Back to all

Watching Your Check Engine Light

May 2, 2016

Did you know that most of the cars driving around Lake In The Hills, Illinois, carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969?

New cars sold in the Lake In The Hills area have as many as 12 networked computers and over five miles (eight kilometers) of wiring. In fact, for the last decade or so, auto computers have been controlling about 85 percent of your vehicle's functions.

Cars have sensors for manifold air temperature, coolant temperature, manifold air pressure, airflow, throttle position, vehicle speed and oxygen content. All of this electronic wizardry is pretty complicated. So how do Lake In The Hills drivers know when there is a problem?

It's simple; the Check Engine light comes on. The computer monitors all the sensors and uses that information to decide what to adjust such as the fuel mix, spark timing and idle speed. In addition, the computer monitors its own circuits. When it finds a fault, it turns on the Check Engine light and stores a trouble code in the computer.

It can be pretty disturbing for Lake In The Hills drivers when the Check Engine light comes on. We wonder just how urgent it is. Generally speaking, it is not critical like a temperature or oil pressure light. When you get one of those it means STOP NOW! When the Check Engine light shows up, you should come in to Tuffy Lake In The Hills in Lake In The Hills to find out what the matter is as soon as possible.

Since 1996, there has been a strong emissions control component to the Check Engine diagnostic. But if your Check Engine light flashes on and off, you know that it is more urgent and you need to get it checked immediately to prevent damage. You should slow down and avoid towing or heavy loads until you can get it checked out.

Your friendly and knowledgeable technicians at Tuffy Lake In The Hills have special diagnostic equipment that will retrieve the trouble code from the computer and help him determine what is wrong. From there, we can fix it and get you back on the road.

Stop by if you're Check Engine light is on.

Tuffy Lake In The Hills
59 West Acorn Lane
Lake In The Hills, Illinois 60156
847-854-9850

More articles from Tuffy Lake in the Hills

Go Straight: Wheel Alignment for Lake In The Hills Automobiles

April 21, 2024

Lake In The Hills drivers may have an alignment problem if their car drifts or pulls to one side, the steering wheel's off center, they notice uneven tire wear or the car doesn't feel like it handles right as they drive down Lake In The Hills, Illinois, streets and roads.When all of a vehicle's w... More

Reaching the Braking Point (Brake hose replacement)

April 14, 2024

If you notice your brakes arent working like they used to, thats the kind of thing thats important to have checked out soon. Thats because your brakes are extraordinarily important to the safe operation of your vehicle. Sometimes you feel like your brake pedal is feeling a little soft or its lo... More

Rear Window?Not the Movie! (Why Some Rear Windows Don't Go All the Way Down)

April 7, 2024

Alfred Hitchcock once made a mystery thriller film called "Rear Window." It had nothing to do with the rear window of today's cars, SUVs, CUVs and light trucks. But there is one thing that some drivers DO find mysterious. Why don't the rear windows in the second row of many of these vehicles go... More