Engine failure is a vehicle owner's worst nightmare. And it can seem like it happens when you least expect it, often at night or on the weekend.

With that in mind, here are some tips for dealing with engine failure and how to avoid it in the first place:

Check Engine Light - If your Check Engine light turns on, that means there's something wrong with your engine. It could be anything from a loose gas cap to an expensive sensor malfunction - but whatever the problem is, it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.

Engine Overheating - Car engines may overheat for a variety of reasons, such as coolant leaks, bad coolant pump, broken hose or too much internal friction. This could lead to complete engine failure if not fixed.

Noisy Valve Tappets - Your valve tappets are small parts of metal that sit between your car's valves and its camshaft. They make ticking noises when damaged or worn out. If they're damaged or worn out, they can lead to a failing engine so you need to get them replaced as soon as possible.

There are many reasons why the check engine light may be on in your car. The most common reason is a problem with the emissions system, but there are many other possibilities.

Whether you need a quick fix or something more extensive depends on what's causing the light to come on. Here's a look at some of the possible problems and how much they're likely to cost you to repair:

1.Loose gas cap. This is one of the most common causes of check engine lights, and it's easy to remedy if it's the problem. When you remove your gas cap, check for cracks or other damage that could cause your vehicle to lose fuel or allow contaminants into the fuel system. If it's just loose, tighten it and wait for a day or two to see if the light goes off by itself. If it doesn't, you'll need to pull the trouble codes from your computer using an OBD-II scanner.

2.Faulty oxygen sensor: The oxygen sensor is used by your computer to determine how much air is in your exhaust stream; this information helps it calculate how much fuel needs to be added during combustion. One of these sensors can go bad over time due to normal wear and tear, and when that happens, your check engine light will come on. The computer may also register a code related to the oxygen sensor or lean mixture problem, which will help you narrow down what's wrong with your vehicle.

3.Faulty catalytic converter: This component works with the oxygen sensors to reduce the toxicity of your exhaust, but it can become clogged with carbon deposits or damaged over time. When this happens, excessive emissions will be released from your tailpipe, and the computer will recognize that, causing the light to come on. You may also notice a drop in fuel economy, misfiring or vehicle shaking.

4.Mass airflow sensor: This sensor measures how much air is entering the engine so that your computer can inject the right amount of fuel; if this goes bad, it will cause problems with your fuel mixture and trigger a check engine light.

5.Spark plugs: The spark plug ignites the fuel in each cylinder of your engine to get it running; if you see a check engine light or are experiencing starting problems, ask a mechanic to check your spark plugs.