Can you get a Title Loan with the Check Engine Light on?

Can you get a car title loan with the check engine light on? The short answer is it depends – read more to find out if your case is yes or no.

The fact is a check engine light can mean many things – from minor reminders to a warning signifying a major repair may be necessary. Getting a title loan with the check engine light on is very common for cases when the light is on for something minor.

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To find out if you can get an online title loan when the check engine light is on, the first step is to find out what the check engine light means.

What does a Check Engine Light On Mean?

We need to take a look at what it means to have a check engine light on. The reasons can vary significantly. All vehicles equipped with OBD-II, or On Board Diagnostics II, have a check engine light.

Check engine lights come on whenever a vehicle sensor returns a value outside of the normal range. Cars today are equipped with a wide range of sensors designed to tell the driver when there may be a potential problem.

Diagnosing the reason the light is on requires an OBD-II code reader or scanner. Today there are plenty of inexpensive code readers available. These can read the error and tell you instantly why your check engine light is on. Additionally, some vehicles will display the error code, allowing you to look up the reason without a scanner.

As mentioned, and shown below, the reasons can be many different items. Vehicles today have a wide range of sensors and any time one of them returns a value outside of normal range an error code may be stored.

This can cause the check engine light to come on. Over time, if the sensor range returns to normal, the light will go off.

Minor Example of a Check Engine Light On

One example of a minor issue that will cause the check engine light to come on is not fully tightening your gas cap after filling your car up. Once you fully tighten the cap and complete a few ignitions cycles the check engine light will go off. There are other examples like this where there is nothing actually wrong with the vehicle.

More Serious Example of a Check Engine Light On

A more serious issue can be a problem with one of the vehicle’s sensors or even the computer. Some sensors can be costly, and a computer problem can also be costly. There are a multitude of other reasons for the light to come on that may indicate a failing part like a fuel injector, A/C compressor, or a wide range of other parts.

Without scanning the vehicle it is impossible to know the cause of why the light is on. It is fairly easy to scan the vehicle yourself and reset the light. If the problem persists the light will come back on. Many auto parts stores also provide a free scan to determine the reason for the check engine light.

Online Title Loan Process

Now that we know what the check engine light means, we need to take a look at the online title loan process to see if we can get a title loan with the check engine light on. This process often includes an inspection or appraisal; be it an in person inspection or virtual. The virtual appraisal requires pictures of the odometer, which, in most cases, will show whether or not the check engine light is on.

The process starts with an online application, an appraisal of the vehicle to determine the max loan amount, and completing the loan funding. The portion of the process we need to look at to determine how to get a title loan with the check engine light on is the vehicle inspection or appraisal.

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Vehicle Inspection and Check Engine Light

Title loans are secured by the vehicle, therefor the vehicle must be appraised prior to approval and funding for a specific loan amount. This appraisal takes into consideration many factors, of which include:

1. Year, Make, Model
2. Mileage
3. Condition (Mechanical and Cosmetic)
4. History
5. Additional

The fact that the car has a check engine light on can indicate a number of things ranging from minor to more serious. This can have an effect on getting a title loan. Let’s look at the appraisal factors to find out how.

Title Loan Appraisal Factors

The lender will look at all information provided with the loan application. For online title loans with no inspection this includes pictures of the vehicle and the vehicle’s history report. These days any scheduled maintenance performed at the dealer or other service shop is recorded on the vehicle history report.

For vehicles that are well maintained this will factor into the appraisal amount. Likewise for vehicles that are not well maintained. If your check engine light is on, and your vehicle history report does not show regularly scheduled maintenance was done, then this may factor into the amount the lender is willing to lend.

Additionally, for title loans without the vehicle present, pictures of the vehicle odometer are required. This is mostly to verify mileage, however some vehicles require the ignition on to show the mileage. In these cases the fact that the check engine light is on may be a factor in the valuation.

Vehicle Age

This is especially important for older vehicle’s. Newer vehicles that are still under warranty are less of a concern for something like a check engine light. This is not the case for older vehicles where a major repair can cost a significant amount of the vehicle’s value.

How to get a Title Loan with the Check Engine Light On

To get a title loan with the check engine light on provide the reason for the light with the application. Additionally, include any supporting information. This includes pictures of the vehicle and if possible any maintenance records.

The purpose is to provide the lender with enough information to accurately appraise the vehicle, even with the check engine light on. Then, once approved, simply complete the title loan process just like any other title loan.

Summary

Can you get a title loan with a check engine light on? Yes, as discussed, check engine lights can be on for a wide variety of reasons. These can range from very simple such as not tightening your gas cap to something more serious. It is worth the time to figure our why the light is on, and, if possible, correct the fault that caused the light to turn on. This may mean getting a car repair done.

It is worth noting that in some states to pass either safety or emissions inspections having a check engine light on may be a problem. If you need either of these inspections for vehicle registration, then that may be something you will need to address sooner rather than later.