2020 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that microscopic 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 Equinox. There are hundreds of gigantic codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a microscopic patience, tackling gigantic diagnostics will give you handy knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, miraculous and handy 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:
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Old Battery
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- O2 Sensor
- Emissions controls issues
- Transmission issues
- Ignition system faults
- Computer output circuit issues
This is why it is essential 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 expeditiously by a certified Chevy 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 unhealthy concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away.
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. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is twinkling, we recommend that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis to help choose if your vehicle is safe to commute in or if we recommend a tow truck. Since all check engine code has its own level of severity, it is complicated to predict how countless miles you can commute with the warning light on.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2020 Chevy Equinox?
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 draconian problem that could cause draconian break to your engine and come with a generous repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persistent glow generally means something less draconian but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in draconian trouble and service is needed at this moment. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2020 Chevy Equinox, we exceedingly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Chevy service today. Below is a list of the most traditional reasons your check engine light can come on:
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2020 Chevy 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 damaging or old, 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 expensive repairs.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the deposit of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less noble 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 2020 Chevy Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to suggest the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A damaging O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2020 Chevy Equinox is every extraordinary. 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 current service coupons and specials.
- One of the most classic and frequent cause is that your 2020 Chevy Equinox gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2020 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 damaging fuel cap? If your gas cap is old 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 quickly after you put gas in your 2020 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 2020 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 lower 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 dry out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to bizarre heat or extreme brisk.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevy Equinox is what determines how much fuel is crucial to run your engine efficiently by measuring the deposit of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to genuine changes, like altitude. If your Chevy Equinox is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a immediate change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a damaging mass airflow sensor.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2020 Chevy Equinox if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avoid the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound commonplace, deliver your Equinox 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 modest bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
- Your catalytic converter is damaging or going damaging. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2020 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 repaired, your 2020 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 other problems from overheating.
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 bizarre failure like a destructive catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it easy to get the fair code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The easy news, Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help read the cause of your check engine light.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2020 Chevy Equinox is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few back-up 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 mixture of things for your 2020 Chevy Equinox. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can choose a variety of accessible things. It can be as pure as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2020 Chevy Equinox, contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. Contact Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis today! Our Chevy service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.
2020 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light
A flashing light indicates that the problem is strict and if not taken care of promptly may result in big break to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2020 Chevy Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Chevy should be brought in promptly. This shining light usually indicates a relentless engine misfire allowing unused fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can instantly enhance the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is conceivable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can precisely 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 excessively expensive repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our department of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis rapidly by calling 3176435230.
Check Engine Light Service 2020 Chevy Equinox
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Equinox and abruptly, 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 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 car over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2020 Chevy Equinox checked as soon as available. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.
When your 2020 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 noble, 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 computerized scan tool that is used by our Chevy 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 choose that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to choose the issue and repair it.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2020 Chevy Equinox 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 realistic, 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 2020 Chevy Equinox 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.
Is it safe to drive your 2020 Chevy Equinox with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a strict issue and it is recommended to service your Chevy Equinox shortly. 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 commute. This is constantly indicated by a persistent 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 draconian problem. Call the experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and deliver your 2020 Chevy to our certified mechanics as soon as feasible.
2020 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless achievable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several modern causes including something as prevalent as a loose gas cap. Back-up modern reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, damaged oxygen sensor, 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 mandatory 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 2020 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 crucial 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 totally is incorrect 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 professional.