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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is hard to predict how innumerable miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis to help determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck.

2015 Chevrolet Equinox Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs speedy attention and your Chevrolet should be brought in hastily. A flashing light indicates that the problem is unsafe and if not taken care of hastily may result in major damage to the vehicle. This flashing light usually implies a harsh engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can quickly increase 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 exactly be the cause. A bad, common or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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 very fancy repair. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our department of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis expeditiously by calling 3176435230.

Is it safe to drive your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a precarious issue and it is recommended to service your Chevrolet Equinox expeditiously. This question is not very conspicuous 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 accurate to commute. This is regularly indicated by a consistent 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 dire problem. Call the advisors at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and deliver your 2015 Chevrolet to our certified mechanics as soon as accessible.

2015 Chevrolet Equinox Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are many possible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are innumerable amiable causes comprising something as easy as a loose gas cap. Disparate amiable reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a lot. 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 necessary 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 2015 Chevrolet Equinox was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its hard systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electrical control unit. If the electrical 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 unsound 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 Highly Qualified Service technical.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as common as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a extraordinary problem that could cause extraordinary damage to your engine and come with a big repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A dependable glow commonly means something less extraordinary but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in extraordinary trouble and service is fundamental urgently. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, we highly advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevrolet service immediately. Below is a list of the most typical reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • 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 efficient 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 2015 Chevrolet Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
  • Your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox has a vacuum leak. Every Chevrolet Equinox has a vacuum system that performs a colossal 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 barren out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to curious heat or extreme cold.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are imperative for your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. 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 bad 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, dominant to more expensive repairs.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox’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 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 fixed, your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your vehicle may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause big problems from overheating.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevrolet Equinox is what determines how much fuel is imperative 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 discreet changes, like altitude. If your Chevrolet Equinox is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
  • One of the most normal and copious cause is that your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox 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 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 expensive. If your check engine light turns on shortly after you put gas in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, first thing you should check is to make positive the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or big item can wreak havoc on your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox if it’s not installed accurately. 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 commonplace, deliver your Equinox to Chevrolet and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a slight bit more but could save you money from having to get low function and damage caused by low installation function corrected.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox is every vital. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevrolet you drive, but check our modern service coupons and specials.

2015 Chevrolet Equinox 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 additional 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 Equinox. There are hundreds of odd codes that your check engine light can suggest. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling prime diagnostics will give you practical knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is certainly supposed to do: be your guide. Regrettably, visible and practical vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of available OBD codes, there are also hundreds of available reasons for the light, including:

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

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

Check Engine Light Service 2015 Chevrolet Equinox

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevrolet Equinox and swiftly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevrolet 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 represent 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 2015 Chevrolet Equinox checked as soon as feasible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing decisive damage to pricey engine components.

When your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t handy, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is mostly 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 electrical scan tool that is used by our Chevrolet auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of relatively economical 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.

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

The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not properly tightened to a more excellent failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it extraordinary to get the accessible code reading and diagnosis. The central cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally 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.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few distinctive 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 variety of things for your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. Some of these include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of chance things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as strict as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevrolet service department can aid you read what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2015 Chevrolet Equinox will commonly 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 2015 Chevrolet Equinox light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you travel to work over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to transport it in to Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.