Overhaulin'

Should I resolve my check engine problem before selling my car?

My check engine light just came on in my car right before i was about to list it for sale. Would it be worth it to shell out the money to get this resolved before I sell and can I take it to any mechanic or the specific dealer?

Public Comments

1. selling it privately....yes trading it in....no
2. That depends on the problem that caused the check engine light. Go to Autozone (or many other auto parts shop) and they will scan the code for you for free. If it is a simple repair then fix it and you'll have ONE less reason to give a discount. But if the problem is expensive fix, forget about it, that's why people sell their cars (because they don't want to fix it any more). Good Luck...
3. You cannot change a first impression. As a potential buyer, I would be very leary if I started a vehicle and the MIL light was on. From what I understand, Auto Zone will retrieve the fault code for free and help you decide exactly what component or system set the light. It might be a very minor repair and well worth the effort when you try and sell the vehicle.
4. I would at least have it checked. I don't know what year, make or model, but some check engine light problems are minor. Many auto parts stores will check the code for free. At least you could get an idea of what it is to see if it is cheap or not. If you don't, whoever buys it will not give you as much for it. You will probably lose more than the cost of fixing it.
5. I think DM has it backwards but maybe not. I would want it fixed if I was going to take it to a dealership so that they do not drop the book value. They could lie to you and tell you that it is something serious when it could just be that you didn't tighten your gas cap after your last fueling. As far as a personal sale, there too I would want to know what the problem is so that the buyer doesn't come running back a week from now saying that the engine is blown because of the problem when in fact, the light was for a gas cap or something small and they ran the living **** out of it and blew the engine.
6. If a buyer sees the light on he or she will not be interested in buying the car..the llight is only an advisory so have the engine checked it could be a small matter to repair..then you can sell the car knowing it will not come back to haunt you..