The check light goes on and off - All about Lada Granta

Owners of cars with an electronic engine control system (ECM) quite often encounter the unexpected illumination of the “check engine” warning light on the dashboard. Let us immediately note that if the engine check light is on, then this indicates certain malfunctions that are associated with the operation of the power unit and its systems.

There can be quite a few situations when the engine fault check light comes on. Owners often complain that after washing the engine the check light comes on, the check light comes on when the engine is running, or the internal combustion engine does not start, the warning light periodically or constantly lights up on a cold or hot engine, etc. Next, we will look at the main reasons why the check engine light may come on, and also talk about ways to diagnose and fix a number of common faults with your own hands.

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What is a “check engine”: what problems does a burning “check” indicate?

The warning light comes on for the following reason: the engine ECU detects some error or failure and writes the fault into its memory in the form of a specific code. In parallel with this, the control unit initiates the lightning of the check. Let us add that on some cars that have a developed self-diagnosis system, such an error can be immediately deciphered and the data is displayed on the on-board computer screen. Simpler versions of the car will require connecting a special scanner to the diagnostic connector, after which the error code is read for further detailed decoding.

It is worth noting separately that if the check engine light is on when you turn on the ignition, then this is an absolutely normal phenomenon and is not a malfunction. The icon should normally go out after the engine starts, that is, after the internal combustion engine begins to operate independently. A cause for concern is the situation when the engine is running and a lighted check mark is present on the panel after starting.

As already mentioned, the ECU records various errors, after which the check light comes on. This means that the malfunction can be either a serious breakdown or a minor problem. In any case, further operation of the vehicle is not recommended, since the car requires immediate diagnostics. At the same time, experienced drivers can independently determine the cause of the check light without going to a service station or using diagnostic equipment. Let's look at the main symptoms, signs and causes of common faults that cause the warning light to come on.

Reset errors

There are quite a lot of cases when the Check Engine light comes on, and the problem that has arisen should not be ignored. However, after eliminating the problem, the light may still remain on. What does this have to do with?!

After detecting a problem, the ECU stores its code in memory (this has already been mentioned). However, if the situation is corrected, the code cannot go anywhere and therefore the indicator lights up again the next time the engine is started. Here you should erase error codes from the computer's memory. In the language of specialists, this procedure is called resetting error codes. There are several options for how this can be done.

Professional technique

This is the most reliable and effective way to get rid of the annoying indicator when the problem has already been solved. The procedure is performed in a car service center using special equipment. And today there are a lot of such places in every city, not to mention megacities.

Amateur performance

You can find special scanners for cars on sale in relevant specialized stores. Such a device can help out in different situations and therefore this purchase will be very useful for any vehicle owner.

Then the only thing left to do is download the necessary software for your smartphone (tablet or laptop - now every second car enthusiast has such gadgets). By connecting the device to the vehicle's OBD2 diagnostic connector, you can “read” all existing Check Engine errors.

Some software offers an alternative solution to the problem. Most minor breakdowns can be easily resolved by car owners. In other words, buying a car scanner has certain advantages, including savings. Finally, all that remains is to erase the errors, and the check will no longer bother and irritate you.

Originally folk technique

Some craftsmen know very well what to do to reset the error, using their own special method, which every experienced car enthusiast knows about. To turn off the light bulb, just follow a certain sequence:

Start the engine.
Open the hood and disconnect the positive terminal of the battery.
Wait 60 seconds, then return the terminal to its place.
The error code will be reset, which will be indicated by the indicator light going out the next time you turn on the engine.
Another procedure may also help:
Turn on the ignition, wait 3 seconds and proceed to the next step.
Press the accelerator pedal 5 times, holding each position for 5 seconds. Release the pedal.
After 8 seconds, press the gas pedal again and hold it for 10 seconds - the indicator will blink.
Take your foot off the pedal and you can look at the display where error codes are displayed. Now press the accelerator pedal again for 10 seconds - the Check Engine light should go out.
Turn off the ignition.
To check, you can start the engine again and make sure that the indicator goes out and does not light up, as it should be.

It is worth noting that the last two methods only work if the problem is fixed. Otherwise, you shouldn’t be surprised that the Check Engine caught fire. And then visiting a specialist is only a matter of time.

Video: Daewoo Matiz. Reset Check Engine Using ELM327 and Torque

Why the check engine light came on: reasons and what to do in this case

Let's start with a global problem for the CIS countries. If the “check” light comes on while driving a car after a recent refueling at a gas station, there is a drop in power, the engine begins to work intermittently for no apparent reason, then the culprit may be the quality of the fuel or its inadequacy for this type of engine. Without going into details, the ECU can detect the appearance of detonation in the engine, various disturbances in the combustion process, etc. As a result, the controller signals the driver about a malfunction.

