@@Wowxoxo69As a third generation German immigrant, I condemn you. However, as a Detroiter who works in the American automotive industry, I applaud you. 😂
The last clip, as a mechanic i can tell you that penny not only ignored the check engine light, the gas gauge and low fuel light, but also the temperature gauge and temp light 😂
It was a Volkswagen, a machine designed and built by a group of people who thrive in over engineering and redundancy. I'm kinda surprised it didn't last longer before finally biting the bullet
Even better was that Leonard pointed out it's the one thing he really does NOT care about...you could owe him money for your entire life and he'd never request it back.
True, it’s when the opposites meet. It supposed to run parallel like railroad tracks. That’s what keeps the trains running otherwise in reality it’s not good.
@@asad-kc8zf Really good way of putting it! The best sitcoms are the ones centered around opposite dynamics, the one that aren’t where everyone is just more jolly lolly all the time are maybe more confomrting, but they’re not as interesting as those like TBBT lol
My Dad taught me to never ignore any lights that come on in my car. I was taught to have my oil changed regularly and was taught how to check the oil in my car. I had one car that needed oil all the time. I also checked my tires. Married a man who takes care of our cars. - I can’t believe there are parents that don’t teach their kids (especially their daughters) basic car maintenance.
The problem here are two things: Faulty check lights and dishonest car shops. Once it happened to you that you paid a bill for something that turned out to be unnecessary or for an "inspection" that didn't actually took place, you start to question every single check light and everything a car mechanic says. Especially if you are a woman. They automatically assume you are "mechanically disabled" and try every trick on you. There is also the practice to recommend oil changes and other maintenance way more frequently than it is actually necessary. Hyper capitalism turns all of us into financial predators and paranoids.
The worst part is that stupid boomers just expect us to automatically learn, when what they did when trying to "teach us how to fix a car" was just to hold a lantern and get yelled at. I've read enough testimonies and seen enough memes to know what it's been like.
@@QuadraticPerplexity The phrase is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" meaning if something works well enough, leave it alone. That would be bad advice to take for the check engine light on a car, but people with limited funds, or are being lazy, might favor that phrase.
first generation Golf Cabrio (which still has been produced during the lifetime of the gen 2 Golf) Update: must be Mk I cabrio with single front light, built from 79-87.
The way Sheldon drove Penny to the hospital is me driving in the snow since my accident 😂 I feel bad for the poor people behind me but thank them for their willingness to put up with me by driving around me😂
Yeah I had a car like Penny's, and my check engine light has been on in my car for more than 5 years. I freaked out the first time I saw it, went to one of the most reputable mechanics in town to make sure my car wouldn't blow up and he said the sensor was broken from the gas cap or something. Still one of my most reliable cars I've had to this day.
The problem is the "check engine" light is tied to many systems and could be anything from an electrical issue, to a gas cap seal, to a bad sensor. Add to that some automakers tie the light to your last oil change and use it to indicate you need maintenance, and it can mean something trivial, to more important. That said, solid light means, "hey, go see your mechanic sometime soon." Flashing engine light means, "your engine is about to die, don't drive unless it's straight to your mechanic." As well.
@@ngaszeng129 Alternatively, give us normies a USB plug and an app so it can read out on our phones.... Then we can decide if taking it to the mechanic is the best option or not. After all... a bad seal on the gas cap isn't going to break the car... a cylinder not firing correctly *is*
This is why I named my first drivable car, Penny.🤣 My dad was Sheldon about it. In the end, the engine light wasn’t the problem but a drunk driver. I miss my little red car.
These random clips of Penny and Sheldon just talking are just the best and probably the highlights of this show. Rare few places where it surpasses even Seinfeld.
Most important part of that cost effective strategy is to go to any parts store and have the codes read though. Costs nothing, and if the code is actually important, as it is maybe 5% of the time, then youll need to know that. Otherwise, ignore away EVAP, O2, some sensors, etc.
I drove around a car with a check airbag system light for three years. I paid a dealer $122 to do absolutely nothing but tell me they were sure it would be fine. Turns out, it was a loose sensor wire under the passenger’s seat that I fixed myself. I traded that car shortly after for a newer car in which I was scammed by the dealer.
I hate airbag lights because most simple scan tools can't diagnose them. I inherited my dad's old Chrysler with that light on and it drove me nuts, finally paid a local collision shop $100 bucks to diagnose and luckily they "fixed" it free, it was just a sensor/wire under the driver's seat like your situation.
Sheldon is definitely right. The longer you ignore the problem, like a check engine light, the more expensive the problem gets. Nothing worse than being at a stop light, and having your timing belt snap.
Check engine light does not mean automatically that theres something critial happening in the engine.. It just means that the engine or transmission is not working propely or the cars internal computer identifies a problem, or the computer thinks theres a problem. My old car had the light on for almost four years and the engine was more than perfect when i sold it. Ofc, when the light appears, just plug in a computer and check if its critical or not. What was my fault with the car? A fucking lambda sensor, that ive changed three times and it kept coming back, so the computer is faulty, not the engine.
let this be a reminder to those that have a car, when you see the "Check Engine" light blinking that means you have to have your engine checked right away unless you want the same exact problems that Penny's car had.
A flashing check engine means there is a issue that can cause damage to the oxygen sensor or catalytic converter. That needs to looked at as soon as possible.
@@rickymoranjr9609 I said it, but I don’t think you understood what I’m saying. If the check engine light is on solid, and the car drives normally, it’s probably a nuisance trouble code. At your earliest convenience, go to a autozone, advance auto, or O’Riley auto parts store. They will pull the trouble code and tell you if it’s a serious issue, or one of the nuisance codes. A FLASHING check engine light is much more serious. That means the PCM has detected a fault that could potentially damage the oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. Get that problem fixed asap. Having said all that, if the Check Gauges light comes on, immediately stop driving it and find out why it’s on. If you don’t stop, more than likely the car will stop on its own, in a potentially bad situation, and almost certainly be very expensive to fix.
