Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2015 Chevy Equinox will frequently 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 realistic, and you did various 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 Chevy Equinox 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.
Is it safe to drive your 2015 Chevy Equinox with the check engine light on?
This question is not greatly straightforward 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 practical glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the automobile, it could be an indication of a more unhealthy problem. If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a unhealthy issue and it is recommended to service your Chevy Equinox today. Call the consultants at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2015 Chevy to our certified mechanics as soon as feasible.
Check Engine Light Service 2015 Chevy Equinox
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Equinox and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevy 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 estimate 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 2015 Chevy Equinox checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing big damage to expensive engine parts.
When your 2015 Chevy 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 positive, 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 Chevy auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of relatively cheap 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 expert to suggest the issue and repair it.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2015 Chevy Equinox is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few definitive 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 2015 Chevy Equinox. 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 personal things. It can be as classic as your gas cap being loose or as active as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2015 Chevy Equinox, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevy service department can aid you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is glaring.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2015 Chevy Equinox?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as classic as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a strict problem that could cause strict 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 logical glow consistently means something less strict but a shining check engine light hints that your vehicle’s engine is in strict trouble and service is crucial today. If your check engine light is shining in your 2015 Chevy Equinox, we exceedingly suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevy service at this moment. Below is a list of the most prevailing reasons your check engine light can come on:
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2015 Chevy Equinox is every difficult. 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 Chevy you drive, but check our accessible service coupons and specials.
- One of the most accessible and frequent cause is that your 2015 Chevy Equinox gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2015 Chevy 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 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 expensive. If your check engine light turns on instantly after you put gas in your 2015 Chevy Equinox, first thing you should check is to make sure the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2015 Chevy 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 Chevy service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it fixed, your 2015 Chevy Equinox 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 extra problems from overheating.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replenished. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevy Equinox 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 prevailing changes, like altitude. If your Chevy Equinox is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a hasty change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or extra item can wreak havoc on your 2015 Chevy Equinox if it’s not installed appropriately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can dump the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prohibit the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound prevailing, bring your Equinox to Chevy and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, greatly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might price a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor perform and wear and tear caused by poor installation perform corrected.
- Your 2015 Chevy Equinox has a vacuum leak. Every Chevy Equinox has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce down damaging 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, greatly if they’re exposed to profound heat or extreme frosty.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replenished. 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 powerful 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 wear and tear to your catalytic converter and your 2015 Chevy Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to represent the right 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.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2015 Chevy Equinox. 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 your 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 wear and tear to ignition coils and O2 sensors, major to more expensive repairs.
2015 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are copious capacity causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several prevalent causes including something as uncomplicated as a loose gas cap. Other prevalent reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Chevy Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as basic to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Chevy issue was fixed.
Every 2015 Chevy 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 critical systems. The sensors are typically detecting conditions while sending data to the electrical control company. If the electrical control company 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 entirely is liable 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 Immensely Qualified Service trained.
2015 Chevy 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 another name for check engine light codes. These are automotive computer codes stored by the ECM, also attentive as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Equinox. There are hundreds of diverse codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you suitable knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is specifically supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, noteworthy and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of likely OBD codes, there are also hundreds of likely reasons for the light, including:
- O2 Sensor
- Ignition system faults
- Old Battery
- Transmission issues
- Emissions controls issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Computer output circuit issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
This is why it is remarkable 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 urgently by a certified Chevy mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a noteworthy concern, you risk damaging your car supplemental by not repairing the issue right away. Call Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis at 3176435230 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is frequently between $88 and $111. The terrific news, Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help represent 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 critical failure like a harmful catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it terrific to get the legal code reading and diagnosis.
2015 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light
A flashing light illustrates that the problem is risky and if not taken care of hastily may result in generous damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2015 Chevy Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs fast attention and your Chevy should be brought in hastily. This blinking light usually indicates a scrupulous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can swiftly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where wear and tear is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can strictly be the cause. A damaging, classic 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 incredibly expensive repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis now by calling 3176435230.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
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. Since any check engine code has its own level of severity, it is convoluted to predict how copious miles you can drive with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a destructive sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.