Check motor light

What year/model vehicle?

----------------- The SnoMan

It depends on what made the light cme on. It could be as simple as screwing the gas cap on better.

What Rick Morris said.

AutoZone will either check the code for you for free, or they will let you take the tool outside to the parkinglot where you can check and reset the code yourself. Again, for free.

One more alternative is, they will sell you the tool, where you go home and check the code then bring the tool back for a Full Refund. Once again, after the dust settles, it's free.

PS Whether or not Autozone will check the codes, or have you do it depends on where you live.

You've gotten some good suggestions on checking the codes. This will tell you for certain.

That said, my guess is an O2 sensor going south. They're a service item and if yours hasn't ever been replaced it'll throw intermittent "check engine" codes.

Assuming that's your problem - It's a pricey replacement, about $280, but it's not time critical. You can go on your vacation with no worries, just budget for replacing it within the next few months.

-- Mike Harris Austin, TX

Thanks Jeff I like free

Desert Southwest. Out where the rattlesnakes and coyotes roam. There's a terrible drought right now.

Thanks Rick!! Great advice. The amount of worry has gone down by half.

It's hard to beat free. It's hard to get them to pay me to use stuff, but that would be better than free.

If you're in the Lincoln NE area, bring it by. I bought the tool off Amazon for the same price the dealer was going to charge just to hook it up. At that time the nearest Auto Zone was 50 miles away. Now we have one in town but the tool rides in my vehicle with me. There are lots of online reference sources to tell you what the codes mean.

Without any more info, I'll have to agree with Mike H. MOst of these are oxygen sensors, which are recommended for replacement at 60-70,000 miles. Don't assume this until you check out the codes,though. The light came on when my head gasket went. There should be two sensors one in front of the catalytic converter and one in back of it. NOrmally when one or both of these go, the engine idles a little rough.

If you are so inclined, you can replace them yourself. They bolt into the exhaust pipe with two bolts each. The OEM versions sell online for about $100 each for the Bosch and $140 each for the Nippon Denso.