Ever covered up your check engine light with electrical tape? How about turning your car on and off over and over again, hoping it would just disappear? We’ve got you covered in this guide on how to clear your check engine light!
We get it. Car repairs are expensive, and mechanics charge $85-$150 just to diagnose a check engine light. Sometimes it’s easier to ignore the light, especially if you think it’s nothing serious and you’re on a tight budget. But if your check engine light is serious, continuing to ignore it could lead to severe engine damage that leaves you stranded.
Fortunately, there’s a quick, cheap, and easy way to diagnose your check engine light yourself and turn it off if it’s nothing serious. This guide will walk you through exactly how it’s done so you can clear your light and stop worrying about car problems.
Keep reading to find out how to read and clear your check engine light in seconds without:
- Driving to the nearest auto shop or parts store
- Disconnecting your car battery and risking engine damage
- Buying expensive specialized tools
- Paying unnecessary diagnostic fees
Ready to clear your check engine light the easy way? Follow along to find out how to reset your light in seconds – even if you know nothing about cars.
Clear your check engine light in seconds!
Read and clear over 10,000 check engine codes from your smartphone with the easy-to-use FIXD Sensor and free app.
SAVE 67% TODAYWhy Is Your Check Engine Light On?
Before you can responsibly turn off the check engine light, you’ll want to find out why it came on and what it means. The check engine light is triggered when the car’s onboard computer detects an issue with the engine, transmission, or other component of your vehicle.
Some of the most common reasons for a check engine light include:
- Loose gas cap
- Engine misfires
- Faulty spark plugs
- Bad catalytic converter
- Faulty oxygen sensors
- Worn or dirty mass airflow sensor
Some causes of a check engine light are more serious than others, so it’s important to understand the underlying cause of yours so that you can take steps to resolve it before any serious damage is done to your vehicle.
You could go to a repair shop and pay the mechanic’s fees to diagnose your light. Or, you can do it yourself with the FIXD Sensor and free app.
How To Diagnose Your Check Engine Light With FIXD
FIXD is an OBD2 scanner, which is the same tool mechanic shops use to diagnose check engine related car problems. The only difference is, FIXD is way cheaper, simpler, and connects to your iPhone or Android smartphone.
This device was developed in 2014 by three Georgia Tech grads on a mission to make car care as simple, affordable, and easy as possible for everyone, especially “non-car” people. Co-Founder John Gattuso came up with the idea after his single mom got taken advantage of at the repair shop and was going to have to pay much more out of pocket than she should’ve. Gattuso wanted a simple way for everyday drivers to understand and confidently care for their cars.
Here’s how easy it is to diagnose your check engine light using the FIXD Sensor and free app:
Step 1: Plug FIXD into your car’s OBD port
The first step to diagnosing and clearing your check engine light is to plug FIXD into your OBD2 port. Every gas-powered vehicle made since 1996 comes equipped with this port, usually located on the driver’s side underneath the dash as shown in the graphic below.
This little port lets you “talk” to your car’s onboard computer system (OBD2 system) and understand what’s wrong when the check engine light comes on. Your car’s computer stores the check engine light as a code, known as a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) or OBD2 code. All you need is a device to translate these codes into simple terms that anyone can understand, even if they have no experience with cars. That’s what the FIXD Sensor and app does for you, from the convenience of your smartphone.
Step 2: Open the free app and hit “scan”
Once you’ve plugged FIXD into your car, download the free app (available for both iPhone and Android) and tap the “scan” button. FIXD will give you a readout of the error code associated with your check engine light, tell you what in means in plain language, and let you know if it’s serious or if it’s safe to keep driving.
