Sheldon Cooper:
Your check engine light is on.

Penny:
Mm-hmm.

Sheldon Cooper:
Typically that's an indicator to, you know, check your engine.

Penny:
It's fine, it's been on for, like, a month.

Sheldon Cooper:
Well, actually, that would be all the more reason to, you know, check your engine.

Penny:
Sheldon, it's fine.

Sheldon Cooper:
If it were fine, the light wouldn't be on. That's why the manufacturer installed that light, to let you know it's not fine.

Penny:
Uh, maybe the light's broken.

Sheldon Cooper:
Is there a "check the check engine light light"?

In the television show Big Bang Theory there’s an episode where Penny is driving Sheldon Cooper in her car. With his neurotic nature, Sheldon is deeply disturbed that Penny’s “Check Engine” light is on. Penny reassures him that it’s been on for a long time; it’s nothing to worry about.

Is Penny right or does Sheldon, regardless of his obsessive-compulsive behavior, have a point?

Depending on how you look at it, the light doesn’t necessarily mean that the engine will melt into a single blob of metals at any moment. Then again, the manufacturers build the lights into the dashboard for a reason. It could very well indicate something you want to look at sooner than later. Even if it’s nothing earth shaking, it’s better to address the concern now. And, if you have to bring the car in to Crystal Lake for an Illinois Emissions Test, the light would cause your car to fail the test.

As long as we’ve opened this can of worms, what could the Check Engine light indicate? The light could refer to possible problems with the following parts:

• Ignition parts: distributor cap, spark plugs and/or spark plug wires
• Evaporative emissions purge control valve
• Mass airflow sensor
• Evaporative emissions purge solenoid
• Oxygen sensors
• Catalytic converter
• Fuel injectors
• Thermostat
• Loose or leaking gasoline cap

In other words, there is a wide range of potential problems that might cause the Check Engine light to stay on. The problems do not, necessarily, require expensive repairs. However, all of the problems could affect the efficiency of the engine’s operation and could lead to additional problems if not taken care of promptly.

In other words, if your Check Engine light is staying on, your engine is trying to tell you something. It’s a good idea to listen. You can always stream an episode of Bing Bang Theory while your trusted auto repair shop resolves the issue.