Service Engine Soon Light Dashboard Warning: What Does It Mean?

Imagine that you are wanting to turn the key in the ignition one day since you are considering going for a drive. But as the engine starts to rumble, you suddenly detect a glow from your instrument panel.

When you look more closely, you see that it says, “Service Engine Soon.” At first, you might be thinking, “Oh no, is there a problem with my car?”

The check engine light and the Service Engine Soon light are frequently confused. The check engine light frequently indicates that your vehicle has a major problem. The Service Engine Soon light often indicates that it is time for your car’s scheduled maintenance.

If you are aware of the distinction, you could believe that the Service Engine Soon light on your dash is not a reason for concern.

You shouldn’t worry as much because the car is only gently reminding you to bring it in for a checkup. However, tiny issues can pave the way for significant problems if ignored.

To learn more about the Service Engine Soon light, what it means, and what to do about it, follow along with our tutorial here.

All You Need to Know About the Service Engine Soon Light

Your attention may have been drawn to the Service Engine Soon light that is flashing at you. It’s time to comprehend what’s happening and what it all means now. Additionally, this light may appear even when there are no obvious symptoms or warning signals of disease.

As its name suggests, the Service Engine Soon light frequently notifies you when your car requires regular maintenance. Either “Service Due” or “Service Engine Soon” flashes in the text.

There are no strange vibrations, sounds, odors, or leaks emanating from the vehicle. Alternately, those of you who pay closer attention could just have a sixth sense that something is a little amiss with the vehicle.

But it’s enough to make you question whether anything is wrong. First, we need to comprehend the initial cause of the Service Engine Soon light becoming on. Modern vehicle engines are almost all controlled by electronic computers. The engine control unit (ECU) or engine control module are the names given to them (ECM).

They consist of a tiny computer that is located in the engine compartment of your vehicle. It is enclosed, much like a black box on a plane. The ECU is then connected to a wide range of sensors that are dispersed throughout the vehicle and its essential parts.

To ensure everything is operating properly, these sensors can sense and examine the car’s internal workings.

Each component has a threshold and is made to operate at its peak performance under such conditions. The sensors are in charge of keeping an eye on them and giving instructions to other components so that they can cooperate as a whole.

For instance, being able to determine the temperature of the coolant, the location of the accelerator pedal, the flow and make-up of the air, and so forth.

The sensors will notify the ECU, for example, if some of these components are operating a little too hotly or coldly or are showing indications of failure.

The ECU will notify you, the driver, if it determines that something is incorrect. Depending on the vehicle, this is done using the check engine or service engine soon light.

Service Engine Soon Light Vs. Check Engine Warning Light: What’s the Distinction?

Recalling what we learned in the last part, problems with the vehicle might give you a warning. Another issue that causes misunderstanding is the fact that automakers occasionally mix the Service Engine Soon and the Check Engine lights. Because of this, many individuals mistakenly utilize these two distinct indications as one.

Either light might illuminate as a result of internal vehicle issues, but the degree of the problem is what makes the difference. As a result, we have emphasized the key features that set these two warning lights apart from one another. Here are the distinctions explained in more detail.

Meaning of the Service Engine Soon Light

The Service Engine Soon light, as its name indicates, often alerts you when your vehicle needs routine maintenance. It flashes in the text, indicating either “Service Due” or “Service Engine Soon.”

As an alternative, it could also come on if the vehicle has minor problems that aren’t life-threatening or urgent. Because of this, you might not be able to tell if there is a problem with your vehicle until it starts.

The Service Engine Soon light can be programmed by automakers to turn on after a specific amount of miles or based on the last time it was serviced.

Despite how durable a vehicle may be, every part is still prone to damage. Given how intricate a car’s internal workings are, this is. There are a ton of moving elements that are continuously under stress.

Service or replacement may be required for fluids, air filters, spark plugs, oils, and more. This is typical of the maintenance that all cars undergo throughout their lives.

The Service Engine Soon light on your dash might not be a cause for alarm if you are aware of the difference. Because the car is simply gently urging you to take it in for a checkup, you shouldn’t worry as much. However, little errors can open the door to bigger problems.

Because the vehicle is only informing you that it needs a normal service, you may feel a little more at ease. They would turn off the Service Engine Soon light once you had it checked out in the shop.

Meaning of the Check Engine Light

It’s more of a loud klaxon than the customary mild admonition that accompanies a Service Engine Soon light. It frequently illuminates in the form of an engine, although it may also be seen as text.

For good reason, seeing the check engine light is always frightening. It often means that your vehicle has a serious problem that requires quick treatment.

It may indicate that a component of your vehicle is failing or acting strangely, in which case you need to get it looked at outright once. This frequently has to do with components of the vehicle that govern the engine, gearbox, or emissions.