To solve the problem, it is often enough to dilute the fuel poured into the tank with a portion of high-quality gasoline or diesel fuel, after which the burning check will go out on its own after a few km. mileage Let us add that in some cases, low-quality fuel needs to be drained and the power system cleaned. Also, the check may not go out even after the cause has been eliminated. In this case, the recorded error in the ECU must be reset programmatically, that is, using special equipment.

Why does the “check” light up: the most common and common malfunctions

So, we figured out the general scheme. Now let's look at what problems lead to the check light coming on and the engine stalling. Often a p0300 error occurs, which indicates that a misfire (misfire) is occurring. There are several reasons for these omissions, and to determine them it is necessary to carry out a step-by-step diagnosis, taking into account certain individual symptoms.

You should start by checking the ignition system. The most common cause of tripping is the failure of spark plugs and armored wires. Candles can wear out their service life, break down, or become heavily contaminated. Armored wires suffer from insulation damage and breakdowns. One way or another, the result is either no spark at all, or there is a spark, but it’s weak.

If everything is in order with the spark plugs and wires, you should pay attention to the ignition module or ignition coils, which may be shorting. In this case, it is better to entrust the check to experienced specialists, since unprofessional actions lead to the fact that you can burn the switch or damage other important elements.

It should also be added that you need to carefully inspect the spark plug wells themselves. Quite often, the engine fails if water accumulates in the wells or engine oil gets there. In some cases, lubricant gets into the wells due to problems with the valve cover gasket.

Having dealt with the ignition system, it is necessary to check the power system. As a rule, incorrect operation of injection nozzles or malfunctions in their operation lead to engine tripping. At the same time, the check will light up or flash.

The best option would be to check the injectors on a special stand. Such diagnostics allows you to determine the need to clean, repair or replace injectors. At the same time, specialists check the power supply to the injectors, the condition of the injector O-rings, etc.

As for compression, a burnt-out valve often leads to an unexpected decrease in the indicator. If the valve burns out, the engine starts to run rough. In this case, tripling is constant and occurs in all modes of engine operation. Engine thrust drops significantly, and significant excess fuel consumption is observed.

Please note that in this case you cannot drive the car, as there is a high risk of damaging the catalyst and oxygen sensor (lybda probe). To confirm the diagnosis, you need to measure the compression, and to solve the problem itself, you need to remove the cylinder head, troubleshoot the head and change the valve.

How serious can the reasons be?

Each signal on the car panel is an indicator that the driver must be attentive. When the check engine light comes on, there are several reasons.

A common cause is gasoline. Due to the additives that unscrupulous manufacturers use in gasoline, the engine does not work properly and becomes clogged. You should change the fuel or refuel at another gas station, and everything works correctly.
Faulty spark plugs.
Broken ignition coil.
A faulty oxygen sensor (lambda probe).
Broken exhaust catalyst.
Incorrect operation of high-voltage conductors.
Malfunction of injectors.
Fuel pump or fuel filter.

The check should begin with the fuel tank filler cap. If it is not tightened completely or there are defects on it, then the light indicates that the engine is not operating properly.

Each of the reasons is not very scary, but requires immediate elimination. If you do not pay attention in time and do not diagnose the malfunction, you can lead to complete engine failure and incapacity of the machine.

The engine is serious business, but the job doesn't necessarily require a major overhaul or engine replacement. The work of the craftsmen is important in any matter of diagnosing and repairing the engine. But, if the reason is candles, then the replacement is carried out independently and quickly, without the involvement of specialists.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, in some situations the check light comes on and the engine starts. This may indicate that the ECU allows the unit to start, but the engine will operate in emergency mode or the problem is not critical. In other situations, the check light comes on and the engine stalls. In this case, the malfunction may be related to the fuel supply, failure of the crankshaft position sensor (CPS), etc.

With the end of the era of carburetor fuel mixture preparation systems, their place was taken by electronic fuel injection systems. The widespread introduction of electronics into vehicle systems has been accompanied by the emergence of a large number of different sensors, electromechanical actuators and more complex vehicle wiring. All this equipment is managed by specialized electronic modules, such as the engine control module (ECU), transmission control module (TCU), on-board electronics control module (BCM), etc.

In this regard, automakers began to equip cars with additional built-in diagnostic systems. Having turned on the ignition, the driver of a modern car, in addition to the traditional control indicators “battery”, “oil can”, etc., will see on the dashboard a number of indicators related to monitoring the health of the main systems of the car.

What does the Check Engine light mean?

On the instrument panel of a car with electronic fuel injection, there is always an indicator in the form of a stylized engine. It is designed to monitor the health of engine control systems. In English, this indicator is called “CheckEngine”, which means “check engine”. For brevity, the abbreviation “CE” for this indicator will be used later in the text.

