Sometimes you may experience kind of a shock when you see a Check Engine light in your car blinking or flashing. It usually happens with older cars, but any vehicle can surprise the owner with such unexpected error. Usually, the Check Engine signal means that there is some trouble with sensors of the engine, the air-fuel mixture, the exhaust emissions or whatever.
The producers say in the manuals that driving with a blinking check engine light is forbidden, you must stop the car and call for assistance to tow the vehicle to service station. But in majority of cases, it's not that dangerous when the light is constantly on, and you can drive the car to the service center to have it repaired without paying for a tow truck services. Although, it can be really dangerous when the light is blinking. Let's find out why.
What's the difference between blinking and not blinking Check Engine light?
It highly depends on the producer and year of your vehicle, but usually the glowing light indicates less dangerous troubles. Please, bear in mind that we still don't recommend to drive your vehicle if you see a Check Engine light.
The blinking light will indicate fatal errors in the work of engine exhaust system, so driving your vehicle in this case is not recommended.
Blinking check engine light and catalytic converter
The main possible problem when you see a blinking check engine light is the death of catalytic converter. Don't know what this is? Here is the Wikipedia article for you.
So, the catalytic converter may start practically falling apart if you see this engine pictogram blinking on your dashboard. And yes, it may actually happen in any car, not only in old one, although the chances of catalytic converter death on the car of up to 100 000 miles of mileage are much smaller.
Blinking check engine light - why is it dangerous?
Well, now we know that it's all about the catalytic converter. Let's find out why it is so dangerous to drive a car when you see this type of error.
The catalytic converter is filled with kind of ceramic elements that help to reduce emissions in the vehicle. When there are some misfires in the engine, the converter experiences troubles like fire and mini explosions in it. This will kill the element much faster than its average lifespan.
Then, the ceramic elements may start falling apart and parts of them may get into the block of cylinders. This will cause big scratches in the block of cylinders and on pistons which will basically kill the engine. So if you see the blinking check engine light, you better stop the car and call for assistance.
How to avoid check engine blinking signal?
We wish you never see this error on your dashboard, and here are some tips of how you can prolong the life of catalytic converter:
- don't experiment with fuel quality - use good fuel only;
- pay attention to any signs of engine troubles;
- pay attention to exhaust smoke color and thickness;
- keep an eye on Check Engine signals even if they disappear after some time;
- check the condition of catalytic converter every 50000 miles or every 5 years.
This will help you save the converter from death and replace it right when it's needed.
Why does the check engine light blink rapidly?
Some vehicle producers program the Check Engine light to show different type of codes by blinking fast or slowly or by being on for some period of time. Check the user's manual to get to know more about the codes, because it's impossible to give relevant information that will be suitable for all cars in the world.
Check Engine light is blinking when accelerating - why?
When the catalytic converter only starts failing, it will still work quite well when idling or driving slowly at say 2000 RPM. But when you rev up the engine hard, the converter won't be able to control the emissions, and it will send a blinking signal to your dashboard.
Why does Check Engine light blink when AC is on?
There is one more common situation when Check Engine light starts blinking only if the AC is on. This means that the catalytic converter is about to die. When the engine is idling, the converter still functions, but as you turn on the AC, the engine gets more load, starts burning more fuel and this causes CEL blinking on your dashboard.
Thumping rumble in engine along with Check Engine blinking
It indicates that your engine is going to die soon. As we have said above, the catalytic converter was destroyed and the parts of it might have got into the engine. The small ceramic parts will destroy the engine from inside and it will need quite bad repair or even replacing.
Blinking Check Engine light because of bad wiring
If your car is quite new and has low mileage, the trouble of blinking check engine light may be a little different than the catalytic converter. One more rare reason may be the ground connection or the battery connection. If the connection is bad, the check engine light may turn on, but as soon as the connection is lost, the light has no electricity to be on, so it goes off and then turns on again. It may seem that the engine pictogram on your dashboard just blinks chaotically, but the thing may be in electricity connection.
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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