Check the check brake light first. Unless it is on, in which case using the brake can lead to malfunction of the brake and resulting percussive intersection of the vehicle trajectory with a rigid obstacle, gently apply the brake until the vehicle stops, but not too gently that the vehicle hits a solid obstacle of sufficient height and mass to be dangerous before coming to a halt.
Sheldon just giving Penny money when she needed it no questions asked was so sweet. Despite his awkwardness and unintentional rudeness sometimes, deep down he is a good friend
A few years ago, I had an old, but well taken care of car. The check engine light popped on, but I must have gone to a bad garage bc they “inspected” the car and couldn’t find anything. So I drove the car for months with the light on. Then I had a family emergency, had to fly, and left the car at my aunt’s house (who was actually the person who introduced me to BBT in the first place) and said “If for any reason you need to drive the car you can. Just be aware the check engine light is on. But its fine.” And she deadass looked at me and said “Everything ok Penny?” I died laughing.
In the Adhesive Ducks Deficiency episode, Sheldon drives Penny to the hospital. When he questions the check engine light being on, she reveals that it had been on since she got the car.
My first car had a check engine light since I got it. It had it for like 7 years. Mechanics could never figure it out as whenever they scanned it, a blank code would pop up.
@@nana820able I bought the wife a VW Eos back in '09 that did that too lol. Terrible experience and will never buy a VW again, hell her old Chrysler Sebring convertible we replaced with the Eos was more reliable lol - but looking back on it our level of panic was funny lol.
@Idgaf It is quite scary. I'll never forget the fire spitting out but it was still running - sputtering but moving. I've not heard of an Eos? Mine was a 1964 bug. Some man had a fire extinguisher, stopped and put it out. My dad was so mad. Told me I should have told him to let it burn. Lol. Later I bought a newer model. Would love to have a new one but not big enough for my grandkids. Lol.
First car when I was a teenager did this. No matter how many times I took it to the mechanic and no matter what repairs were done to it, the check engine light was permanently on and never shut off. The car ran fine It was just something wrong with the light.
Basically, the light on older cars is tripped by _something_ and just stays on until it is reset. Like, one part or another might stutter on ignition, but work just fine otherwise. The light cannot detect whether or not the problem has ceased.
Fun fact about Pennys car : The Volkswagen Golf 1 Convertible( or Rabbit in the US) has no check engine or empty fuel tank light. It has an oil pressure warning light, a water temperature and pressure warning light.😂
A lot of people point out that despite their discrepancy in income Penny, Sheldon and Leonard live in the same building but (besides being a fucking TV show). This showcases very well that Penny was constantly broke and behind bills while Sheldon and Leonard have sizable savings and massive collections of pop culture paraphernalia that probably are worth more than the apartment
Sheldon and Leonard moved into the apartment when they have a much lower income. And Sheldon doesn't like change. Actually Sheldon and a prior roommate moved into the apartment...
I always thought it was kind of weird that Penny didn't know what the "check engine" light meant. It always seemed to be implied that Penny was at least somewhat mechanically inclined (i.e., all those stories about her working with things like tractors and such), so the idea that she wouldn't be aware of one of the most commonly known facts about car maintenance strikes me as a little dubious...
Being mechanically inclined would also mean she’d be more aware of how the engine is running and if it really has a problem. There’s a long list of codes that can cause a CEL and many of them aren’t going to hurt the engine.
She apparently could rebuild a tractor engine so I'm sure she knows there about Advance and Autozone and I bet she knows they will diagnose a CEL for free or lend you the tool to do it yourself (along with a bunch of other tools they lend). So the idea that she was so clueless about it never made sense to me. What would have shut Sheldon up in an instant would be for her to say, "yeah I went got a diagnostic and it turns out it's a nonessential sensors that doesn't affect the way the engine runs." On a side note I'd like to know how she kept it registered for years in California with a CEL. In the Atlanta and Houston metro areas as in many other high population areas a CEL is an automatic fail on a smog test required to get your tags renewed and I know for FACT that all of California is even MORE strict about that.
I know of a case where two different car services were unable to figure out what was causing an engine check light to come on, after repeated visits. They made guesswork attempts to fix it, that didn't work, and led to lost time and money. What is the point of a diagnostic code, if it doesn't indicate exactly what is the problem? I had an old car with over 300,000 miles on it that got an engine check light. The car was too old to be worth trying to fix it, but I continued driving it for more than a year, with no noticeable problem, whatsoever , until finally buying another car.
Fun fact, if the light on the dash is Amber, it means to proceed with caution just like a yellow light at a stop sign. If on the other hand the light comes on is red. It means to pull over and find out what's wrong. If not, you'll be walking shortly anyway...
I drove a 1993 Honda Civic for 3 years with the check engine light on. I had it looked at multiple times and no one could figure out what was wrong with it, nor could they successfully reset the check engine light.
I bought a 1986 Chevrolet C 30 new. I was driving to California with probably 5 to 8,000 miles on it when the check engine light came on. In a slight panic in the middle of the Arizona desert, I pulled over and looked it up in the owner's manual. It said "the emission control system has stopped working". Got back on the road and kept driving. Over the years that followed, I put tape over it because it was particularly bright and annoying, especially at night so I finally took the bulb out. That's it. I still drive it, has to be over 300,000 miles on it, original engine, even the original alternator. I keep up on stuff that breaks, wears out etc. For example, radiator leak, clutch, tires, brakes, belts etc. Sending units for the gas tanks, left tank rusted out and replaced, the gas tank selector switch and switching unit. Stuff I won't fix are the permanently disabled emissions stuff, speedometer (for now, shows 57,000 some odd miles), I MIGHT look into that next, and the air conditioner.
