The check engine light has come on my dash on my 1996 Volvo 850. Will it blow up if I drive it over the weekend without getting it checked out?
by 
foxtrot
ANSWERS: 2
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Your check engine light generally means that the car's computer has detected an error code. First, make sure your oil and water levels are correct. If they are, and none of the other gauges indicate a problem, it probably won't "blow up" but you should have it checked with a code reader asap. (your local checker or autozone type store will do this for free).
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The main two things that will cause your engine to "blow up" would be over heating the engine and loss of oil pressure. Check engine lights are set off by the ECM and usually are a problem from the sensors on the car. It is advisable to get the car checked out as soon as possible, but watch the oil pressure and coolant and you should be fine. You may however notice a bit of performance issue, because the ECM will use a default setting for the sensors if one happens to fail. Most the time if it is a critical problem the ECM will not allow the car to be started. As long as you do not plan on driving an extremely long distance, you should have no problem. This is only my suggestion, I am not an expert.
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