It could occasionally be an indication that a sensor is damaged. Sensors are crucial, as we discovered previously when we learned what a Service Engine Soon light is. It guarantees that the car’s components are functioning at their best.

Better performance and efficiency as well as minimal wear and tear are the results. Although it might not seem alarming at first, a damaged sensor would enable a vehicle to operate over its limit.

Later on, this might grow into a more significant issue. In contrast, the check engine light could indicate that a certain component isn’t functioning properly overall.

What are the Reasons for Your Service Engine Soon Light Illuminating?

Now, we ought to be able to tell the Service Engine Soon light apart from the check engine light. The next step is to investigate the source of the problem to determine what is igniting it.

It’s worth noting once again that the majority of automakers would program the Service Engine Soon light only to indicate when the vehicle is ready for its routine maintenance.

However, some auto manufacturers have combined them into a single warning light to signal every possible defect. This can be nothing at all or something catastrophic.

You should read the owner’s handbook for your vehicle to learn how the manufacturer programmed the light. To learn more, you might also phone a mechanic or a dealer.

This ought to make it crystal clear to you what may be turning on the check engine or service engine soon light. We’ve integrated them into a single warning signal to provide you with a more comprehensive and all-encompassing understanding of the likely reason. We will now examine the problems in descending order of severity that might cause either light to illuminate.

1. Alert for Regular Maintenance

Now and again, certain items require updating or inspecting. After a predetermined length of time, mileage, or use, every vehicle has to have a scheduled service. For instance, changing the engine oil or changing the air filter.

The Service Motor Soon, the light was developed on purpose to serve as a reminder. It serves as a prompt to have it examined as soon as you can at your local dealer or repair.

2.  An Impaired or Loose Gas Cap

The simplest problem that might affect your Service Engine is this one. Light will soon come. The gasoline cap may be loose or malfunctioning, which the ECU or ECM can detect. By sealing the gasoline tank properly, the fuel cap makes sure that the Service Engine Soon light is never triggered.

A loose gas cap is the simplest issue that might impact your service engine. Soon, the light will turn on. The ECU or ECM may be able to detect if the gas cap is loose or broken. The fuel cap ensures that the light is never activated by correctly closing the petrol tank.

Both ways are possible. Nothing can enter the fuel tank, protecting the gasoline from contamination. Additionally, it prevents gasoline or fumes from leaking outdoors.

3. The Reduced Fluid Amounts

A vehicle has a lot of moving components. A vehicle contains a ton of fluids to ensure everything functions properly and to protect against wear and tear. Among the substances found within a car are engine oil, coolant, braking fluid, transmission fluids, and more.

The Service Engine Soon light could turn on if the levels of these fluids are low. Low fluid levels may indicate a leak or just that it’s time for a top-up.

4. A Requirement for New Spark Plugs

The condition of your car’s spark plugs is another reason for either the Service Engine Soon or the check engine light to come on. The combustion chamber’s compressed air and fuel mixture is lit by spark plugs. An explosion caused by the spark generates energy that allows your vehicle to drive.

Spark plugs are frequently made to endure a long period; they can easily continue to function properly for 100,000 miles or more. To ensure that the combustion process is functioning at its best, it must ultimately change.

Performance issues like misfiring or sluggish acceleration might be brought on by a malfunctioning or failed spark plug. Additionally, it may result in higher fuel consumption or improper starting of the vehicle.

5. A Bad Oxygen Sensor

The engine must maintain an ideal air-fuel ratio for vehicles powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). This ensures that the engine not only runs effectively but also smoothly and with enough performance. The oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) is in charge of controlling this.

By keeping track of and informing the ECU or ECM of the quantity of oxygen that has been evacuated from the engine, it does this. The engine may be burning fuel with either too much (lean) or not enough (rich) oxygen if the O2 sensor malfunctions.

Performance is low, fuel economy is poor, and emissions are raised as a result. Normally, an O2 sensor failure would cause the check engine light to illuminate.

6. Failure of the Mass Airflow Sensors (MAF Sensors)

Working on the other end of the O2 sensor is the mass air flow sensor or Mass Air Flow sensor. It is equally crucial since it tells the ECU or ECM how much fuel to inject into the engine based on the air intake composition. The density of the air varies with factors like temperature and pressure.

As a result, the MAF sensor must inform the engine of the necessary fuel level. It should notify the engine of the necessary amount of gasoline if it is functioning as designed. An effective and clean burn is the end outcome.

The ECU would compute the amount of fuel injected incorrectly if the MAF fails. This not only harms the engine but also results in the same issues as an O2 sensor that isn’t working properly.

