My check engine light came on in my car....what should I check first?

There are two things to check first. Check your gas cap to see if it's sealing properly. You can test the seal by putting a thick coat of Vaseline around the rubber seal in the cap and placing it on the filler neck.

If the light turns off, replace the gas cap. If the light stays on, check the Oxygen sensor and catalytic converter. Also, replace your air filter.

The filter for your car is relatively inexpensive and your gas mileage will improve. Also, use a bottle of fuel treatment to dispurse any water that may be in your gasoline. Bad gasoline will cause the light to come on, too.

Finally, take your car to a muffler/exhaust specialist to see if any of your catalytic convertersare clogged. If all is well, change your spark plugs with a new set that is properly gapped to the car's specifications. Remove only one wire at a time and replace the plug, reconnecting the spark wire before moving on to the next plug to keep from cross-wiring the cylinders.

Don't ignore that engine light. Your car is telling you it has a problem that needs to be addressed before it costs a fortune in repairs.

OBD says there is a problem. It's that simple. 98 Mystique is not a vehicle in the group of those that "false" Have the codes read and the problem remedied.

Doesn't matter what anyone says when it comes smog time if that light is on, it's an automatic fail. Most places won't even test you. My guess is it will be your downstream O2 sensor.

That's just a guess. Your vehicle happens to use a rather high exhaust temp to keep it within emissions which tends to shorten the life of O2 sensors. (code 44 or similar).

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