When the check-engine light snaps on, it is not a suggestion, it is your car’s way of saying something in the powertrain or emissions system needs attention. I see it as an early warning system that ...

While your car can’t talk, it communicates with you using chimes, icons, and messages. One icon that you should never ignore is the check engine light. It turns on when the car’s onboard computer ...

When the check engine light comes on in a vehicle, it’s indicating that there is some issue with the car that should be checked out. It could be something minor, such as the gas cap not being screwed ...

As great as cars can be for getting where you need to go as quickly as possible, they have some drawbacks. Most notable are the repairs that tend to come along with them, which can be every bit as ...

Driving a car is one of those things that works best when you don’t have to worry about how everything works. You have enough to pay attention to on the road without having to worry about what’s going ...

Your car's dashboard symbols generally fall under one of two categories: specific indicators with a single clear meaning and broad warnings with multiple potential causes. Specific indicators like the ...

Although commonly referred to as the “check-engine light,” some cars may instead display the message “Service Engine Soon,” or show a yellow or orange outline of an engine, perhaps with the word ...

The costs of buying a new or used car have climbed in recent years, and so has the average repair bill. If a vehicle purchase or major repair isn’t in the cards (or budget), maintaining the health of ...

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, ...

Checking, replacing and maintaining your spark plugs is actually one of the easier and most affordable car-maintenance jobs you can do in the comfort of your own driveway — that is, if you don’t screw ...

One of a Times Square-like array of instrument panel lights that flash on briefly when your car starts – and it's sure to cost you money if it stays on – is the “check engine” icon. For the ...