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 accurately tightened to a more critical failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it satisfying to get the accessible code reading and diagnosis. The average price for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The satisfying news, Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help learn the cause of your check engine light.
2016 Chevrolet Silverado Check Engine Light
A flashing light indicates that the problem is unhealthy and if not taken care of immediately may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado starts flashing, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your Chevrolet should be brought in immediately. This shining light typically hints a rigorous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can immediately hike the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is achievable, 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, erstwhile 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 very costly repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis now by calling 3176435230.
2016 Chevrolet Silverado 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 acceptable as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Silverado. There are hundreds of innumerable codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling vital diagnostics will give you conducive knowledge about your automobile and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Regrettably, easy and helpful automobile 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:
- Transmission issues
- Emissions controls issues
- Computer output circuit issues
- Ignition system faults
- Bad Spark Plugs
- O2 Sensor
- Old Battery
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
This is why it is notable for someone who does not have plentiful of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out promptly by a certified Chevrolet mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a unsafe concern, you risk damaging your vehicle additional 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 many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. If you check engine light is blinking, we determine that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis to help choose if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we determine a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is hard to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a destructive sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as effortless as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a phenomenal problem that could cause phenomenal break 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 efficient glow typically means something less phenomenal but a blinking check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in phenomenal trouble and service is needed immediately. If your check engine light is blinking in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, we highly advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevrolet service immediately. Below is a list of the most effortless reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can deposit the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound plain, transport your Silverado to Chevrolet and have our team of certified technicians 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 earliest place might cost a miniature bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado is every basic. 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 rate of a new one depends on the type of Chevrolet you drive, but check our actual service coupons and specials.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replenished. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevrolet Silverado is what determines how much fuel is crucial 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 responsive changes, like altitude. If your Chevrolet Silverado is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
- One of the most prevailing and several cause is that your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2016 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 bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is classic 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 quickly after you put gas in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, earliest thing you should check is to make satisfied the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- Your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado has a vacuum leak. Every Chevrolet Silverado has a vacuum system that performs a big 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, especially if they’re exposed to important heat or extreme freezing.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado’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 repaired, your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 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.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2016 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 bad or classic, 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, big to more pricey repairs.
- 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 accurate 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to indicate the right mixture 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.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most typically misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a lot. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a variety of different things. It can be as straightforward as your gas cap being loose or as risky as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevrolet service department can help you learn what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.
Is it safe to drive your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado with the check engine light on?
This question is not especially straightforward because it each 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 dependable 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 treacherous problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a treacherous issue and it is recommended to service your Chevrolet Silverado immediately. Call the experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2016 Chevrolet to our certified mechanics as soon as likely.
2016 Chevrolet Silverado Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are bountiful likely causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are plentiful authentic causes incorporating something as authentic as a loose gas cap. Alternative authentic reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow 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 Mechanics 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 repaired.
Every 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 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 computerized control unit. If the computerized control unit detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light lights up telling you that there is a problem. However, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what certainly 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 Extraordinarily Qualified Service technical.
Check Engine Light Service 2016 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 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 endorse 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado checked as soon as essential. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.
When your 2016 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 anxious, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is commonly 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 Chevrolet auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of relatively miniature code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you designate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced technical to determine the issue and repair it.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado will usually shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is repaired. 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 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 Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.