I know it's a running gag with the show, but after Penny spent $1200 to get her engine fixed, you'd think they would've run a diagnostic to figure out why the light was on before returning the car to her and fixed the problem.
the biggest blunder of Sheldon's was saying Penny's car weighed "lets say 4000 pounds" when its about 2000 pounds lighter then that lol even if he was guessing i would have thought he would get it spot on
Remarkable that somebody who apparently rebuilt a tractor engine isn't capable of doing basic maintenance on her car. Even without the tools she could drive to an Advance or Autozone and borrow them (including one to diagnose that check engine light).
@@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821 actually it would. I'd love to see Penny working on her car. She's already shown to be a lot more capable and smart than the guys give her credit for and that would just reinforce that theme. This "I'm so helpless" storyline about the car is actually an aberration from her character arc.
@@theluschmaster no. I would've dropped him off to work, thank him for pointing out the engine light, and got it looked at. Because this time Sheldon's cause for concern was 100% LEGIT! Never drive your car when the engine light is on. You risk ruining your engine, which is extremely expensive to replace. Most cases buying a new car would be a better solution than replacing the engine. I can't believe im saying this but.... Sheldon was right!
@@theluschmaster as annoying he was. His cause for concern was just. Now penny has to replace the engine. Which costs somewhere between $4,500-$7,000 (american) depending on the car. Not to mention paying to get the car towed, and paying mechanic to install said engine. Plus, she'll have to rent a car while its being repaired. The cost of those varies from state to state, but at this point, she might as well buy a new car! She would have avoided a lot of headache if she listened to sheldon, and amy, and Leonard's mom. Driving a car while the engine light is on is damaging your engine. You must get it looked at ASAP when this happens. The fact that penny had the car running this long is nothing short of a miracle.
@@Shark97281 bullshit. Clearly, you have no automotive service knowledge or experience. It depends on the reason why the light is on. The vast majority of check engine lights are caused by nuisance issues. Most of those nuisance issues are the result of government regulations brought on by the EPA. Find a trusted skilled automotive technician to pull the trouble codes from the cars computer. If that’s to costly, most auto parts stores (autozone, advance auto, or o’Riley’s) will do it for you. They obviously won’t ox it, but you will at least know WHY the light is on. Once you have that info, you can decide what to do next. If the check engine light is flashing, the there is the potential risk of serious expensive damage. Most catastrophic engine problems can be avoided if people would simply pay attention to the gauges OTHER than the fuel gauge and speedometer. Most people never look at the oil pressure or temperature gauge. Occasionally look at them, get an idea of what they should’ve under normal conditions, if they suddenly have abnormal readings then figure out why IMMEDIATELY. If the car runs and drives normally, then almost certainly the check engine light is a nuisance concern.
Does the VW Golf MK1 actually had a "check engine" light? 😃😃 As I remember MK1 and MK2 had only few LED's and closest ones could be for low oil pressure or high coolant temperature.
A CEL being on is indicative of an emissions related issue. Sheldon's concern with the light is understandable with the strict emissions regulations of Southern California. Surprising she managed to get her tags renewed since a CEL would fail SMOG checks immediately forcing her to have it repaired.
I defend her decision to wait with the check engine light for a bit but you do need to be aware of any unusual sounds or if your car is sputtering. If that is the case you should have a trusted professional look at it. Also be super careful about having that stuff checked if what they say sounds fishy be sure to get a second opinion.
While it's true that you should get it checked out, it is also true that the 'Check Engine' light really has little to do with the actual engine and is almost entirely dependent on several sensors that monitor the 'Emissions Control' on the engine. Smog control sensors are what the light is linked to.
People discount them but sometimes they relate to real issues like if your fuel ratio control is messed up your engine will run like shit and/or you will burn more fuel than normal. And if the cat is gone it will maybe not affect you personally but it will release pretty nasty nitrogen compounds into the air. One person does it, no big deal, but if everyone did it we'd have Chinese city type smog
I bought a van, which had the engine management light on permanently. The EGR valve, and one of the sensors was replaced, but they were not the problem, even though the diagnostic tool, said it was those. The garage had to put a wiring harness, for about £50, which sorted the problem out. The wiring was causing a number of problems, which the garage put right, this harness solved a number of issues with the vehicle. In Great Britain, if any of the warning lights are on, during the MOT, it will definitely fail.
In college my friends and I dressed up as the characters and I was Penny (I’m the one artist amongst scientists), and I was driving my car with our Sheldon and Amy and Sheldon literally said “your check engine light is on”, and lo and behold it was! to which I responded “oh it’s nothing”. Minutes later we remembered the running gag on the show. Seems our character picks were pretty accurate
The Volkswagen Rabbit as far as I was aware didn't even have a Check Engine Light. They were a very simple design and only had a low oil pressure light, battery (alternator) charge light, and on some models a oxygen sensor light that would illuminate every 60K miles for you to check or replace the oxygen sensor.
I was charged $150 just for the dealer to tell me my Check Engine light being on was simply a false trip and there was nothing wrong. She was probably wise to ignore it.
Jeez, the tool to read the check engine light doesn't even cost $150. Well it probably costs about $150 now, I sold them 15 years ago. And bonus you don't even need to pop the hood to use it, the connection is in the interior of the car.
That’s funny about putting a sticker over the check engine light. I did the same thing in my 96 ford f150. Drove over 200000 miles and the truck still runs great with no problems
02:55 - 02:58. .. "pay me back when you can"
.. it shows how really a caring and loving brother Sheldon is
It also shows how little value he puts on money in and of itself. Mostly Sheldon is a PITA but in that ONE WAY I wish more of the world was like him.
