s performance, triggering the engine light. Sort out these issues by simply replacing the spark plugs.
The Oxygen Sensors Are Malfunctioning
The engine light goes on when your car’s emissions control system is not working as it should, meaning your vehicle is polluting the air and would fail an emissions inspection or smog check. Your car’s oxygen sensors measure the amount of unburned oxygen and play a vital role in your engine’s performance and emissions control.
The oxygen sensors are connected to your car’s computer and let the computer know if the air-fuel mixture is rich or lean. When a sensor fails to monitor the oxygen, the engine light will go on. If the mixture is incorrect, it will cause your vehicle to stall, burn more gas, and increase emissions. Our Porsche technician will replace the malfunctioning oxygen sensor to solve the problem.
The Mass Airflow Sensor Is Faulty
The mass airflow sensor measures how much air flows into the engine to determine the correct amount of fuel that is required. The engine light will go on if the sensor is dirty, failing, or if there is a leak before or after the mass airflow sensor.
Cleaning the sensor could solve the problem, or you’ll have to ask our Porsche technician to replace it. If the faulty sensor is not replaced, it will affect your car’s fuel economy and performance and cause engine component failures.
The Catalytic Converter Is Failing
Your vehicle’s catalytic converter protects the environment by converting hazardous carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. When there’s something wrong with the catalytic converter, it will increase your car’s emissions and fuel consumption and trigger the engine light.
If your vehicle’s engine light is on, don’t delay. Get your Porsche to our service department. If you continue to drive your car when the engine light is on, it can cause severe damage to your engine and other critical vehicle components. Call Porsche Stevens Creek now for a diagnostic test and repairs to prevent further damage.
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