If an engine sensor is faulty, the car will usually use made up sensor values to keep running. Drive the car for a while and see if the light goes out (note that it may take a couple of restarts of the engine to make the light go out). Why Is My Check Engine Light On Engineering Automotive Design Light Of course, that depends on which code is stored in the vehicle’s computer. Can u drive with check engine light on . It may come on and stay on or it may be flashing. You can undoubtedly drive for another 50 to 100 miles with the check engine light on. Depending on the reason for the check engine light, sometimes no further damage will happen to your vehicle if you complete your trip before scheduling maintenance. Can you drive with check engine light on? When the check engine light comes on, you can still drive it for 50 to 100 miles, equivalent to 80 to 160. Toby carr wrote a great answer. For example, something as simple as a loose gas cap can trigger the warning....