Your BMW Service Engine Soon Light: Advice from the Experts of Oakland

BMWs are stylish, high-performing vehicles that many drivers love to operate. If you drive a BMW, you know what sort of driving experience to expect from your vehicle. All types of cars require regular servicing to maintain their drive, and BMWs are no exception. An easy way to know when your BMW requires a service is the “Service Engine Soon” light. This light appears on your dashboard when your car needs to be brought to a shop for servicing.

The service-engine-soon light looks exactly as it sounds: It has yellow lettering among your dashboard alerts and reads “service engine soon.” Fortunately, though it may seem like an ominous warning, this light does not typically mean that there is an immediate problem with your BMW that warrants a tow. You should not ignore the service-engine-soon light. Rather, you should take the steps needed to make an appointment as soon as you can to have your BMW’s engine inspected and diagnosed properly.

What can the service-engine-soon light indicate?

This warning light is one of the most straightforward of all of the dashboard alert lights. Though you may initially become stressed out upon noticing this light, again, it does not indicate a need to pull over and have a tow to a garage immediately. Your car might coincidentally need extensive repairs. However, the light itself does not exclusively mean there’s an immediate issue. It is simply in place to make you aware that there is currently something occurring in your car that needs to be serviced as soon as you can make it to the shop.

Some examples of services you might need when the service engine soon light comes on are a tire rotation or an oil change. One way to try to find out what exactly your car needs is to note how many miles are currently on your BMW and think about the maintenance that can come with that timeframe.

You can also look through the owner’s manual of your BMW and see if it can help you by telling you about any maintenance your car needs every number of miles or months.

Causes of the Service-Engine-Soon Light

Though it’s not possible to know exactly what the service-engine-soon light means until you take it to a shop, there are a few likely options that can cause the light to illuminate. The repairs associated with the light can be simple or complex, depending on the condition your car is in.

Most importantly, the only response you should have to noticing this light is taking your BMW to a professional to check it out. However, there are a few things that can be causing your BMW’s service engine soon light to illuminate, including:

• a loose gas cap
• low oil pressure
• tire rotation requirement
• emission problems

You should never panic when noticing the service-engine-soon light in your BMW. Rather, you should simply take your car to a shop whenever possible to see what needs servicing. If you’re lucky, it will be a simple, inexpensive service that requires no hassle or stress.

Germany’s Best, Inc.

At Germany’s Best, Inc., we understand the stress you might experience when noticing the service-engine-soon warning light on your dashboard. However, we’re here to calm those fears. Our ASE-certified technicians will quickly diagnose the cause of the light’s illumination and, with your permission, we will service your BMW efficiently and cost-effectively, removing the worry and returning your BMW to the road in its best condition.

Our shop prides itself on only hiring the most qualified mechanics to work on your BMW. We are committed to communication and quality service for every step of the service and repair process for you and your car.

We’ve worked with clients in the Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Piedmont, California areas and are proud to specialize in German vehicles. Our technicians have decades of combined experience, so you can go to our shop feeling confident that your BMW is in the best of hands.

We make it a priority to give you the best, fastest, and most cost-efficient service possible. If you’re experiencing any problems with your car, including a service-engine-soon warning light, give us a call today.