According to a technician at the Ninety Eight Auto Repair, Maintenance and Care Center (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), new cars are increasingly equipped with more sensors, electronic controllers and advanced driving assist systems (ADAS), helping to improve safety and operating experience. However, the development of technology also causes many car models to experience warning lights turning on even though in reality they do not encounter serious damage, often called "virtual errors".
On modern cars, data from dozens of sensors is transmitted to electronic control modules, then these systems continuously exchange information through internal communication networks. Just one sensor sends an unusual signal or a data conflict occurs between controllers, the system can activate warning lights even if the parts on the car are still operating normally.
In fact, many drivers encounter the situation of just starting the car and seeing the warning light on, but after a few minutes of operation, the light automatically turns off. This may just be a temporary error in the process of the system self-checking, self-adjusting or self-learning after starting. However, the error code can still be saved in the controller and will reappear if it has not been deleted by a specialized diagnostic device.
One of the common cases is that the Check Engine light turns on while the car is still operating stably, without vibration, fuel consumption or power loss. The cause is sometimes just that the oxygen sensor is covered in dust or dirt, causing the signal system to receive incorrect signals. After cleaning or checking the sensor, this situation can be overcome without replacing components.
Not only oxygen sensors, ADAS system sensors such as cameras, radars or sensors around the car body can also generate warnings if it is stuck in mud, obscures visibility or encounters signal errors. In some cases, the car only needs to be updated with software or system calibration to operate normally.
According to Ninety Eight Auto, if the warning light only appears for a short time and then automatically turns off, and the car still operates stably, users should not be too panicked. However, if the light is continuously on, appears many times or comes with unusual signs such as engine power loss, heavy steering wheel, bright ABS lights or multiple warnings appearing at the same time, the car owner should bring the car to the garage or genuine dealer to check.
Ninety Eight Auto recommends that users should not arbitrarily disassemble or clean the sensor when they do not have enough knowledge and specialized tools. Improper operation may lead to additional errors or affect the vehicle's operating performance.
In these cases, using specialized diagnostic equipment is still the most accurate and safe method to determine the cause, thereby providing appropriate treatment directions, avoiding repair or replacement of unnecessary components.
