Some communities have standards. We do not.
Have fun posting!
Rules:
Nice!
Just FYI CELs (Check Engine Lights) are (almost) always emissions related… not that that matters much anymore, they can still trigger “limp mode” in some cases, causing your car to run poorly… but most of the time, it’s something you can safely push out a month or two.
And depending on your state/counties particular laws, possibly indefinitely. Not that you should, but mechanics are expensive and most folks don’t have a few K just stuffed under the mattress these days 😌
Yeah, a check engine light could be an emissions issue or simply a frayed sensor wire. However, it could be catastrophic and end up requiring an engine replacement. As a mechanic, I'd recommend taking the car to the nearest automotive parts store and asking them to check for codes, which they often can do for free or a small fee. Codes will indicate the type of problem and the severity, which you can then take to a mechanic. Avoid paying an $800 fix now could lead to a $17,000 transmission replacement later.
Learning to wrench is one of the best money saving skills and it's also extremely fun. With a cheap Bluetooth code reader you could prob fix most CEL's yourself
Key is driving something like 15 years or older at this point though too
Late 90's, Early 2000's was a good time for reliable engineering, but it's worth looking into owner groups for finding good reliable cars. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, etc from the time was always likely to be a good choice, but still some are cheap to buy, expensive to own cars, and vice versa with the euro competitors. Many known for unreliability, but Audi, Alfa Romeo, Skoda, fiat, Opel and more, all had a few trusty and well built cars, as long as you can find a good owner history too and do the research
Get a cheap BT adapter. Yes, they're all the same and will work for your car if it's 1996 or newer, and will still fit some older vehicles. I've always used this one. This is car stuff 101, like carrying a jack, spare tire, jumper cables, simple hand tools, cig lighter air compressor, etc.
Been told there are better apps than Torque, but it's free, a few bucks (one time fee) for the fancy features. Does what I've needed.
You can see what the code is, look it up, maybe try to fix it, clear the code out. My wife's car throws a check engine now and again and it disables the cruise control. We've wiped the code rolling down the interstate and got right back in business.
I sold my car when the Covid had started. I’ve saved so much money over the years.