{"id":261,"date":"2019-07-11T18:24:40","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T18:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/?p=261"},"modified":"2019-07-11T18:24:40","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T18:24:40","slug":"does-a-check-engine-light-mean-my-car-is-totaled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/does-a-check-engine-light-mean-my-car-is-totaled\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a Check Engine Light Mean My Car is Totaled?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A Check Engine Light, or Malfunctioning Indicator Lamp (MIL),\nis an important safety component in every vehicle. All modern make and model\nvehicles are designed with a Check Engine Light feature, which are incorporated\nto alert drivers when something is not quite right with the operation and\nsystems in the vehicle. Because an illuminated Check Engine Light means that\nsomething is wrong, often times, car owners begin to panic when theirs comes\non. Sometimes, a Check Engine Light can remain illuminated even after having a\ncar repaired. In this situation, you might be asking yourself whether or not\nyour car is worth repairing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Continue reading to learn what a Check Engine Light could\nmean, including when it could mean that your car is totaled.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Totaled-Car-Buyers-Indianapolis-Indiana-e1562869420216.jpg\" alt=\"Sell Us Your Totaled Car! 317-608-2188\" class=\"wp-image-262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Totaled-Car-Buyers-Indianapolis-Indiana-e1562869420216.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Totaled-Car-Buyers-Indianapolis-Indiana-e1562869420216-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Totaled-Car-Buyers-Indianapolis-Indiana-e1562869420216-768x387.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption>Sell Us Your Totaled Car!\n317-608-2188<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reasons Why Check Engine Lights Come On<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The spectrum of issues that cause a Malfunctioning Indicator\nLamp to illuminate range from minor to major. Some vehicles have two types of\nMIL\u2019s, one that is solid and one that is flashing, both of which mean different\nwarnings. Furthermore, some cars have two different colors of Malfunctioning Indicator\nLamps; a yellow icon to indicate a problem, as well as, a red icon for a very\nserious problem that requires you to stop driving immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here&#8217;s Why Yours Might Be On Right Now:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Loose Gap Cap<\/strong> \u2013 This is by far the most common minor reason why a Check Engine Light might illuminate. If you just filled up your tank, chances are, your Check Engine Light came on because your gas cap came off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Spark Plugs<\/strong> \u2013 If your car jolts or vibrates as its operating, and the Check Engine Light comes on, it could mean that your spark plugs are defective. If your car is driving abnormally, immediately pull over and call a tow truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Low Fluids<\/strong> \u2013 If your vehicle is low on radiator fluid (coolant), motor oil, or another vital automotive fluid, your Check Engine Light might come on. Have your oil changed, and during the appointment, have all other fluids flushed and replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Oxygen (O<\/strong><sup><strong>2<\/strong><\/sup><strong>) Sensor (O2)<\/strong> \u2013 If your Check Engine Light comes on, and you know it\u2019s not the gas cap or fluid levels, it could be because your oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. This part is responsible for measuring the level of unburned oxygen in the exhaust system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Catalytic Converter<\/strong> \u2013 If your catalytic converter is experiencing any type of problem, your Check Engine Light will let you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>? <strong>Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)<\/strong> \u2013 Another common cause for an illuminated Check Engine Light is a defective mass airflow sensor (MAF). If this sensor is the problem, a simple replacement will turn that Check Engine Light back off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When it Means a Car is Totaled<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>There are cases in which an illuminated Check Engine Light can mean that a car is totaled. If the Check Engine Light comes on because of something that requires extensive repairs or replacements that cost more than the overall value of the vehicle, the insurance company will likely deem the car a total loss. See our blog, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/faqs-about-total-loss-cars-and-claims  \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"FAQS About Total Loss Cars and Claims (opens in a new tab)\">FAQS About Total Loss Cars and Claims<\/a>\u201d to learn more about total loss vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What You Can Do With a Totaled Car<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Call GC\u2019s Junk Cars at 317-608-2188<\/strong> to get paid cash for your totaled car in Indianapolis. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Indiana junk car buyers (opens in a new tab)\">Indiana junk car buyers<\/a> offer free towing with our in-house tow truck, so all you have to do is call and accept our offer! We will schedule a time to pick up your vehicle and pay you cash. No title? No problem! Give us a call anyway! Call 317-608-2188 to request a free estimate, today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1aa-1024x132.png\" alt=\"GC\u2019s Junk Cars\" class=\"wp-image-246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1aa-1024x132.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1aa-300x39.png 300w, https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1aa-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1aa.png 1149w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>GC\u2019s Junk Cars 317-608-2188<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Check Engine Light, or Malfunctioning Indicator Lamp (MIL), is an important safety component in every vehicle. All modern make and model vehicles are designed with a Check Engine Light feature, which are incorporated to alert drivers when something is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/does-a-check-engine-light-mean-my-car-is-totaled\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,42,132],"tags":[40,41,142,141,15,39,143],"class_list":["post-261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-junk-cars","category-salvaged-cars","category-totaled-cars","tag-check-engine-light-causes","tag-check-engine-light-on","tag-check-engine-light-totaled-car","tag-malfunctioning-indicator-lamp-mil","tag-sell-a-totaled-car","tag-total-loss-vehicle","tag-totaled-car-buyers-indianapolis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions\/264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.junkcarsindy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}