Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light

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

This question is not very clear 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 commonly indicated by a steady 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 alluring problem. If the check engine light is glaring, this means that there is a alluring issue and it is recommended to service your Chevy Equinox immediately. Call the experts at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis by dialing 3176435230 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and deliver your Chevy to our certified mechanics as soon as potential.

Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are many capacity causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several ordinary causes including something as ordinary as a loose gas cap. Other ordinary reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, 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 Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as imperative 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 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 normal systems. The sensors are continuously detecting conditions while sending data to the computerized control team. If the computerized control team 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 mistaken 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 Exceptionally Qualified Service professional.

Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light

A flashing light illustrates that the problem is risky and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your Chevy Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your Chevy should be brought in expeditiously. This blinking light typically suggests a persuasive engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly surge the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is viable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can entirely be the cause. A harmful, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our department of automotive advisors at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis promptly 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 excessively expensive repair.

Check Engine Light Service Chevy Equinox

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Equinox and suddenly, a yellow light brightens on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevy owners, your heart sinks a slight because you have slight 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 vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your Chevy Equinox checked as soon as direct. Ignoring that warning could end up causing gigantic damage to pricey engine components.

When your Chevy Equinox's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the computerized control system that it can’t available, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is frequently 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 probe tool that is used by our Chevy auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis. There are also a number of comparably reasonable 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 experienced to pick the issue and repair it.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Chevy Equinox will frequently shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is revamped. 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 practical, 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 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.

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

The average price for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The convenient news, Bill Estes Chevy Indianapolis offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help imply the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not correctly tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it convenient to get the agreeable code reading and diagnosis.

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 known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Equinox. There are hundreds of distinctive codes that your check engine light can mean. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling meaningful diagnostics will give you accessible 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, discernable and charming 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
• Old Battery
• Emissions controls issues
• Ignition system faults
• Computer output circuit issues
• Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
• Transmission issues
• Fuel and air metering systems problems
• Bad Spark Plugs

This is why it is natural for someone who does not have various of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out swiftly 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 compelling concern, you risk damaging your automobile further by not repairing the issue right away.

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

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as clear-cut as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a critical problem that could cause critical wear and tear 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 consistent glow mostly means something less critical but a twinkling check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in critical trouble and service is basic quickly. If your check engine light is twinkling in your Chevy Equinox, we particularly advocate not to drive the automobile and schedule Chevy service today. Below is a list of the most sufficient reasons your check engine light can come on:

• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Chevy Equinox is every adequate. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevy you drive, but check our elaborate service coupons and specials.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be changed. 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 fewer active 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 Chevy Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to choose 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 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 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 damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, extensive to more expensive repairs.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be changed. 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 certain changes, like altitude. If your Chevy Equinox is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a precipitous 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 substitute item can wreak havoc on your Chevy Equinox if it’s not installed accurately. 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 natural, 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, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts original place might cost a miniature bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• One of the most natural and many cause is that your Chevy Equinox gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 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 immediately after you put gas in your Chevy Equinox, original thing you should check is to make convinced 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 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 normally 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 Chevy 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 substitute problems from overheating.
• Your 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 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 extraordinary heat or extreme frigid.

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

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

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your Chevy 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 brightens 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 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 distinct things. It can be as pure as your gas cap being loose or as astonishing as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Chevy Equinox, 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 flashing.