Based on the author's own observations, some drivers perceive the CE indicator on the panel as something fatal for the engine and are afraid to continue driving. Let's look at how serious the malfunctions are that cause this indicator to turn on and whether it is possible to continue driving a car with the CE indicator on.

The main reasons why the “CheckEngine” indicator turns on.

The electronic engine control unit ECU, based on the algorithm embedded in it, decides when and how much fuel to supply to the cylinders, when exactly to apply voltage to the spark plugs to ignite the fuel mixture, when to turn on the cooling system fan, etc. Accordingly, diagnostic tools for these engine systems are also built into the ECU. Let's briefly look at what data sources are available for a car's built-in engine diagnostic system.

How to remove check engine

Let's take a closer look at the steps that need to be taken first of all in order to get rid of the Check Engine indicator that lights up. The priority action algorithm will be as follows:

Check if the gas tank cap is closed. The situation is especially relevant if you have just left the gas station, and soon after that the check engine icon comes on. This means that either the tightness of the fuel system has been broken due to the tank cap not being screwed tightly enough, or the quality of the fuel leaves much to be desired.
Check the condition of the spark plugs. To do this, unscrew them and visually assess their condition. Very often, it is the spark plugs that cause the Check Engine light to come on. In particular, the reason may be that they begin to pass current due to carbon deposits on the electrodes. This coating is formed as a result of the high content of metals or other conductive substances in the fuel. An error may also occur if the gap between the electrodes on the spark plug exceeds a distance of 1.3 mm. We will consider the diagnosis of candles in more detail and how to perform it based on their color separately. You will also find information about replacing them useful.
Oil level. If the check engine light only lights up when the engine warms up, stop and listen, you may hear extraneous sounds from the engine. Check the engine oil level with a screw and add it if necessary. Also check for oil leaks.
If your machine is equipped with sensors for the purity of process fluids (motor oil, fuel, etc.), the indicator may light up if the corresponding indicators exceed the permissible limit. The solution is to replace the appropriate filters or completely liquids if they do not meet the standards.
Resetting the negative terminal from the battery (15...20 seconds). After this, the Check Engine light should go out and the clock on the computer should reset to zero. This method may be relevant in two cases. The first is a banal “glitch” of the ECU. The second is if a large number of small errors have accumulated in the memory of the electronic unit and have not been reset. (usually they are caused by the use of low-quality gasoline, the presence of harmful impurities in the fuel-air mixture, moisture on electrical contacts, etc.).

If, after performing the above steps, the Check Engine indicator does not go out, or goes out, but soon lights up again, this means that the error lies deeper, and in order to eliminate it, additional detailed diagnostics must be carried out using more serious means.

When does the Check Engine light come on?

The appearance of an alarm symbol on the instrument panel occurs when the engine's electronic control unit detects a problem and writes it into memory in the form of a code, while simultaneously giving a command to turn on the light bulb, which is impossible not to pay attention to. In some situations, the Check Engine light is constantly on, in others it flashes and goes out after a while - it all depends on the malfunction.

Shutterstock/VOSTOCK Photo

On some cars, the self-diagnosis system allows you to immediately become familiar with the problem that caused the “check” to come on, but usually a diagnostic scanner connected through a connector or a laptop with special software helps to clarify. If you suddenly see a “check” on the dashboard and notice changes in engine operation, then take it very seriously - neglect of this sign of malfunction can lead to more serious damage.

Why does the Check Engine light come on?

There are many reasons why the engine malfunction check light may come on, but let's start with a fairly common one - low-quality fuel, which can cause such a dangerous phenomenon as detonation. In such cases they say that “the car is running out of fuel.” In this case, power may decrease and the engine will operate intermittently. Further actions depend on the scale of the problem. There are recommendations to fill the tank with better gasoline or diesel fuel, that is, to dilute the bad fuel. But in a number of situations, you need to drain the rubbish that your car was filled with at the gas station and fill it with high-quality fuel. By the way, the Check Engine light may come on if the gas filler cap is not closed.

Low oil level? Imagine, this can also cause the emergency indication to turn on. In this case, it is extremely important to understand why there is less lubricant in the engine. Was it caused by oil loss or, say, leakage through the seals?

The icon is lit on the Infiniti instrument panel

Engine oil pressure indicator
Check Engine
ABS system indicator
Brake indicator
Battery charging indicator
Key indicator (yellow)
VDC OFF indicator
VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) indicator
Tire pressure sensor indicator
AIRBAG indicator
4WD (all-wheel drive) indicator
Seat belt indicator
Indicator "!" (Exclamation point)
AT Check indicator (Check automatic transmission)
CK SUSP (Check Suspension) indicator

The indicators on the Infiniti instrument panel should all turn on simultaneously when the ignition is turned on (when the car is started) - this is a test. Then go out as the systems self-diagnosis completes. If the indicator does not go out, there is a malfunction in the car or additional functions are enabled.