7. Error In the Catalytic Converter

The Service Engine Soon or Check Engine lights might be activated for several reasons, but this is by far the most critical. Numerous hazardous gasses are released into the air when fossil fuels like gas or diesel are burned.

The usage of harmful chemicals during the fuel refining process results in the discharge of particles, which worsens the situation for the air.

Motor oil engine fluid by Aaberlanga / CC BY-SA 4.0. There are many moving parts in a car. There are a ton of fluids inside a car to keep everything running smoothly and guard against wear and tear. Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluids, and other materials can be found within a car. When there is a low amount in any of these fluids, this would trigger the Service Engine Soon Light.

For this reason, catalytic converters are a common feature of vehicle exhaust systems. The purpose of catalytic converters is to remove dangerous chemicals and pollutants from the exhaust of an engine.

Although they are made to survive for a long period, catalytic converters might eventually wear out. This is especially true if you keep driving a car for a long period despite the O2 and MAF sensors malfunctioning.

What Is the Meaning of Different Colors of the Service Engine Soon Light

You should be aware of the numerous hues that the service engine light might appear in.

1. Yellow Light Indicates Small Problem

Drive to the repair shop or do a quick self-diagnosis.

2. Red Light Indicates a Serious Problem

As soon as you can, stop, turn off the engine, and have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair facility for a checkup.

When the Service Engine Soon Light Is On, Can I Keep Driving?

Now that we are aware of the potential reasons, we can prevent the check engine or service engine soon lights from turning on. The decision of whether to continue driving with one or both lights flashing is now up for debate. The solution is quite intricate.

First, it’s important to understand that the Service Engine Soon (and Check Engine) lights can be in a variety of distinct states. It might not be significant if it just starts to glow in shades of amber, orange, or yellow.

But if it’s blinking, flashing, or turning red, it’s a warning sign that something is wrong with the vehicle and has to be fixed right away.

Understanding how your vehicle maker has coded what to alert you of when the Service Engine Soon or Check Engine light turns on is ultimately all that’s required.

As a result, we urge you to refer to your owner’s handbook for more detailed information. Our general opinion is that you should not continue driving and that you should get your vehicle checked out as soon as possible.

You might be thinking, “But can I just ignore it and keep driving?” As we’ve previously discovered, the Service Engine Soon light frequently signals small issues or acts as a reminder for regular maintenance.

We are aware that if simple issues are not handled properly and immediately, they can escalate rapidly and cost a lot of money.

How Long Is It Safe to Drive With the Check Engine Light On?

We advise you to use caution when operating a vehicle and to likely only do so as a last resort. The same holds if your check engine light is on. After all, a vehicle is an extremely complicated machine with thousands of moving parts that must all function together.

Just one mistake would put other parts under additional stress and harm them. Additionally, the vehicle wouldn’t function correctly, which would have an impact on performance, fuel economy, emissions, and other factors.

Old and new spark plugs by Myke2020. Another cause of the Service Engine Soon or Check Engine lights coming on in your vehicle is the state of the spark plugs. Spark plugs ignite the compressed air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. The spark causes an explosion, which releases the energy necessary for your car to move.

For illustration, let’s imagine that we are running late for work and need to hurry. As you turn the key to start your vehicle, you see an amber light that reads “Service Engine Soon.”

You can continue to drive carefully in this situation and send the vehicle in for a checkup later, on your way home. However, pay attention to any tiny alterations in your car’s behavior while you’re driving and make note of them. Nevertheless, we advise that you have it checked out soon.

Let’s use the identical example of being late for work in our second scenario. But this time, you see a red light or a flashing “Service Engine Soon” sign. In this situation, we strongly advise against driving.

Any continued usage of the vehicle, while the ECU is detecting a defect, will eventually result in further wear and tear or damage. What could seem like a minor problem but end up costing more in the long run?

Setting the Service Engine Soon Light Back to Off

This raises the possibility that there are several potential issues, both significant and little, that might cause the Service Engine Soon alert to illuminate.

You should be interested in learning how you may try to focus on the issue a little more. If anything, identifying the problem can help you figure out how much money you’ll need to take out of the ATM to fix your vehicle.

The owner’s manual for your vehicle should include an explanation and, ideally, a list that is simple to read. This would display every issue that could develop should the Service Engine Soon or Check Engine light turn on. Alternately, onboard diagnostics are standard in most current vehicles.

Then, you may use an OBD scanner that works with your vehicle. Your vehicle could be compatible with the more recent OBD2 standard if it is less than 15 years old. These are frequently available for considerably less than $100.

There are also OBD scanners that can be monitored from your phone thanks to Bluetooth technology. Connect it to your car so you can read the specific fault codes the ECU is producing.

This might simply help identify the exact reason why the Service Engine Soon light is on. It may also make it simpler for you to comprehend what needs to be done so you can locate qualified professionals who can remedy it.

