Noticing activated reduced engine power means your car is indicating its problem. In this case, you can do two things: take the car to the hospital or continue driving.
But is it safe to drive with reduced engine power? Will it cause an accident? It’s vital to be aware, especially when your life is associated with this decision.
Following this, we will inform you whether it is safe to drive with reduced engine power or not. Plus we’ll mention its consequences and the proper things you should do.
Is It Safe To Drive With Reduced Engine Power?
Yes, you can keep driving your vehicle while keeping the “reduced engine power” light on. Though it won’t cause any immediate damage, you won’t enjoy driving the car.
You can experience poor acceleration, extreme gas mileage, and jerky shifting gears if you drive a car with reduced engine power.
What does the “Reduced Engine Power Light” exactly mean?
A reduced engine power light is an indication that means the computer of the vehicle has identified a fault in the system. The source of the problem could be throttle sensors, airflow sensors, or oxygen sensors.
This light isn’t commonly available in all vehicles, nor does it always remain active in the vehicle where it exists. It is located on the screen portion of the gauge cluster in the vehicle.
Most General Motors vehicles include this warning light. Other vehicles, like performance cars and luxury cars, have “limp home” mode instead of this warning light.
Noticing the activated check engine light means your car has entered “limp mode”. And its capability and power is been limited severely.
How to determine if a car is running on reduced engine power?
You have a strong bond with your car as you drive it almost every day. So you should be aware of how it works under normal conditions.
Your experience is the best potential indicator if your vehicle is running on reduced engine power. Even if it displays the check engine light in the gauge cluster.
However, in case you don’t realize it, the activated check engine light will still alert you. The sensors and the computer that run your vehicle are already programmed with a backup set, which is known as “safe mode”, or “limp mode”.
If something is wrong, this mode will automatically lower the power of your vehicle to prevent engine damage. Considering the vehicle, a reduced power backup system can turn off other accessory parts and limit the vehicle’s speed.
Sometimes it can immobilize the vehicle completely. In most situations, your car will have enough power to let you take it to the repair shop or home if the problem occurs unexpectedly.
What To Do If The Reduced Engine Power Light Already Comes On?
While driving, if the reduced engine power light activates, your first task is to take the car to the repair shop or at the home garage immediately.
But if you are at home and notice the activated light before driving, don’t proceed. After noticing the activated light, scan the car using an OBD II scan tool.
The reason is that the entire modules in the car, the error codes, and the faults that happened are stored inside the systems of the vehicle.
It doesn’t matter whether you can after turning off the light or before turning it on. The classic vehicle didn’t have any computer systems when it began integration in the 1980s and ’90s.
Scanning a car is quite possible, but it doesn’t assure you that every time you will get accurate results. Despite this, the OBD II scan tool is quite expensive as well.
Depending on its capabilities, a scanner can cost anywhere from $30 to thousands of dollars. But if you don’t have an OBD II scan tool, take the car to the auto parts store for free scanning.
The benefits of taking the car to a repair shop
Most of the reasons behind the reduced engine power indication light must be addressed immediately. But don’t be panic.
Many of those can be fixed with little research and applying common know-how. Though taking the car to a repair shop may cost a little more than doing it yourself, you will benefit from advanced scanning tools.
Furthermore, the repair shop has all of the tools needed for a faster requirement, and they will solve any issue where you can make a mistake.
The expert mechanic will scan the vehicle before doing any task to find out the exact source of the issue.
Luckily, they will show you the error codes displayed by the ECU and explain each one of them so you don’t repeat the mistake anymore.
FAQs
How To Fix Engine Power Reduction?
To solve the reduced engine power issue, you must find the source of the problem first. So figure out whether the loose cables, sensors, or throttle are causing the problem.
Sometimes the airflow sensor, transmission fluid, or catalytic converter can be the source of the problem. is vital as every reason as their specific way to fix.
How Much You May Charge To Solve Reduced Engine Power?
The charge for fixing the engine power reduction will vary based on the source of the problem. So the mechanic can charge you around $100 to $500. So the repairmen will determine the fault with the engine.
Can your car cause reduced engine power due to a spark plug?
A faulty spark plug can be responsible for lots of problems in a car, including reduced engine power, reduced fuel economy, and increased exhaust emissions.
Even a single misfiring spark plug can dump enough raw flow into the exhaust. And it can end up overheating the engine and damaging the catalytic converter.
Final words
Hopefully, you understand whether you are driving with reduced engine power or not. Though consequences won’t appear immediately, you shouldn’t let the car die slowly.
So your first duty will be to take the car to your home garage or repair shop. The second option is preferable due to the benefits of the scanner and the assurance of solving the problem.
From one point of view, reduced engine power is beneficial as it lets you restore the car’s performance and help retain its optimum health.
