Depending on the manufacturer, there may be more than one “check engine” light in your dashboard. Initially. cars had “engine” warning lights that would come on in the event of low oil pressure or overheating. Modern computer-controlled vehicles use a “check engine” light to indicate a malfunction recognized by the car's computer (or electronic control module). This could mean that the car is overheating, but in most cases, it is because a sensor is reading data to indicate that there is a problem. It is recommended to bring your car in to have the problem diagnosed, which will often include a computer system diagnostic check to see if any trouble codes were set by the computer.