The Service Engine Soon Light Reset Process

However, suppose you don’t want to get it mended at a shop or dealership. In addition, labor expenses are high considering the amount of work required, particularly if the Service Engine Soon light indicates relatively minor issues. There are several things you can do quite easily and fast to solve the issues at home if you have the time.

Additionally, the fixes and remedies listed below may assist to turn off that light. Or, at the least, address the root reason for the service engine soon light’s occurrence.

Once you’ve fixed whatever the underlying issue with your vehicle was, you may reset the service engine soon light using an OBDII diagnostics kit.

1.  A  Loose Gas Cap

By far, this is the least expensive reason for the Service Engine Soon Light to illuminate. Just shut off the engine, take off the fuel cap, and retighten it. Maybe the last time you filled up your vehicle, you simply neglected to screw it around all the way.

Catalytic converter by The RedBurn / CC BY-SA 3.0. There are many potential causes for the Service Engine Soon or Check Engine lights to come on, but a broken catalytic converter is by far the most serious. Catalytic converters are used to filter harmful substances and pollutants from an engine’s exhaust.

Start the engine now to check if the service engine is working. The brightness soon disappears. Keep in mind that it might not go away right away and that you would need to continue driving until it did.

If the light doesn’t go off after a while, the ECU could have realized the fuel cap needs to be changed. For $10 to $20, you may immediately purchase a replacement.

2. A Reduced Level of Fluids

While you’re at home, you may quickly check and correct this one as well. Check all the tanks and reservoirs in the engine bay after turning the engine off and using them as necessary. To assist you to locate them, go to the owner’s handbook. Next, make sure by checking the transmission fluid, engine oil, braking fluid, coolant, and even the windshield washers.

There should be a marker in each reservoir to indicate the required minimum fluid level. If it’s too low, check your owner’s handbook once again to determine which type of fluid is advised.

Check to see whether the Service Engine Soon light turns out after topping it up. Low fluid levels, however, may also indicate more serious issues, such as leaks or the need to replace and cleanse some of the fluids.

A Professional Solution to the Service Engine Soon Light

As you read it, you might be thinking that it’s a little too serious for you. Or perhaps you simply lack the confidence or knowledge necessary to fix a vehicle on your own.

There are many solutions available, and skilled and considerate professionals are available to do the task for you, so don’t worry. You may use websites like Openbay or YourMechanic to find prices from neighboring garages if you live in the US.

Given the additional labor, they are a little more expensive than other options. However, the extra cost can be justified if it means your vehicle will continue to operate smoothly and trouble-free for a few more years.

A failed O2 sensor is, on average, the most frequent failure. These may cost, on average, about $250 when labor is factored in. The average cost of a spark plug was about $170, however, it should be noted that this varies according to how many your vehicle needs.

One spark plug per cylinder is easily found online for less than $10 apiece. A new catalytic converter is an eye-watering $900, while a MAF sensor is a whopping $345!

The Service Engine Soon Light Has Been Cleared But It Has Returned, Why? What Next?

At each engine ignition and when the car has warmed up, the engine control module examines every engine component. It will recognize anything is wrong if a test is repeatedly failed by it. As a result, the engine control module may take a while to identify these issues.

If the Service engine soon light reappears, the issue is still there and requires further diagnosis.

Electrical issues are frequently discovered right away and do not need to be tested at startup. If the service engine light reappears, you must examine the trouble code memory once again to learn more and identify the issue.

The Conclusion

We trust that you now have a better understanding of what the Service Engine Soon light means. Hopefully, the next time it lights up on your instrument cluster, you’ll be more ready.

Mass Air Flow Sensor by Antonín Ryska / CC BY-SA 4.0. The Mass Air Flow sensor is essential because it instructs the ECU or ECM on how much fuel to pump into the engine based on the composition of the air intake. The appropriate fuel level must be communicated to the engine. If the MAF malfunctions, the ECU will calculate the quantity of fuel injected inaccurately, which will cause the Service Engine Soon Light to illuminate.

An engine for service In summary, soon light functions like a canary in a coal mine. If there is a problem, it chirps along. If you ignore anything long enough, you can find yourself in a world of pain.

It may be something simple like a loose fuel cap, or it could need replacing all of the sensors. Even though it may be costly, bearing the cost, for the time being, may assist prevent even worse repair costs in the future.

It serves as a reminder to maintain track of your car’s condition at all times. It’s similar to following your healthcare regimen, being active, and eating a balanced diet.

You might never need to see the Service Engine Soon light if you treat your vehicle with the same respect and dedication that you do for yourself. Always pay attention to even the tiniest issues or unusual behavior in your vehicle. If you do that, your car will always be there for you.