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What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2017 Chevy Malibu?

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 perilous problem that could cause perilous 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 commonly means something less perilous but a shining check engine light hints that your vehicle’s engine is in perilous trouble and service is crucial immediately. If your check engine light is shining in your 2017 Chevy Malibu, we very advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevy service straightaway. Below is a list of the most daily reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2017 Chevy Malibu is every effective. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevy you drive, but check our ongoing service coupons and specials.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2017 Chevy Malibu. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel collection 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 erstwhile, 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, extensive to more expensive repairs.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, noted as the O2 sensor, measures the fee 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 2017 Chevy Malibu's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to illustrate the right collection of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
  • Your 2017 Chevy Malibu has a vacuum leak. Every Chevy Malibu has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps cut contentious 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 arid out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to exciting heat or extreme bleak.
  • One of the most normal and frequent cause is that your 2017 Chevy Malibu gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2017 Chevy Malibu 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 erstwhile 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 2017 Chevy Malibu, first 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2017 Chevy Malibu if it’s not installed appropriately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound appreciative, transport your Malibu to Chevy and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2017 Chevy Malibu’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 repaired, your 2017 Chevy Malibu 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 added problems from overheating.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevy Malibu is what determines how much fuel is crucial to run your engine efficiently by measuring the fee 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 Chevy Malibu is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a chilly change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2017 Chevy Malibu will typically 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 obvious, 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 2017 Chevy Malibu 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.

2017 Chevy Malibu Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless possible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are innumerable accepted causes consisting something as easy as a loose gas cap. Added accepted reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, 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 Chevy 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 Chevy issue was serviced.

Every 2017 Chevy Malibu was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the automobile on its laborious systems. The sensors are often detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control squad. If the electronic control squad 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 explicitly 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 Hugely Qualified Service high-tech.

2017 Chevy Malibu 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 acknowledged as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Malibu. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling mandatory diagnostics will give you favorable 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, evident and accessible 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:

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

This is why it is imperative 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 notable concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out instantly by a certified Chevy mechanic. Call Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis at 3176435230 swiftly or schedule your check engine light service online today!

2017 Chevy Malibu Check Engine Light

A flashing light hints that the problem is alarming and if not taken care of shortly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2017 Chevy Malibu starts flashing, that means that the problem needs speedy attention and your Chevy should be brought in shortly. This flashing light constantly indicates a rigorous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be drained 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 strictly be the cause. A destructive, former or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our company of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis immediately by calling 3176435230. 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 largely expensive repair.

Is it safe to drive your 2017 Chevy Malibu with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a treacherous issue and it is recommended to service your Chevy Malibu immediately. This question is not very easy 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 travel to work. This is regularly indicated by a sane glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the car, it could be an indication of a more unsafe problem. Call the veterans at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2017 Chevy to our certified mechanics as soon as direct.

Check Engine Light Service 2017 Chevy Malibu

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Malibu and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevy owners, your heart sinks a tiny because you have tiny 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 automobile over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2017 Chevy Malibu checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2017 Chevy Malibu's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t suitable, 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 observe tool that is used by our Chevy auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of comparably inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you prefer that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced trained to read the issue and repair it.

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

The middle price for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The judicious 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 perilous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it judicious to get the instinctive code reading and diagnosis.

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

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

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most regularly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2017 Chevy Malibu is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few individual 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 2017 Chevy Malibu. Some of these include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of odd things. It can be as straightforward as your gas cap being loose or as efficient as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2017 Chevy Malibu, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevy service department can help you learn what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is blinking.