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 What's PITA? Google tells me it is some kind of bread.
@@harishkulkarni7244 PITA is an acronym for P.ain I.n T.he @.ss
@@harishkulkarni7244 pain in the a$$
They kissed in one episode
"Don't be silly"
"I'm never silly"
Had me rolling 🤣
It’s protected by snakes 😂😂😂
this is why you dont buy VW 😂😂😂
Reminded me of young sheldon when his math teacher called him a silly man and he said he's neither a man nor silly😂
@@Wowxoxo69As a third generation German immigrant, I condemn you. However, as a Detroiter who works in the American automotive industry, I applaud you. 😂
"I don't drink."
"I do, I'll teach you."
🤣 🤣 🤣
The last clip, as a mechanic i can tell you that penny not only ignored the check engine light, the gas gauge and low fuel light, but also the temperature gauge and temp light 😂
Penny doesn’t understand the temperature gauge.
Don't forget the low oil light.
@@MustangsTrainsMowers doesn't need to, She is hot, she can get by on her looks.
And the Warp Field Integrity Light.
As a not mechanic, I can tell you that if I'm looking at the temp gauge it's already too late lol
0:42 "Is there a check the check engine light light?"
One of my favorite lines ever!
It blinks when it’s serious.
My all time favourite 🎉
Airplanes usually have a "lamp check" button.
Oh god that was funny 🤣.
Actually this is the reason that all the lights light up when you start the engine.
That engine lasted nearly 6 seasons before it broke down from not fixing it. Incredible.
In real life it would have lasted maybe 6 months.
It was a Volkswagen, a machine designed and built by a group of people who thrive in over engineering and redundancy. I'm kinda surprised it didn't last longer before finally biting the bullet
@chrisbrass8930 A friends check engine light in his Golf has been on for several years. Still running
@@matteagle42Common problem for VWs 😂
That`s because the car was "MADE IN GERMANY" and not "MADE IN THE US".
I love that Sheldon loaned Penny money
It’s so sweet
Even better was that Leonard pointed out it's the one thing he really does NOT care about...you could owe him money for your entire life and he'd never request it back.
ok
@@iamapokerface8992 ok
Yeah that's because Sheldon really liked Penny a lot.
Well he is socially extremly akward and just doesnt get human interaction the way normal people get - but he is a genuinly good guy
Kaley(Penny) and Jim(Sheldon) were the heart and soul of the show!!! Their interactions were AWESOME!!!
True, it’s when the opposites meet. It supposed to run parallel like railroad tracks. That’s what keeps the trains running otherwise in reality it’s not good.
@@asad-kc8zf Really good way of putting it! The best sitcoms are the ones centered around opposite dynamics, the one that aren’t where everyone is just more jolly lolly all the time are maybe more confomrting, but they’re not as interesting as those like TBBT lol
Chemistry
Penny is the chaos theory to Sheldon's orderly universe.
Best comment!😂
These two should've been in a spinoff series. They are so good together.
"Well your ken can kiss my barbie"
@Christopher Bingham bruh, he said spin off series not single episode
They were the main characters in the main series. Why bother with a spinoff?
It would get tired some fast
@@thechosenone1533 My thoughts exactly.
It had to be Sheldon in the car while that sorry engine showed a final "unchecked" reaction.
😂 we needed those monologues
I love how they made it a running joke throughout the series
i checked the engine once and, yes, it was still there. after that, i didnt really know what else the light wanted me to do.
Fluids (water or coolant) and leaks on gaskets
Put a scanner onto it and get the code
Penny's character possesses traits of both Sheldon and his mother, hence their on-set synergy. Nicely done, writers!
My Dad taught me to never ignore any lights that come on in my car. I was taught to have my oil changed regularly and was taught how to check the oil in my car. I had one car that needed oil all the time. I also checked my tires. Married a man who takes care of our cars. - I can’t believe there are parents that don’t teach their kids (especially their daughters) basic car maintenance.
The problem here are two things: Faulty check lights and dishonest car shops. Once it happened to you that you paid a bill for something that turned out to be unnecessary or for an "inspection" that didn't actually took place, you start to question every single check light and everything a car mechanic says. Especially if you are a woman. They automatically assume you are "mechanically disabled" and try every trick on you. There is also the practice to recommend oil changes and other maintenance way more frequently than it is actually necessary. Hyper capitalism turns all of us into financial predators and paranoids.
You obviously don't know the dynamic between Penny and her father.
The worst part is that stupid boomers just expect us to automatically learn, when what they did when trying to "teach us how to fix a car" was just to hold a lantern and get yelled at.
I've read enough testimonies and seen enough memes to know what it's been like.
Some of us don't have parents...
most people cannot afford to fix their car - that is why they let things go longer than they should
She checked the engine, and it was still there, so what are they complaining about?
😂 oh, I love this!
One and a half years passed after the engine repair in season 2 before the light was mentioned again in season 4.
If not compeletely broken don’t fix it
I thought it was, "if it's not completely broken don't fix it completely"? :-)
@@QuadraticPerplexity The phrase is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" meaning if something works well enough, leave it alone. That would be bad advice to take for the check engine light on a car, but people with limited funds, or are being lazy, might favor that phrase.
To be honest that car was expertly built if it lasted that long with engine problems.
Probably one of those old cars.
first generation Golf Cabrio (which still has been produced during the lifetime of the gen 2 Golf)
Update: must be Mk I cabrio with single front light, built from 79-87.
My shavi has a light and its doing just fine
Sometimes it's just a failed sensor, and nothing is mechanically wrong.
A check engine light just means a sensor isn't responding to the computer anymore...
