Learn How to Reset a Check Engine Light

If you’re driving down the streets of Lubbock and you see your check engine light suddenly illuminate, it’s probably a sign that there’s a problem that needs to be checked out right away. However, sometimes there’s no issue at all, and your check engine light is just having a minor malfunction that needs resetting. Other times, you might fix the problem with your engine but find that the light is still illuminated. Our service center has put together three ways you can reset your check engine light if there’s nothing wrong with your engine but it just won’t go away.

If There Is a Problem, Have It Resolved

First of all, if your check engine light comes on, it most likely means that your engine needs attention. You’ll want to address this as soon as possible – even if there’s nothing immediately dangerous going on with the engine, minor issues can snowball into major problems down the line if left unattended. You can schedule a service appointment right from our website to have your engine looked at by our team and get you safely back on the Midland roads as soon as possible.

Disconnect the Negative Battery Cable

If you’ve fixed any immediate problems with your engine – or if you haven’t found a problem – you’ll need to manually reset the check engine light to make it turn off. This might sound like a daunting process, but it’s actually relatively straightforward as long as you follow all the steps in order. Here’s what to do:

1. Turn off the ignition, and put on safety glasses and gloves to protect yourself
2. Locate the negative terminal. Usually, it has a black cap and a negative (–) symbol. The positive cap is red and will have a positive (+) symbol – don’t touch this one.
3. Loosen the nut on the negative terminal with a wrench, then pull the negative connector from the battery. Keep it to the side for 30 – 60 seconds.
4. Reconnect the negative cable and tighten it back up with your wrench.

Resetting the battery almost always fixes the problem, but just in case it doesn’t, we’ve got one more option for you to try – checking the gas cap.

Check Your Gas Cap

Your check engine light might be on because of a loose or cracked gas cap. If the gas cap is loose, just park your car safely, remove the cap, and put it back on. If this doesn’t turn the light off, follow the above steps and disconnect your battery – this should fix the problem.

Visit the Brown Honda of San Angelo Service Center for Additional Help

Feel free to contact our office with any questions about the above processes, or for more information about the check engine light. You can also always bring your car into our service center near Odessa if you’d like us to check out the problem instead – even seasoned DIYers need some help now and then!