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Is it safe to drive your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado with the check engine light on?

This question is not very effortless 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 consistently indicated by a steady glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the vehicle, it could be an indication of a more risky problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a risky issue and it is recommended to service your Chevrolet Silverado instantly. Call the experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and deliver your 2013 Chevrolet to our certified mechanics as soon as careful.

How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?

It could be anything from a combative sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. 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 hard to predict how frequent miles you can drive with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis to help represent if your vehicle is protected to drive in or if we advise a tow truck.

2013 Chevrolet Silverado Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that scant light on your vehicle’s dashboard abruptly 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 famous as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Silverado. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a scant patience, tackling crucial diagnostics will give you pleasant knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is certainly supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, recognizable and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

  • Bad Spark Plugs
  • O2 Sensor
  • Fuel and air metering systems problems
  • Computer output circuit issues
  • Emissions controls issues
  • Ignition system faults
  • Transmission issues
  • Old Battery
  • Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out abruptly by a certified Chevrolet mechanic. Call Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis at 3176435230 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a relentless concern, you risk damaging your car distinct by not repairing the issue right away.

How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?

The average estimate for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is consistently between $88 and $111. The extraordinary news, Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not accurately tightened to a more harsh failure like a detrimental catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it extraordinary to get the realistic code reading and diagnosis.

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Chevrolet Silverado

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevrolet Silverado and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevrolet owners, your heart sinks a microscopic because you have microscopic idea about what that light is trying to tell you or how you should react. The fear of the unknown (or the estimate of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t represent you have to pull the automobile over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado checked as soon as attainable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to costly engine components.

When your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t favorable, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is generally 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 diagnose tool that is used by our Chevrolet auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you elect for that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced technical to mean the issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most generally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few contrasting ways. It can say "Check Engine", it can be a symbol of an engine, it can even be a combination of both. This light flashes 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 range of things for your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. 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 natural as your gas cap being loose or as hazardous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevrolet service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or analyze why your check engine light is twinkling.

2013 Chevrolet Silverado Check Engine Light

A twinkling light indicates that the problem is forceful and if not taken care of hastily may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs speedy attention and your Chevrolet should be brought in hastily. This blinking light usually expresses a stringent engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can suddenly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where wear and tear is likely, requiring an lavish repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can entirely be the cause. A bad, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is ignored or you continue to commute, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a exceedingly expensive repair. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis swiftly by calling 3176435230.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as prevalent as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a unhealthy problem that could cause unhealthy damage to your engine and come with a extraordinary repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A practical glow commonly means something less unhealthy but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in unhealthy trouble and service is necessary immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, we exceptionally suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevrolet service at this moment. Below is a list of the most typical reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or back-up item can wreak havoc on your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can deposit the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avert the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound natural, bring your Silverado to Chevrolet and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, chiefly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts initial place might price a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevrolet Silverado is what determines how much fuel is mandatory to run your engine efficiently by measuring the payment of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to definite changes, like altitude. If your Chevrolet Silverado is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a quick change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a destructive mass airflow sensor.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado is every profound. Without a automobile battery, your automobile won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s automobile batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't genuinely require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of Chevrolet you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
  • One of the most regular and bountiful cause is that your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 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 destructive fuel cap? If your gas cap is common 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 fancy. If your check engine light turns on instantly after you put gas in your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, initial thing you should check is to make confident the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are mandatory for your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture 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 your spark plugs or spark plug wires are destructive or common, you will experience low 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, central to more fancy repairs.
  • Your catalytic converter is destructive or going destructive. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's work 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 Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Chevrolet service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your automobile may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause back-up problems from overheating.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, regular as the O2 sensor, measures the payment of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less persuasive 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 2013 Chevrolet Silverado's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to learn the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A destructive O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
  • Your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado has a vacuum leak. Every Chevrolet Silverado has a vacuum system that performs a wide assortment of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen destructive 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 imposing heat or extreme freezing.

2013 Chevrolet Silverado Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are innumerable achievable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are copious prevalent causes including something as easy as a loose gas cap. Different prevalent reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet issue was fixed.

Every 2013 Chevrolet Silverado was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its hard 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 truly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Extremely Qualified Service trained.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 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 2013 Chevrolet Silverado light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you commute over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.