You received a lot of good information. Don't rely on anything a person that is mad at God tells you.
Putting tape over the light is never a good idea. There are instances when you could blow up a good engine. This could be if a temp sensor malfunctions resulting in the engine fans not working.
A person could be driving along, listening to God is not real cd's, with the light taped. The vehicle overheat and melt down. The good news is that a person can not blame God because of disbelief.
--A light that continually comes on and goes off is an indication that there is a problem and maintenance is required.
Anyhow, most of the other answers were, to a degree, correct. But---to solve any confusion I will give you the real scoop.
The check engine comes on to warn a driver of a malfunction. When this happens a code is set. There are two types of codes;
1)- hard code- This will illuminate the check engine light and it will stay on. When the light is on(and a code set) the computer will stop using the information supplied by the sensor and provide a set of variables with preset paremeters. This can result in reduced fuel economy and needs to be addressed.
2)- Soft code. If the computer receives information that is not within the set paremeters the light will come on, but if the situation is corrected, go off. The computer may continue to operate normally as suggested and may "cycle out" and return to normal functions. There is a chance the codes will still be listed and needs to be cleared for two reasons; A)- To be certain a code stored is not affecting the engine, B)- To ensure that the codes are cleared for diagnostic perposes.
I would like to inform you that finding a good technician these days is not as easy as it would seem.
--A parts replacer or general mechanic is not a computer technician. Just having an ASE patch and a machine does not either. The parts houses can pull codes but also sell an untold amount of parts that are not needed every year.
A problem that might not be serious, such as a small vacuum leak, can actually set several codes. A vacuum leak would cause the engine to run lean and possibly set a lean oxygen sensor code. When the engine runs lean the oxygen sensor will send infomation to the computer that will attempt to correct this by providing more fuel. This might even set a rich oxygen code. A vaccum leak may also cause an idle problem. This may set an IAC code. A leak can also set a B/Map code.
I am telling you this so you will know that a code does not mean that a particular part is always defective, as some places might lead you to believe, but needs to be looked at.
The solution;
Have the codes cleared or clear them. The parts house can usually do this for no charge. A person can clear the codes by removing the negative battery cable for 10 of 15 seconds. Remember this will result in the radio needing to be reset.
Drive the vehicle to see if the problem arises again. If not, good. If so, you might want to get the vehicle looked at.
Personally, with the knowledge that there are a lot of less than knowledgable experts out there, I would not have repairs attempted unless the check engine light stays on or comes on and goes off several times. That is why I stated at the beginning that many of the answers were correct to a degree, except for one.
Hope this helps.