How do you get the check engine light off?

Answer 1

You should take the car to a car shop for a check-up if you don't know what's wrong. The check engine light could mean any number of rather inocuous things, such as the failure of one of fifty various sensors that monitor engine performance, or it could be something very serious. In any event, the vehicle's computer has determined that the vehicle needs attention soon. That's what the check engine light is for; it'll go off when the problem is fixed. You don't want your car to die in the middle of a highway.

Many of the larger chain Auto parts stores, such as Advance Auto Parts or Autozone (as well as many service shops) will use a scanner to read the OBD II (On-Board Diagnostic System II) codes and interpret them free of charge. If your vehicle is somewhat older, it may use the OBD I system, and the codes can be read directly from the dashboard -- the procedure is similar for most vehicles, but check an automotive manual to be sure:

Turn the key to the on position, without starting the engine, and then back to the off position three times, and then turn it to the on position and leave it there. The 'check engine' light should blink out a series of codes. Write down the pattern of flashes and then look up the codes using the automotive service manual for your vehicle (or from an online source). Haynes and Chilton's are the most popular and available brands of service manuals. Haynes in particular publishes concise and inexpensive manuals (less than $15) for most automobiles.

Most vehicles will re-set warnings if the computer loses power for a prolonged period of time; disconnecting the negative battery terminal for a few minutes will usually cancel the fault and force the check engine light off. It will remain off for a few hundred miles, until the engine has re-established enough data to know, once again, that there is indeed something wrong. But, of course this is not recommended, as it usually deletes the stored fault codes, and will make diagnosis of the true cause difficult until the fault codes reappear.

In any case, the best solution is to have the vehicle serviced. A vehicle owner who is more concerned about a light on their dashboard than the potential damage to their vehicle that it represents may soon have need of a bicycle.