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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your Jeep is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few different ways. It can say "Check Engine", it can be a symbol of an engine, it can even be a combination of both. This light illuminates in either an amber or red color and is part of the diagnostics system found on your vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your Jeep. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as serious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Jeep, contact Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. Our Jeep service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is glaring. Contact Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram today!
Is it safe to drive your Jeep with the check engine light on?
This question is not unusually joyful because it all depends on the severity of the issue. If the cause is a minor issue, such as a loose gas cap, it should be safe to drive. This is generally indicated by a steady glow of the check engine light. If you notice a assortment in the performance of the car, it could be an indication of a more compelling problem. If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a compelling issue and it is recommended to service your Jeep rapidly. Call the experts at Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram by dialing 8136948784 so you can describe the issues. Or lower your speed and bring your Jeep to our certified mechanics as soon as viable.
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is consistently between $88 and $111. The beautiful news, Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help designate the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not properly tightened to a more rigorous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it beautiful to get the accurate code reading and diagnosis.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Jeep?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a serious problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and service is needed immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your Jeep, we highly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Jeep service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:
- One of the most innate and copious cause is that your Jeep gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Jeep serves multiple purposes. It prevents gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps maintain pressure within the fuel tank. What happens if you have a bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is departed or has a ruptured seal, you can lose fuel through evaporation which will result in more trips to the pump. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on immediately after you put gas in your Jeep, first thing you should check is to make fearless the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Jeep is what determines how much fuel is needed to run your engine efficiently by measuring the amount of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to certain changes, like altitude. If your Jeep is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your Jeep. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel variety in the combustion chamber of your vehicle. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run. The spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If you're spark plugs or spark plug wires are bad or departed, you will experience poor performance and reduced power. In some extreme cases, your engine will have trouble starting or continuing to run. Worn spark plugs and plug wires can cause clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, premium to more pricey repairs.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Jeep ’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A damaged catalytic converter is usually caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Jeep service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it revamped, your Jeep will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your car may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause other problems from overheating.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your Jeep if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound established, transport your to Jeep and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed well and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, chiefly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might value a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor perform and damage caused by poor installation perform corrected.
- Your Jeep has a vacuum leak. Every Jeep has a vacuum system that performs a expanded variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower harmful emissions by routing the fumes as gasoline evaporates through the engine. If you notice that your RPM is high in idle or randomly surges, a vacuum leak could be the cause. Over time, vacuum hoses can dry out and crack, chiefly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme freezing.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less energetic when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A faulty sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause damage to your catalytic converter and your Jeep 's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to opt for the correct variety of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in you Jeep every important. Without a car battery, your car won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s car batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Jeep you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
Jeep Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your Jeep starts glaring, that means that the problem needs sudden attention and your Jeep should be brought in abruptly. A glaring light implies that the problem is thoughtful and if not taken care of abruptly may result in major damage to the automobile. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A bad, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram expeditiously by calling 8136948784. If the problem is ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a unusually expensive repair.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your Jeep will usually shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is fixed. For example, if the cause of your check engine light coming on was a loose gas cap, if it's tightened, the light will turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is going functional, and you did a lot of stop-and-go driving, that may have turned on the check engine light due to the high usage of the converter. In most cases, your Jeep light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
Jeep Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminates, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear right away. If you hear the term, diagnostic trouble codes (DTC), these are just another name for check engine light codes. These are automotive computer codes stored by the ECM, also known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you useful knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, obvious and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Ignition system faults
- O2 Sensor
- Computer output circuit issues
- Old Battery
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Emissions controls issues
- Transmission issues
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how copious miles you can drive with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram to help designate if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.
Jeep Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other common reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Jeep Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as needed to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Jeep issue was fixed.
Every Jeep was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its crucial systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control unit. If the electronic control unit detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light illuminates telling you that there is a problem. However, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what exactly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Highly Qualified Service professional.
Check Engine Light Service Jeep
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Jeep and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Jeep owners, your heart sinks a little because you have little idea about what that light is trying to tell you or how you should react. The fear of the unknown (or the cost of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean you have to pull the car over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your Jeep checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.
When your Jeep 's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t correct, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is typically labeled “check engine” or “service engine soon”, or the light may be nothing more than a picture of an engine, or a picture of the engine with the word “check.”
When the light turns on, the ECM stores an engine code or “trouble code” in its memory that identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is read with an electronic scan tool that is used by our Jeep auto repair mechanics at Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you choose that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to determine the issue and repair it.