Oil Leak Triggers Check Engine Light

by | Dec 18, 2017 | Car Problems & Repairs

Recently, one of our customers came in with a “check engine light” on. When a “check engine light” comes on, many drivers think it’s due to an electronic issue, but sometimes it can be a mechanical issue.

To get an idea of what was causing this particular problem, one of our service advisers, Brady, performed a courtesy scan for codes and saw that a few trouble codes came up. As a result, he set up a job ticket and gave the customer an idea of the possible diagnostic pathway as well as the cost for the time to perform the diagnosis.

Once the diagnostic estimate was approved by the customer, the technician did a more comprehensive computer scan and evaluated the codes and related data. This led him to a close examination of the engine, and this led to finding an oil leak in an obscure location. It turned out that the valve cover seal was the issue!

Oil leak triggers check engine light.jpg

The valve cover seal was replaced, the system was reset, and the car tested by the technician. Then after the final quality check by the office, we called the customer to let them know that all was okay, and it was fine to pick up the vehicle.

At that point, the customer still had to drive the car for a couple of weeks to allow the car to reset all the drive cycle monitors before we could say it’s absolutely fixed, especially when there were numerous codes in the system.

Of course, this is just one of many issues that can trigger the check engine warning light. A couple of years ago, we wrote a blog post where the problem turned out to be a blocked exhaust gas flow in the intake manifold.

So, if your check engine light comes on, you definitely want to get it checked out.  And, just as we did for this customer, we’ll do a free courtesy scan!

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About the Author

About Brian England

Brian England, the current president of BA Auto Care (formerly British American Auto Care), got his start with an auto apprenticeship in a small town in northwest of London. He came to the U.S. in 1972 to work for a Land Rover dealer in Rockville, MD. A few years later, he started British American Auto Care with his wife, Jennifer. Brian is a big believe in preventative maintenance, and his philosophy is to encourage and educate drivers on the benefits of a regular maintenance plan.