Solid, flashing, on-then-off — the light has grammar, and it is worth learning.
Solid is a memo; flashing is a siren
A solid check engine light means the computer logged a fault worth reading soon: drive normally, book a scan. A flashing light means an active misfire is dumping fuel into the catalytic converter right now — slow down, get off the throttle, and get it seen immediately. A light that comes and goes is still storing codes; intermittent does not mean imaginary.
Quick tips
- A loose gas cap really does cause the light — check that first, free
- Do not clear codes before a diagnostic; you erase the evidence
- Parts-store code reads name a code, not a cause — treat them as a starting point
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