The way Sheldon drove Penny to the hospital is me driving in the snow since my accident 😂 I feel bad for the poor people behind me but thank them for their willingness to put up with me by driving around me😂
I'm like that, too, in the snow. Sorry, you can just go around, but I'm not risking my life or my cars life 😅
6:22 what’s that?
Nothing the engine does that sometimes.
That’s can’t be nothing!!!
😂😂😂😂😂
Yeah I had a car like Penny's, and my check engine light has been on in my car for more than 5 years. I freaked out the first time I saw it, went to one of the most reputable mechanics in town to make sure my car wouldn't blow up and he said the sensor was broken from the gas cap or something. Still one of my most reliable cars I've had to this day.
If I put the bulb back in the check engine light on my truck, it would be on.
The problem is the "check engine" light is tied to many systems and could be anything from an electrical issue, to a gas cap seal, to a bad sensor. Add to that some automakers tie the light to your last oil change and use it to indicate you need maintenance, and it can mean something trivial, to more important.
That said, solid light means, "hey, go see your mechanic sometime soon." Flashing engine light means, "your engine is about to die, don't drive unless it's straight to your mechanic." As well.
Hence the need of "Check 'check-engine-light' Light" (jk 😂
@@ngaszeng129 Alternatively, give us normies a USB plug and an app so it can read out on our phones.... Then we can decide if taking it to the mechanic is the best option or not. After all... a bad seal on the gas cap isn't going to break the car... a cylinder not firing correctly *is*
@@Tank50us… um… that has been a thing for years. A Bluetooth code reader can be bought online, and the app downloaded to your phone.
Finally the light got the break it deserved 🤣
I love it when all the incidents are grouped together like this
It took everything for penny not to laugh at 1:13. 😂
Haha good catch😂. She clearly bites lips to control the facial muscle not to laugh. I did this all the time😂
He was also wearing a red shirt and got killed off of the mission.
8:00 Penny’s face 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
My absolute favourite, I don't care what I am doing while watching the show I will stop and concentrate during this scene
yikes!!!
8:02 Penny's face in shock
Ha Ha!
01:11 we could see kaley contorlling her laugh
This is why I named my first drivable car, Penny.🤣 My dad was Sheldon about it. In the end, the engine light wasn’t the problem but a drunk driver. I miss my little red car.
your first drivable car? Did you own non-driveable cars before that?
@@ThePsiclone Yes and I trusted someone who let me down. It cost to much to get running than it was worth. So I sold it and got a drivable car.
@@ThePsiclone ☕
Did the Drunk Driver Light come on?
3:37 Sheldon sounded like Snape😂😂😂
These random clips of Penny and Sheldon just talking are just the best and probably the highlights of this show. Rare few places where it surpasses even Seinfeld.
Seinfeld SUCKED!!!
Settle down
I put about 150k miles on a car with a check engine light lit the entire way. I completely defend Penny's cost effective car mechanic strategy.
I'm with you and Penny. Typically it's just an 02 sensor ie pollution control crap. NBD.
@@asmith8947 I'm guessing NBD means "no big deal", right?
Most important part of that cost effective strategy is to go to any parts store and have the codes read though. Costs nothing, and if the code is actually important, as it is maybe 5% of the time, then youll need to know that. Otherwise, ignore away EVAP, O2, some sensors, etc.
@@asmith8947 Which costs like a couple of bucks to replace so, better safe than sorry?
@@robertosswald5896 not to me. I like to roll the dice 🤪
I drove around a car with a check airbag system light for three years. I paid a dealer $122 to do absolutely nothing but tell me they were sure it would be fine. Turns out, it was a loose sensor wire under the passenger’s seat that I fixed myself. I traded that car shortly after for a newer car in which I was scammed by the dealer.
Today it's a big scam. Might as well call it the "Pay serviceman" light.
I hate airbag lights because most simple scan tools can't diagnose them. I inherited my dad's old Chrysler with that light on and it drove me nuts, finally paid a local collision shop $100 bucks to diagnose and luckily they "fixed" it free, it was just a sensor/wire under the driver's seat like your situation.
and im the king of pluto
My moms van had the check engine light on since 2012 did a DNS Code check nothing came up the V6 is still working on all cylinders 😂
This is one of the greatest running jokes lol.
This made me realize that Penny was by far the most sane of the group.
and yet the others are omga smart and have money
Not really
Not riding around with her check engine light on she isn't 😂😂😂😂
Na
@@kingdavid6535it’s called being broke. Sometimes you just have to kick the can down the road.
I love how people just think of check engine light as normal nowadays even though you know it’s actually important
6:02 best part 🤣
"I would've been more flattered if you were a homosexual." 😂😂😂😂😂❤
Sheldon is definitely right. The longer you ignore the problem, like a check engine light, the more expensive the problem gets. Nothing worse than being at a stop light, and having your timing belt snap.
I’ve had my check engine light on for ten years I think I’m good
Check engine light does not mean automatically that theres something critial happening in the engine.. It just means that the engine or transmission is not working propely or the cars internal computer identifies a problem, or the computer thinks theres a problem.
My old car had the light on for almost four years and the engine was more than perfect when i sold it.
Ofc, when the light appears, just plug in a computer and check if its critical or not.
What was my fault with the car? A fucking lambda sensor, that ive changed three times and it kept coming back, so the computer is faulty, not the engine.
@@virginiaarthur5same here. I’m not fixing an oxygen sensor
I don't think the CEL tells you if your timing belt needs to be replaced.
I can think of something worse... the timing belt snapping when you are on the highway...
let this be a reminder to those that have a car, when you see the "Check Engine" light blinking that means you have to have your engine checked right away unless you want the same exact problems that Penny's car had.
nah, wait until it goes pop !
