It is back on again! Should I have my car towed in? Is my engine bad?

These are just a few of the many things that we have heard over the years regarding that infamous and dreaded little light in your dash: the Check Engine Light (CEL) But what does that little light actually mean? And unlike the Mayan prediction of the end of the world, your problem may be very minor – or it just may indicate a larger, more obscure problem.

On-Board Diagnostics System

Use of the CEL began with the introduction of the On-Board Diagnostics II system (OBD) starting in 1996. This system is a government mandated vehicle component that automatically checks and tests various vehicle emissions control items.