Many OBD2 apps can read basic error codes, but FIXD is more than just a code reader. This robust and easy-to-use app translates “car talk” into simple terms and also gives you:
- Maintenance alerts on your phone so that you never miss an oil change or tire rotation and can keep your vehicle running smoothly for years to come
- How-to guides and video tutorials to help you fix car problems yourself and save money
- Repair shop recommendations to help you find a certified and trustworthy local mechanic
- A simplified description of your check engine light code, what it means, how serious it is, and how to fix it
- Live OBD2 data that helps take the guesswork out of repairs and fix your car yourself without going to a mechanic or throwing money at parts
- Detailed engine diagnostics for any vehicle you connect your sensor to. You can use FIXD on multiple vehicles and keep the whole family safe!
- And much more for FREE inside the FIXD app.
- Confirmed Fix & Cost: See the most likely repair for your check engine light and how much it costs
- FIXD Mechanic Hotline: You have your very own reliable, trustworthy mechanic on speed dial to help walk you through DIY repairs and have peace of mind.
- Issue Forecast: Know what issues your specific make/model is most likely to have in the future. You can use this information to plan ahead and hopefully prevent some of them (or at least have it budgeted) or you can use the information to avoid certain used cars you’re considering purchasing.
- Vehicle History Report: Be informed before buying a used car. Get accident history, previous owner info, and more for free on as many cars as you want to scan.
- Emissions Precheck: Know if your car will pass emissions before wasting time and money at a crowded emissions testing facility
A free trial of FIXD Premium is included with your purchase of the FIXD Sensor so you can get full access to all of the features it has to offer.
Now that you know how to use this incredible device to diagnose your check engine light, here’s how to use FIXD to clear that pesky light!
goodbye check engine anxiety
Read and clear over 10,000 check engine codes from your smartphone with the easy-to-use FIXD Sensor and free app.
GET FIXD FOR $19.99How To Clear Your Check Engine Light With FIXD
If you want to turn off, or clear, your check engine light because it’s nothing serious and you’re tired of looking at it, this is very easy to do in the free FIXD app. There’s no need to pay a mechanic or go through the trouble of disconnecting your car battery. You may also want to turn off the check engine light if you’re trying to find out if the repair you just made resolved the underlying cause of your issue. Here’s how to clear your light in seconds using FIXD.
Step 1: Plug FIXD into your car
Just like you did above when diagnosing your light, to clear it you’ll need to have FIXD plugged into your car’s OBD2 port. Again, every gas-powered vehicle made in 1996 or newer has this port, as well as every diesel engine made in 2008 or newer.
Step 2: Open the free FIXD app
If you haven’t already, download the free FIXD app, available for iPhone and Android devices. After connecting your FIXD Sensor to the app, tap “scan” to see the error codes that are triggering your check engine light.
Step 3: Hit “Clear Engine Light”
To clear your check engine light with FIXD, tap the red “Clear Engine Light” button in the app below your live scan report. This button will perform a reset of your engine control unit.
At this point, the check engine light should be turned off. This is very handy if you have scanned your vehicle with FIXD and know that the check engine light is not a serious issue. It can also be very helpful when you’re doing repairs at home to save money or checking for computer glitches.
However, it’s important to note that clearing your check engine light does not actually fix the underlying cause. If your check engine light has a “severe” rating in the FIXD app or your repairs didn’t solve the underlying problem, we recommend getting it fixed as soon as possible to avoid engine damage.
> Click here to fix your car with the help of FIXD – only $19.99 for a limited time!
How To Fix Your Check Engine Light
Clearing your check engine light will not actually fix the underlying issue. If you have determined that your check engine light is serious, then we recommend taking steps to fix it next.
Fortunately, the FIXD Sensor and app can help. From accurate engine diagnostics that save you time and money to live OBD2 data you can use to troubleshoot issues and find the root cause of your error code to our Mechanic Hotline that will walk you through at-home repairs for your specific vehicle, FIXD helps you save time and money so you can get back on the road faster.
Try FIXD For $19.99 For A Limited Time
FIXD takes the stress out of car repairs by translating 10,000+ check engine light problems into simple terms on your phone. FIXD is normally priced at $59, but for a limited time, you can get FIXD 67% off – only $19.99! Click here to claim yours and clear your check engine light today!
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
