Check engine light on. Car running fine. 88 festiva

[jimdigs]

How to figure out why its on? Car seems to be running fine. Thanks

[WmWatt]

You're in luck. Most times the check engine light comes on the computer stores a code in memory. All you have to do is read the code and look it up in a list. There is informaion on how to read the codes and what they mean on this site. Just do a search on "check engine light" Or you can look it up on the Internet "Festiva check engine light" or something like that. You don't need a special code reader. All you have to do it turn on the ignition and count the flashes from the check engine light.

[WmWatt]

Just to follow up - a lot of the devices (sensors and actuartors) monitored by the computer are just for fuel emissions (complete combustion) so if the light comes on the engine can be just fine but not completely burning fuel. In the worst case the computer can shut down and the car keeps running the old fashioned mechanical way called "fall back". Still it would be best to look up the code and see what the computer's complaining about. It might be important.