NUMBER ONE PROBLEM OF AUTOMOBILE

CHECK ENGINE Indicator

ECM. Electronic Control Module. This is known as the Brain box or Microprocessor of an Automobile, do not be surprise cause in this 21th century, automobile are going computerized and anything related to computer requires a processor. Why do automobiles need processors, well the answer is simple, it makes driving, repair & maintenance easier.

   Back in the 90’s, we are the ECM of our vehicles, why so, cause before we take our vehicle out , we check Water level, Oil level, Fuel level etc., this is quite stressful and for those who go to work  every day, I guess it will be an everyday routine, now this is where ECM comes in.

   Sensors are the input devices of the ECM inside the automobile, there duties are to read the different response and nature of the automobile, transmit the data to the ECM memory, then the ECM will store and process the data and give specific information or instruction to other components of the automobile, for example when you enter an automobile and put the ignition key at ON you will notice that the instrument panel/dashboard starts reading oil level, fuel level, engine temperature etc. this means the ECM received data from the sensors, stored and process it then transmit this information to the front of the driver,  so you do not need to stress yourself anymore. It also balance or adjust itself like if the engine gets too hot the cooling fan turns on, when the engine gets cool the cooling fan turns off.

   If you start your engine in the morning or you are driving yourself to work and you notice an engine sign or CHECK ENGINE Light in front of your dashboard/instrument panel, it means there is something wrong with your automobile, so you need to check and scan your automobile or visit an Auto Mechanic or Technician

   There are many things that can lead to CHECK ENGINE Light coming on; it can be a Faulty sensor, Service needed or abnormal performance of some part of the automobile, so to know the fault you need to look at the dashboard or scan the automobile for Trouble Codes (are numbers which represents every sensors and components in an automobile) when you get a trouble code then look it up the Trouble Code Chart to find the fault.

Trouble Code Chart. (Chevrolet)

Trouble Codes                       Circuit Devices Affected

11  -                                        Normal
12  -                                        No Reference Signal
13  -                                        Oxygen (O2) sensor Circuit (Open Circuit)
14  -                                        Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) Circuit (High Temperature Indicated)
35  -                                       Idle Air Control (IAC) Circuit
53  -                                       System Over Voltage

   Sometimes when the CHECK ENGINE Light comes on, some automobile jump into ‘’LIMP IN’’ mode, Limited Operation Strategy (LOS) depending on the type of automobile. This mean the automobile has been peg to a fixed performance like Fixed Ignition Timing and Air-Fuel Ratio, which means instead of towing your automobile to a repair shop you can actually drive there but not at minimum performance or speed.

The fault might be temporary or repaired and still the CHECK ENGINE Light don’t go off, this is another case, in different cars we have different ways of cancelling the CHECK ENGINE Indicator, some will go off after 40-50 engine start, you can also remove the ECM Fuse for 30 sec or remove the battery terminal for some time, if the indicator goes off then your engine is OK but if not you still have some faults in your Automobile, consult your Automobile Doctor.

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AYOMIDE ADEJUWON is a professional Auto-Mechanic, Techie and also an experienced blogger who specialize in educating people around the world about Automobile.