Dear Windy,
I recently had my check engine light come on so I of course took it to my mechanic to see what was up with that That Pesty Check Engine Light. as you referred to it Windy. My mechanic hooked up his diagnostic equipment so he could pull the code, whatever that means and it showed that bank one catalytic converter was bad. He gave me a price to fix it, which I agreed.
I picked up my car and off I went, well at least that is what I hoped I was doing. I was no more than 10 miles from the shop and that dang light came on again. I returned to his shop and he advised me to take it over to a muffler shop. So I did not knowing what this was going to cost me, I sat in the waiting room while this shop checked it over. I was told that yes it is bank one, I was still confused, and it could be another issue besides the Catalytic Converter. The shop owner instructed me to leave it so he could check it out further. I received a call saying the car was ready and he found a vacuum leak. Ok, so I paid again left the shop only for that light to come on yet again. Being frustrated I am writing to you for some advice. HELP!
Gail R.
Well, Gail, I have been there and done that! Trouble shooting those Pesty check engine lights are tricky especially if you are not sure how to go about finding the root cause. The code that is activated is only an area where the values set by the manufacturer has gone out of range either higher or lower. God knows I have been out of range before, but I always managed to pull it together before my owner found out. Before I was fully restored, my check engine light went off like a strobe light in a night club! More tests need to be performed before making an educated guess. You need to be sure that all components that effect the Catalytic Converter are functioning properly. Without doing this you’ll be driving in a circle back and forth to the shops. I would suggest you find a shop that specializes in Diagnostics. A diagnostic shop isn’t pretty, but it is a necessary evil. I can truly tell you that there are not that many mechanics out there who are up to speed with all of today’s technology. So finding a talented mechanic is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Your problem sounds like it needs more investigating before a prognosis has been determined. Call around to shops that have had good reviews even check with the Better Business Bureau and by talking with friends. This could be costly before the problem is solved if you cannot find the right shop to repair it. Happy Motoring