@@dickyt1318 good point
A flashing check engine means there is a issue that can cause damage to the oxygen sensor or catalytic converter. That needs to looked at as soon as possible.
@@mattrodgers4878 you said it
@@rickymoranjr9609 I said it, but I don’t think you understood what I’m saying.
If the check engine light is on solid, and the car drives normally, it’s probably a nuisance trouble code. At your earliest convenience, go to a autozone, advance auto, or O’Riley auto parts store. They will pull the trouble code and tell you if it’s a serious issue, or one of the nuisance codes.
A FLASHING check engine light is much more serious. That means the PCM has detected a fault that could potentially damage the oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. Get that problem fixed asap.
Having said all that, if the Check Gauges light comes on, immediately stop driving it and find out why it’s on. If you don’t stop, more than likely the car will stop on its own, in a potentially bad situation, and almost certainly be very expensive to fix.
6:58 red light release accelerator and slowly apply the break... Nailed it! (sheldon)
like how penny's arm breaks?
use a dictionary
Check the check brake light first. Unless it is on, in which case using the brake can lead to malfunction of the brake and resulting percussive intersection of the vehicle trajectory with a rigid obstacle, gently apply the brake until the vehicle stops, but not too gently that the vehicle hits a solid obstacle of sufficient height and mass to be dangerous before coming to a halt.
Sheldon just giving Penny money when she needed it no questions asked was so sweet. Despite his awkwardness and unintentional rudeness sometimes, deep down he is a good friend
A few years ago, I had an old, but well taken care of car. The check engine light popped on, but I must have gone to a bad garage bc they “inspected” the car and couldn’t find anything. So I drove the car for months with the light on. Then I had a family emergency, had to fly, and left the car at my aunt’s house (who was actually the person who introduced me to BBT in the first place) and said “If for any reason you need to drive the car you can. Just be aware the check engine light is on. But its fine.” And she deadass looked at me and said “Everything ok Penny?” I died laughing.
Good one.
LOL
Kaley was so great in this show.
In the Adhesive Ducks Deficiency episode, Sheldon drives Penny to the hospital. When he questions the check engine light being on, she reveals that it had been on since she got the car.
Thanks for pointing that out. We saw that in this very video at 6:30. What were you watching?
ya that clip was in this video, drunkard
Poor Penny and that check engine lights. She's actually the funniest in BBT...😂😂
not even close
Sheldon is the funniest. There is a reason he is the most popular character, despite leonard originally being written as the main character
not at all
The check engine light is like your car's version of a cold... some much-needed sleep in the garage, and it'll be ready to go in the morning. 👍
My check engine light has been on for four years now 😂😂
My first car had a check engine light since I got it. It had it for like 7 years. Mechanics could never figure it out as whenever they scanned it, a blank code would pop up.
bad wiring in the dash its the same with my door light its just always on
This car always got her a mouthful from Sheldon 😂
She could definitely get a mouthful from me.
@@DrMcMoist she'd ignore you as much as she ignored anyone else
Volkswagen check engine lights will always be on, that's how you know it's working. Flashing check engine is the only time you have to worry
Das, Auto
My VW motor actually caught on fire once but kept running. My best friend was following and starting yelling at me. Lol
@@nana820able I bought the wife a VW Eos back in '09 that did that too lol. Terrible experience and will never buy a VW again, hell her old Chrysler Sebring convertible we replaced with the Eos was more reliable lol - but looking back on it our level of panic was funny lol.
@Idgaf It is quite scary. I'll never forget the fire spitting out but it was still running - sputtering but moving. I've not heard of an Eos? Mine was a 1964 bug. Some man had a fire extinguisher, stopped and put it out. My dad was so mad. Told me I should have told him to let it burn. Lol. Later I bought a newer model. Would love to have a new one but not big enough for my grandkids. Lol.
True very true
First car when I was a teenager did this. No matter how many times I took it to the mechanic and no matter what repairs were done to it, the check engine light was permanently on and never shut off. The car ran fine It was just something wrong with the light.
Basically, the light on older cars is tripped by _something_ and just stays on until it is reset. Like, one part or another might stutter on ignition, but work just fine otherwise. The light cannot detect whether or not the problem has ceased.
On modern car that usually an indication of failed oxygen sensor in catalytic converter. Can be safely ignored.
Was there a “Check the ‘Check Engine’ light” light on that car?
“the engine does that sometimes” 😂😂😂
Fun fact about Pennys car : The Volkswagen Golf 1 Convertible( or Rabbit in the US) has no check engine or empty fuel tank light.
It has an oil pressure warning light, a water temperature and pressure warning light.😂
I have a check engine light on for 5 years now on my 21 year old Volkswagon. It's fine and passed german inspection 3 times.
The check engine light indicates that there is sufficient energy stored in the battery to run the check engine light, which is good!
And that is why you don’t ignore the check engine light, EVER! So freakin hilarious! 😂😆🤣
A lot of people point out that despite their discrepancy in income Penny, Sheldon and Leonard live in the same building but (besides being a fucking TV show). This showcases very well that Penny was constantly broke and behind bills while Sheldon and Leonard have sizable savings and massive collections of pop culture paraphernalia that probably are worth more than the apartment
@@christopherbingham5092 He chose the long-term plan of avoiding the robot uprising where ATMs will lead the charge.
Sheldon and Leonard moved into the apartment when they have a much lower income. And Sheldon doesn't like change.
Actually Sheldon and a prior roommate moved into the apartment...
Blinker fluid is very important. You can't blink without it.
Why leave when u can keep living cheap n have lots of toys n Chinese takeout?
Also Penny's apartment is smaller in size to Leonard and Sheldon's apartment.
