My check engine light is on, changing the oil fix the problem?

i dont know whats going on, i have a 2004 volkswagen passat 1.8 turbo.i checked my oil its kinda dark...brownish,dark. i havent changed the oil maybe after 3000 miles or the filter. the car sounds fine, runs fine. but i have 1000 mile trip coming up this saturday and i dont wanna risk getting stuck in the middle of the desert. HELP??My check engine light is on, changing the oil fix the problem?
The check engine light is lit because a sensor was reading out of normal range, and a code has been set in the computer. It has nothing to do with the oil needing to be changed.





Have the codes read (many auto parts stores will do this for you for free) and see what the problem is.My check engine light is on, changing the oil fix the problem?
Before you spend any money having someplace put it on the computer to read the codes, try tightening your gas cap.





One of the most commonly seen codes is for ';minor exhaust system leak'; which can be caused by a gas cap that was not tightened when it was replaced the last time you bought gas.
You should have stated the mileage, some vehicles have the CEL come on to get you into the dealer to make sure you have done required maintenance.





Otherwise, there are numerous engine faults that will cause the CEL to come on to warn you that something needs attention.





Ergo, you need to visit a dealer.
Sometimes if it's a newer car, you can take it to the dealer and they press a button and it just goes off. Sounds stupid but I've had to do it.
Changing the oil will not make the check engine light go out. You need to have it scanned to find out what may be wrong
Light isn't from not changing oil.
no go to autozone and have them run an odb2 diagnostic on your car that will tell you whats wrong





www.tellmemark.com
Nope! Take it to an autoparts store and have them check it for free.