CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON?

If it is, don't hit the panic button just yet, but don't ignore it either.
This yellow light is among the gauges and warning lights clustered around the instrument panel in front of the driver. It comes on briefly when you turn the ignition on to start the car, the same as other warning lights do. When these systems start up as you turn the key to start the car, they perform a “system check” to let you know the system is ready to do its prescribed job.

If all is well the lights stay off after this initial check, until one day inexplicably, it stays on or comes back on and glows a yellow warning “Check Engine”, “Service Engine Soon” or as some vehicles use, a yellow engine symbol.

The question is what do you check and why? The engine often shows no obvious signs of anything except running down the road in quiet contentment.

When the onboard diagnostic system determines that a problem exists, the computer turns on the yellow dashboard indicator.  This yellow light serves to inform the driver that a problem has been detected and vehicle service is needed to correct the issue.

As you drive, the on-board diagnostic system is continuously checking information from the engine, transmission and safety equipment on your vehicle against data stored in its memory. If one of the hundreds of possible faults is found to occur, the yellow indicator comes on. Occasionally the light will come on and go off as you drive if the condition causing the light to illuminate, comes in and out of acceptable tolerance.  

When this light comes on as you drive it is telling the driver that something is wrong, and to bring the vehicle in for service. Normally this is not an emergency situation, however, it is recommended that you do not drive for more than a few days with the light on as you may incur additional expenses if there are subsequent failures caused by the initial fault that turned the light on.

The glitches that activate the “Check Engine” light are often nothing a driver can readily detect, but that doesn’t mean everything is working properly. Many of these conditions can waste fuel, as the engine management system is put into overtime trying to correct the condition and is unable to. At times the engine may be harder to start than normal or you may notice a drivability concern.

A flashing light can shorten engine or transmission life and lead to expensive repairs if left unaddressed. And, since the condition is usually emission related, the level of pollutants coming from the tailpipe can soar. Your vehicles onboard diagnostic system will assess engine running and misfire situations, the most severe of which indicates the possibility of the exhaust catalytic converter being damaged.  When this occurs, the yellow light will blink on and off repeatedly. When this light is flashing it indicates a more serious malfunction. Vehicle speed should be reduced and the vehicle taken for servicing as soon as possible to prevent any consequential damage from occurring. 

So if the “Check Engine” light comes on, don’t hit the panic button, but don’t ignore it either. Call your friends at Crestview Auto Service (306) 244-6522.

#CheckEngine #TuneUp #DashLights #InstrumentLights

Brake Safety

Do you have questions about brakes and how they work? August is Brake Safety Awareness Month! Send us a message and we will try to answer as many questions as possible in our upcoming posts. 

Stay tuned for more information from the Crestview team, a proud partner of trustedsaskatoon.com and the only NAPA AutoPro in Saskatoon.

#Brakes #Safety #Tips #Maintenance #Inspections #Trusted

www.crestviewautoservice.ca

Maintaining that new vehicle warranty – Who can service your new car or truck?

It makes a person feel good the first time they drive away from the dealership in their new vehicle. That new car smell is in the air: at least for a few months, it makes you feel great!

Unfortunately it doesn’t stay new and you will need to look after it so it doesn’t depreciate too fast. Routine maintenance is part of the cost of transportation and looking after your vehicle properly is a sure way to help lower the cost of transportation because a properly operating vehicle uses less fuel is much more reliable to get you where you need to be and get you back home. Performing the recommended services on time allows you to keep your vehicle for many years, reducing your overall cost of transportation.

So what should you do about servicing your new vehicle or even one you’ve had for a while? What does the owner’s manual say? Does it say you have to go back to the dealership you bought it from or can you go to the repair shop of your choice?

What it will say, is that you need to perform a minimum amount of required maintenance and keep a record of it, in order to maintain the warranty coverage and use parts that meet or exceed the specifications in the owner’s manual. It will also recommend the services be performed by qualified people, this means it doesn’t have to be the dealership, only a reputable repair facility that uses the proper fluids and filters along with other maintenance items. Crestview Auto Service is your dealership alternative.

At Crestview Auto Service we look forward to helping you get the most out of your vehicle, your manufacturer warranty and extended warranties.

All our filters, fluids and maintenance items meet or exceed your warranty requirements. Our goal is to help you have a reliable vehicle; one you can trust to take you anywhere and get you back home. When you bring us your vehicle that is under warranty for servicing, part of our job is to make sure you are aware of any concerns that are covered through your vehicle warranty. This way when you bring a warrantable concern about your vehicle to the dealership, they will look after you. We will keep all records of maintenance or repairs done to the vehicle, and if a warranty concern comes up and the records are needed they will be readily available for you or if you would like, we could send them directly to the dealership on your behalf.

If you go to the dealership with a concern that is under warranty, the dealership will do all they can to rectify the problem and solve it under warranty, the catch is you need to tell them there is a problem. Logically, most people think when they take their vehicle to the dealership for routine service, that they are getting a warranty inspection at the same time. It makes sense this would happen, but most often they will only get what the maintenance service calls for. The dealership technicians are not allowed to “look for warranty work”. This mandate comes right from the manufacturers, as they are the ones that control your warranty, not the dealer.

At Crestview Auto Service “We’ll Keep Your Car Young a Long Time”

Meet Dave: North American Technician of the Millennium

A little trivia about our head Technician, Dave Wiebe

Dave is one of Saskatoon’s premier automotive technicians; he has competed against the best and won. In spring of 2003, technicians from across Canada and the USA were invited to enter a contest to see who the best technicians are. This contest, “Technician of the Millennium III”, tested knowledge, speed, accuracy and cleanliness of the technicians. Technicians across all of North America could enter the contest. The firs...t part was a written exam; Dave had the highest mark in Canada. After this the top 10 in each of the 8 regions competed against each other in a “hands-on” contest. The vehicles they worked on were brand new with 5 “problems” simulated to reflect real life. Each contestant had an identical car and only 2 hours to repair it correctly. Dave excelled and won the title of “Western Canadian Champion”. Dave was the only one to repair all 5 issues correctly. In October of 2003 Dave competed in Las Vegas against the 7 other regional champions from across North America. It was a tough contest with diagnostics that required total concentration and if that wasn’t enough they had 5000 spectators watching every move. When it was over Dave was named North American Technician of the Millennium winner and once again Dave was the only one to diagnose and repair all 5 issues.

Dave has been a part of the Crestview team for over 30 years.

#CrestviewAutoService   #TechOfTheMillenium   #Diagnose  #Repair   #Dave   #BestTechnician   #TrustedSaskatoon