All of my lights come on now and again.. I try and hold my breath and drive faster home lol😂😅. I love penny!!!
I always thought it was kind of weird that Penny didn't know what the "check engine" light meant. It always seemed to be implied that Penny was at least somewhat mechanically inclined (i.e., all those stories about her working with things like tractors and such), so the idea that she wouldn't be aware of one of the most commonly known facts about car maintenance strikes me as a little dubious...
She's broke...she doesn't have money to pay...so usually avoiding it. Simple.
I think she is like most people
Ignore the problem
When you don't have money
Being mechanically inclined would also mean she’d be more aware of how the engine is running and if it really has a problem.
There’s a long list of codes that can cause a CEL and many of them aren’t going to hurt the engine.
She apparently could rebuild a tractor engine so I'm sure she knows there about Advance and Autozone and I bet she knows they will diagnose a CEL for free or lend you the tool to do it yourself (along with a bunch of other tools they lend). So the idea that she was so clueless about it never made sense to me. What would have shut Sheldon up in an instant would be for her to say, "yeah I went got a diagnostic and it turns out it's a nonessential sensors that doesn't affect the way the engine runs."
On a side note I'd like to know how she kept it registered for years in California with a CEL. In the Atlanta and Houston metro areas as in many other high population areas a CEL is an automatic fail on a smog test required to get your tags renewed and I know for FACT that all of California is even MORE strict about that.
She knew perfectly well what it meant, it meant she had two options, take it to a garage for repairs she could not afford, or ignore it
My god, I love Sheldon so much. 😂
Penny keeps ignoring the check engine light but everyone notices😂
they are my fave duo in the show lol
I know of a case where two different car services were unable to figure out what was causing an engine check light to come on, after repeated visits. They made guesswork attempts to fix it, that didn't work, and led to lost time and money.
What is the point of a diagnostic code, if it doesn't indicate exactly what is the problem?
I had an old car with over 300,000 miles on it that got an engine check light. The car was too old to be worth trying to fix it, but I continued driving it for more than a year, with no noticeable problem, whatsoever , until finally buying another car.
Penny is soo smart she forgot the blinker fluid lol
what about the long wait
I need a friend like Sheldon who just gives you a lot of money to pay back whenever.
Until you finally have money to pay him back and find out he has been charging you interest 🤣
Broke boy
Haha, never gets old
The writing on this show is The Best!😂
as someone else who is always broke; penny is so relateable
she isnt broke shes a leech
8:04 Notice the smoke completely covers Sheldon, but we can still see Penny's shocked expression. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If more 1:36 were made, we would not have to wait 10 seasons for Sheldon to becoming a semi normal human being
My check engine and epc lights on my golf mk4 2004 was on for months and then suddenly went away all on its own. Car drives perfectly 🤣
My favorite ongoing gag in the earlier episodes before Amy and Bernadette.
I once did that to a car. My therapist helped me see that I secretly hated the car because it reminded me of a cruel teacher.
I'm learning for my driver license and TH-cam suggesting me this.
That's because all phone apps spy steal your data and sell it.
Fun fact, if the light on the dash is Amber, it means to proceed with caution just like a yellow light at a stop sign. If on the other hand the light comes on is red. It means to pull over and find out what's wrong. If not, you'll be walking shortly anyway...
I drove a 1993 Honda Civic for 3 years with the check engine light on. I had it looked at multiple times and no one could figure out what was wrong with it, nor could they successfully reset the check engine light.
2003 Camry here, just about going on a year with the check engine light on.
I bought a 1986 Chevrolet C 30 new. I was driving to California with probably 5 to 8,000 miles on it when the check engine light came on. In a slight panic in the middle of the Arizona desert, I pulled over and looked it up in the owner's manual. It said "the emission control system has stopped working". Got back on the road and kept driving. Over the years that followed, I put tape over it because it was particularly bright and annoying, especially at night so I finally took the bulb out. That's it. I still drive it, has to be over 300,000 miles on it, original engine, even the original alternator. I keep up on stuff that breaks, wears out etc. For example, radiator leak, clutch, tires, brakes, belts etc. Sending units for the gas tanks, left tank rusted out and replaced, the gas tank selector switch and switching unit. Stuff I won't fix are the permanently disabled emissions stuff, speedometer (for now, shows 57,000 some odd miles), I MIGHT look into that next, and the air conditioner.
my car check engine light has been on now for 3 years. 😅
at least you know that your car is working 😂
Congrats, lol.
"Gotta put a sticker on that thing."
That's exactly what I did.
This operation should only be performed by a qualified mechanic at an exorbitant engine maintenance fee.
I know it's a running gag with the show, but after Penny spent $1200 to get her engine fixed, you'd think they would've run a diagnostic to figure out why the light was on before returning the car to her and fixed the problem.
the biggest blunder of Sheldon's was saying Penny's car weighed "lets say 4000 pounds" when its about 2000 pounds lighter then that lol even if he was guessing i would have thought he would get it spot on
Sheldon, the underrated friend.
Beverly's comment to "Yikes" made me unexpectedly choke on my food. I forgot how nonchalant that was.
I hope there is a season for Covid year. I am wondering how Sheldon would survive and what he would find ........
I’m not always a mechanic, but when I am, I remind people of their check engine light.
Remarkable that somebody who apparently rebuilt a tractor engine isn't capable of doing basic maintenance on her car. Even without the tools she could drive to an Advance or Autozone and borrow them (including one to diagnose that check engine light).
ya cause thatd make a great show.........................................................................
@@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821 actually it would. I'd love to see Penny working on her car. She's already shown to be a lot more capable and smart than the guys give her credit for and that would just reinforce that theme. This "I'm so helpless" storyline about the car is actually an aberration from her character arc.
