Check Engine Light Diagnostics in Alpharetta, Georgia

What It Feels Like vs. What It Is

When your check engine light comes on, it may feel like there’s a raging emergency in progress. In reality, although the light is one key indicator of auto health and should be addressed promptly because it might point to a significant problem, it is most often not indicative of a problem so severe that you can’t reach our shop. If this dashboard lamp illuminates as you’re driving, proceed to your home or office and make an appointment with us for diagnostic services. This warning alone shouldn’t cause you to immediately pull over as would another lamp such as engine temperature. At Import Auto Repair in Alpharetta, Georgia, we’re happy to check the problem out for you and remedy the source of the issue. You’ll find us conveniently located along Route 9 at 6735 Atlanta Hwy Alpharetta, GA 30004, or you can take advantage of our secure satellite drop-off point with concierge services available in Milton at Birmingham Village. If your vehicle’s check engine light has come on, schedule an appointment online or by calling us at (770) 475-1090.

What Could It Be?

Although we’ll need to check your vehicle to make a proper diagnosis, some commonly observed check engine light triggers are observed. For instance, failing sensors are often the culprit. The oxygen sensor measures the amount of unused oxygen present in your car’s exhaust. If this little component goes bad, you’ll probably notice a decrease in fuel economy along with the check engine warning. Left unaddressed, the problem could damage the catalytic converter, so be sure to have it checked out sooner rather than later. Additionally, the mass airflow sensor helps balance the amount of fuel injected with the incoming air. Replacement isn’t difficult or extremely pricey, but it will surely make your auto perform better. Also related to the fuel and exhaust system, the catalytic converter uses precious metals to eliminate much of the toxicity from emissions before they exit your car. This component is more costly to replace if it goes bad, but it’s important to the environment. What’s more, your auto won’t pass required testing without a properly functioning catalytic converter. Perhaps the simplest and least expensive to fix fuel system-related issue is a loose gas cap. A poorly fitting cap can breach the closed system, causing the lamp to illuminate and your expensive gasoline to evaporate. Other components and systems can trigger the warning, too. A bad battery or improperly working charging system is the underlying cause. An ailing ignition coil could prevent your cylinders from firing correctly. There are less common problems, too, such as the early warnings of transmission trouble, so be sure to bring your vehicle to us as soon as possible if you see the check engine warning.

Why You Should Turn to Import Auto Repair for Answers

To ensure that your car operates optimally and doesn’t incur more extensive damage, you should take care of the check engine light in a timely manner. However, guessing at the cause is haphazard, often expensive because you replace items unnecessarily, and may not fix the problem. Therefore, let Import Auto Repair connect your vehicle to the OBD-II reader to obtain a trouble code. Then our experienced technicians who know your European import well can use their expertise to pinpoint the specific issue within that trouble code parameter, diagnosing the problem accurately and correcting it. We look forward to hearing from you at (770) 475-1090 if your check engine light is on.