Nissan Check Engine Light Reset; Must Read
The check engine light is one of the essential safety features on the car to alert or notify the drivers if something is wrong with the car. If your car suffers from any fault or issue in the engine bay or any other area, check the engine light turns on and notify the driver to timely deal with it.
But, commonly, it can remain turned on even if you have repaired the issue; this suggests that it has become faulty.
So it would help if you immediately took care of your car to the mechanic so that he can fix the check engine light, which is necessary for safe driving.
But sometimes, check engine light behaves nuisance because of some technical issues or glitches, and you can save money and trip to the mechanic by resetting the lights. So do not worry if you do not know how to do it, as in this guide, you will learn everything about checking engine lights and how to reset them.
Table of Contents
- What Do You Mean By Check Engine Light?
- Can I Reset My Check Engine Light Myself?
- Will The Check Engine Light Go Off After Tightening The Gas Cap?
- What Is The Most Common Reason For Check The Engine Light?
- How Long Does It Take For The Check Engine Light To Reset?
What Do You Mean By Check Engine Light?

A check engine light is a signal from your car’s onboard computer that there may be a problem with your car. In many cars, the check engine light can also be accompanied by other warning lights like low oil pressure or high coolant temperature.
You’ll need to take your car to an automotive shop for diagnosis and repair to fix the problem. When the light first comes on, you can usually continue driving your car, but taking it in for service as soon as possible is a good idea.
Can I Reset My Check Engine Light Myself?
Yes, you can reset the check engine light yourself if you know how to do it. For example, if your check engine light has been on for more than a couple of months or if you have multiple check engine lights coming on, it could be time to get your car scanned by a mechanic.
But before you go there, there are a few things you can try yourself to fix the problem. One such solution is resetting the check engine light.
Here is the step-by-step guide to resetting the check engine light without any tools:
1. First of all, turn off your car’s ignition.
2. Then you need to locate the negative terminal of the battery, and it will be black.
3. Loosen the nut of the negative terminal wire with the help of a wrench, and then remove the connector for a few minutes.
4. Reconnect the negative terminal again and re-tighten the nut.
That’s it with the reset process, and you can see if it is done right if the check engine light has been turned off. The faulty check engine light can also be automatically fixed if you continue driving it for a few days.
But if you have tried all the ways to reset and still check if the engine light is turned on or faulty, then it’s time to take your car to the mechanic for the fixation as driving without checking engine lights can be dangerous and dangerously risky.
Will The Check Engine Light Go Off After Tightening The Gas Cap?
The gas cap is one important part of your car; it ensures that the air in your tank is sealed. In case you’re having issues with your gas cap, then there’s a chance that your check light might be on. Thus you may want to replace your cap if you notice that it is loosened or damaged and broken.
So yes, you can say that if your gas cap is loosened, it can lead to fuel leakage, which can make the engine light turn on, and by simply tightening the gas cap, you can solve the issue.
What Is The Most Common Reason For Check The Engine Light?
If you’ve noticed that your check light is on, and you don’t know why there could be anything from a bad catalytic convertor to faulty wirings. There are a few reasons that this light might activate, so we’ll go through some common of them :
- Malfunction in oxygen sensor
Your engine’s oxygen sensor sits in your exhaust pipe, determining whether there’s enough oxygen in the exhaust gases from the motor. This is a crucial job because if the sensor doesn’t work properly, it can alter fuel-burning efficiency and fuel economy. So a failing oxygen sensor can trigger to turn on the check engine lights.
- Faulty spark plugs
An issue with your spark plugs can also cause a check engine light to turn on. The problem could be from plug wires and spark plug caps as well. Also, if you’ve recently installed new spark plugs and the light is still on, the problem might be with your ignition coil or ignition module.
- Bad catalytic convertor
Your catalytic converter is a device that converts poisonous Catylenic Oils into less harmful carbon dioxide fuel. You can’t see it on your dashboard, but it is necessary and works fine. If your catalytic converter doesn’t work properly, you will notice an issue with your check engine light coming on.
- Bad fuel pump
A bad fuel pump can be triggered if your gas tank has been low for a long time or the gas cap is not installed properly. If one of these inspections didn’t find any problem, this could be something else. Get your fuel pump tested because if it’s not working, you will be unable to start your car.
It can be either a loose terminal or damaged wiring. If the problem is in the wiring, you may want a mechanic to check this out because you don’t want to cause further damage by driving.
How Long Does It Take For The Check Engine Light To Reset?
It does not take much of your time to reset the check engine lights, and it’s only a few minutes if you reset it by disconnecting the battery and then reconnecting it.
Most of the time, the check engine light will reset when you restart your car. But if it does not, you have to drive a few miles or up to 20 minutes with no lights on your dashboard.
Sometimes this happens mostly because of a misfire when the spark plugs cannot ignite the fuel properly.
When this happens, your check engine light is triggered automatically. So after you drive a while with it off, your vehicle’s computer identifies that the misfire has been fixed and therefore turns off the check engine lights on its own.
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