In this scene Penny had enough of Sheldon's mouthy, uncensored comments about her car. She actually literally kicked him to the curb!
Yes, wouldn't you? 😂
@@theluschmaster no. I would've dropped him off to work, thank him for pointing out the engine light, and got it looked at. Because this time Sheldon's cause for concern was 100% LEGIT!
Never drive your car when the engine light is on. You risk ruining your engine, which is extremely expensive to replace. Most cases buying a new car would be a better solution than replacing the engine.
I can't believe im saying this but.... Sheldon was right!
@@Shark97281 lol he was annoying. it was about time penny drew a line with him
@@theluschmaster as annoying he was. His cause for concern was just. Now penny has to replace the engine. Which costs somewhere between $4,500-$7,000 (american) depending on the car. Not to mention paying to get the car towed, and paying mechanic to install said engine. Plus, she'll have to rent a car while its being repaired. The cost of those varies from state to state, but at this point, she might as well buy a new car!
She would have avoided a lot of headache if she listened to sheldon, and amy, and Leonard's mom.
Driving a car while the engine light is on is damaging your engine. You must get it looked at ASAP when this happens.
The fact that penny had the car running this long is nothing short of a miracle.
@@Shark97281 bullshit. Clearly, you have no automotive service knowledge or experience. It depends on the reason why the light is on.
The vast majority of check engine lights are caused by nuisance issues. Most of those nuisance issues are the result of government regulations brought on by the EPA.
Find a trusted skilled automotive technician to pull the trouble codes from the cars computer. If that’s to costly, most auto parts stores (autozone, advance auto, or o’Riley’s) will do it for you. They obviously won’t ox it, but you will at least know WHY the light is on. Once you have that info, you can decide what to do next.
If the check engine light is flashing, the there is the potential risk of serious expensive damage.
Most catastrophic engine problems can be avoided if people would simply pay attention to the gauges OTHER than the fuel gauge and speedometer. Most people never look at the oil pressure or temperature gauge. Occasionally look at them, get an idea of what they should’ve under normal conditions, if they suddenly have abnormal readings then figure out why IMMEDIATELY.
If the car runs and drives normally, then almost certainly the check engine light is a nuisance concern.
3:05, This explains how he got Penny to be his Friend. he bought her soul for the Price of an Engine.
That recurring joke arc is one of my favourite in the show (besides the Wheaton )
Does the VW Golf MK1 actually had a "check engine" light? 😃😃
As I remember MK1 and MK2 had only few LED's and closest ones could be for low oil pressure or high coolant temperature.
Bingo. I was looking for someone to say this.
A CEL being on is indicative of an emissions related issue. Sheldon's concern with the light is understandable with the strict emissions regulations of Southern California. Surprising she managed to get her tags renewed since a CEL would fail SMOG checks immediately forcing her to have it repaired.
Check engine light is usually a gas cap or you're running a bit rich, hardly a concern
Unless its blinking.
I had a cabriolet like that. Needed a little work but it ran great. Number 3 cylinder rings froze up but a little marvel mystery oil did the trick
I defend her decision to wait with the check engine light for a bit but you do need to be aware of any unusual sounds or if your car is sputtering. If that is the case you should have a trusted professional look at it. Also be super careful about having that stuff checked if what they say sounds fishy be sure to get a second opinion.
While it's true that you should get it checked out, it is also true that the 'Check Engine' light really has little to do with the actual engine and is almost entirely dependent on several sensors that monitor the 'Emissions Control' on the engine. Smog control sensors are what the light is linked to.
People discount them but sometimes they relate to real issues like if your fuel ratio control is messed up your engine will run like shit and/or you will burn more fuel than normal. And if the cat is gone it will maybe not affect you personally but it will release pretty nasty nitrogen compounds into the air. One person does it, no big deal, but if everyone did it we'd have Chinese city type smog
The engine light(yellow color) can sometimes be an issue with emissions so the car will work fine but if it flashing not good.
As someone who drives a puddle jumper of a car like and it's older than me I totally agree with Penny's decision.
I bought a van, which had the engine management light on permanently. The EGR valve, and one of the sensors was replaced, but they were not the problem, even though the diagnostic tool, said it was those.
The garage had to put a wiring harness, for about £50, which sorted the problem out. The wiring was causing a number of problems, which the garage put right, this harness solved a number of issues with the vehicle.
In Great Britain, if any of the warning lights are on, during the MOT, it will definitely fail.
In college my friends and I dressed up as the characters and I was Penny (I’m the one artist amongst scientists), and I was driving my car with our Sheldon and Amy and Sheldon literally said “your check engine light is on”, and lo and behold it was! to which I responded “oh it’s nothing”. Minutes later we remembered the running gag on the show. Seems our character picks were pretty accurate
and im the king of pluto
That’s awesome! Were you guys acting out the characters or did it come naturally?
The Volkswagen Rabbit as far as I was aware didn't even have a Check Engine Light. They were a very simple design and only had a low oil pressure light, battery (alternator) charge light, and on some models a oxygen sensor light that would illuminate every 60K miles for you to check or replace the oxygen sensor.
I came for this comment.
I was charged $150 just for the dealer to tell me my Check Engine light being on was simply a false trip and there was nothing wrong. She was probably wise to ignore it.
Although true sometimes.... if your engine light is on for days... its not a good idea to ignore this.
Jeez, the tool to read the check engine light doesn't even cost $150. Well it probably costs about $150 now, I sold them 15 years ago. And bonus you don't even need to pop the hood to use it, the connection is in the interior of the car.
That’s funny about putting a sticker over the check engine light. I did the same thing in my 96 ford f150. Drove over 200000 miles and the truck still runs great with no problems
Knock knock,
Who's there,
Rod,
Rod who?
Engine Rod.
chuckles