2002 grand am, service engine light

im not really good with mecanics, or anything to do with cars, but i have a question.

My car is in brand-newish condition, 2002 grandam, 65k miles, and the service engine soon light came on, i freaked out when i saw that, and read the manual about it. Does anyone know how/ or what it means? The manual really didnt tell me much.

It can come on for a number of reasons. The only way to tell for sure is by getting it scanned. Some places such as autozone will scan it for free and the codes will suggest resolution. One VERY common cause is loose or improperly sealed (on crooked) gas cap. I would check that first and if its not tight (I always tighten to 3 clicks or so) try fixing that and see if it goes away after a few cycles of starting and stopping engine (may take a day or 2).

Thank you Chameleon-kat not sure if thats the reason, but i apperiate your advice!