Car Maintenance Question

[Martha in GA]

My dd drives a Hyundai Sonata with 110,000 miles on it. On her way back to college on Sunday, she said the engine light came on. She says the car seems to be running okay; coolant level and oil levels are fine. Would you have her take the car to a mechanic, or do you think it might just be a glitch because the car is getting older...? School is about 2 1/2 hours away and I don't want her to drive the car if it isn't going to be trustworthy. What would you do?

 

Martha

[JFSinIL]

Older car, engine light comes on - get it checked. Light is there for a reason.

[abacus2]

Start by driving to an auto parts store and asking them to read the code for free. Most reasons the check engine light comes on are not too serious, but it will cause the car to fail emissions where that testing is required.

[Amy in NH]

A lot of chain auto part stores have a code reader they'll hook up in the parking lot for free.  Not sure what you have in GA, but you might want to look into that.  You don't even need to make an appointment first to do that here in NH.

[Pawz4me]

I'd take the gas cap off, replace it and make sure it "clicks" several times and then drive it for awhile before taking it in.  Sometimes an improperly seated gas cap will cause the engine light to come on.  But of course consult the manual to see if it says otherwise.

[happypamama]

I'd get it checked out at an auto parts store to see if the code tells you anything.  Definitely get it checked out.  We've had an engine light come on for anything from the gas cap to a blown head gasket (which is a major issue).

[Martha in GA]

Thank you, everyone! I had no idea that an auto parts store could read the code. I'll suggest that to my dd. And I'll have dd do the gas cap thing, too. Hopefully, there isn't anything majorly wrong with the car.