Engine oil pressure indicator: EMERGENCY engine oil pressure. Not to be confused with the oil level! When this indicator lights up, there is no longer any oil in the lubrication system! This is the most unpleasant icon - a harbinger of a major engine overhaul!
How often to change the oil
What happens to the engine if you don't change the oil on time?
Check Engine, Service Engine Soon, Check or just an engine icon - whatever you call it, it signals a malfunction of the engine, the car’s electronic systems related to the operation of the engine, sometimes with malfunctions of the automatic transmission, catalysts, etc. This icon is like a temperature of 37 on a thermometer. It is useless to reset: if there is an illness, the temperature will still show.
- SERVICE ENGINE SOON in Infiniti
If the engine light comes on, you must go to a specialized service center, for example, Infinity Parts, and do computer diagnostics. Even if the icon itself goes out, the error remains in the car’s memory, and it can and should be read, the cause determined and eliminated.
ABS system indicator : The ABS system is faulty. In most cases, it is due to a lack of brake fluid in the reservoir, or a malfunction of the ABS system sensors. It is urgent to take the car for diagnostics. It is unsafe to drive with such a malfunction.
Brake indicator: The parking brake is engaged or there is a malfunction of the Brake system. The indicator may turn on due to: insufficient brake fluid, insufficient vacuum in the brake booster, or a malfunction of the ABS system. You need to check (release) the parking brake and the brake fluid level. If everything is fine, take the car to a specialized technical center for diagnostics. You cannot drive with such a malfunction.
Diagnostics of Infiniti brakes and shock absorbers at the stand
Battery charging indicator: Should not light up when the engine is running. Indicates a generator malfunction. The alternator belt may be broken or the battery charging circuit may be faulty. First, check the battery terminals and the belt on the engine. If everything is normal, you need to take the car to a technical center for diagnostics. You cannot drive on your own with such a malfunction. When the battery power runs out, the engine will suddenly stop. The following will stop working: ABS system, vacuum brake booster, power steering.
Battery performance analysis
Key indicator (yellow) : Turns on if the vehicle does not recognize the key or loses communication with the key. Possible reasons: the battery in the key is dead, the BCM is faulty, the key is not read correctly due to the battery draining.
VDC OFF indicator : Indicates that the stability control system is turned off using the VDC OFF button. In addition, the indicator lights up when the 4L mode (low-speed with wheel locking) is turned on, if the car has this function.
VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) indicator : Blinks while driving - the car is losing traction, it may be too slippery and you should “moderate your ardor”. Constantly on - the stabilization system is faulty. The vehicle may behave unpredictably when turning or on slippery surfaces.
Tire pressure sensor indicator : Indicates that the tire pressure is lower than required. Accompanied by a sound signal. Lights up constantly if the wheel sensors are not “registered” or there are none. Many people ask to turn off the low tire pressure warning light. If there are no sensors in the wheels, this cannot be done.
AIRBAG indicator : The system undergoes self-diagnosis every time the ignition is turned on (engine starts). When the ignition is turned on, the indicator lights up; when the diagnostics are completed, the indicator goes out. If it does not go out, but blinks, there is a malfunction in the Airbag system. You can try to fix it yourself if it was an accidental failure in the system. You need to contact us, we will tell you how. If a malfunction is present, there is no reasonable way to turn off the indicator.
4WD (four-wheel drive) indicator : indicates a malfunction of the four-wheel drive system or different diameters of the front and rear wheels.
Seat belt indicator : Fasten your seat belt.
Indicator "!" (exclamation mark) : The most multifunctional indicator after Check Engine. Here's what makes it light up (in different Infiniti models):

no key
low fuel level in tank
low wiper fluid level
parking brake engaged
the passenger compartment door, tailgate glass or trunk door is open
The fuel tank cap is not closed
low tire pressure
The blind spot warning system behind the vehicle does not work or is faulty (if installed on the vehicle)

14. AT Check indicator : indicates an automatic transmission malfunction. It is necessary to take the car to a service center.

Causes of Infiniti automatic transmission malfunction
Do I need to change the automatic transmission oil and at what interval?
Automatic transmission repair example

15. CK SUSP (Check Suspension) indicator : indicates a malfunction of the automatic body leveling using air pumping of the rear suspension. You need to contact Infinity Parts and we will repair it.

Here is another small list of Infiniti instrument panel lights with a description (click, opens in a new window):

Here is the 2020 Infiniti QX50 (J55) dashboard icon plate

If you haven’t found a solution to your problem in this list, call us and we’ll help!
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In our technical center, special attention is paid to high-quality diagnostics. Accurate identification of faults can seriously save time and money on unnecessary repairs.