CHEVROLET Equinox Check Engine Light

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The good news, Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues offers completely free multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not perfectly tightened to a more serious failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the proper code reading and diagnosis.

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

This question is not exceedingly simple 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 usually indicated by a steady 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 serious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your CHEVROLET Equinox expeditiously. Call the experts at Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues by dialing 9045745317 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your CHEVROLET to our certified mechanics as promptly as imaginable.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your CHEVROLET Equinox is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the critical onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a variety of different 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your CHEVROLET Equinox. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean an assortment of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your CHEVROLET Equinox, contact Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues. Contact Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues today! Our CHEVROLET 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.

CHEVROLET Equinox Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other generally common reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, defective emissions control part, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, defective head gasket, damaged oxygen sensor, or faulty 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 totally 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 totally fixed.

Every CHEVROLET 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 quick sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending essential 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. Nonetheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what explicitly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Tremendously Qualified Service professional.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues to help determine if your car is secure to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is typically difficult to predict how many miles you can be secure in driving 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 bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your CHEVROLET 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 instantly turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is working properly, 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 CHEVROLET 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 Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Check Engine Light Service CHEVROLET Equinox

What do you do when you’re driving along in your CHEVROLET Equinox and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most CHEVROLET owners, your heart sinks drastically because you may have precisely 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, serene 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 CHEVROLET Equinox checked expeditiously. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, major damage to costly engine components.

When your CHEVROLET 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 correct, 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 can promptly identify 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 Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues. There are still a number of essentially 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 determine the precisely correct issue and repair it.

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

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Still, the check engine light could again be a warning of a meaningful problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and costly repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow typically means something less serious but a flashing check engine light reveals that your vehicle’s engine is in significant trouble and useful service is needed expeditiously. If your check engine light is flashing in your CHEVROLET Equinox, we immensely advocate not to drive the car and schedule CHEVROLET service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your CHEVROLET Equinox is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 CHEVROLET Equinox is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a essential sign of a faulty mass airflow sensor.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your CHEVROLET Equinox if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Equinox to CHEVROLET and have our team of skilled certified mechanics guarantee that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save substantially 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 CHEVROLET Equinox’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A broken catalytic converter is normally caused by invariably neglected maintenance, which is why Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues offers a free multi-point examination with every CHEVROLET service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your CHEVROLET 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 other dangerous problems from overheating.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your CHEVROLET Equinox is every vital. 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 CHEVROLET you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your CHEVROLET Equinox gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your CHEVROLET Equinox serves multiple purposes. It prevents hazardous 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 faulty 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 and be more expensive. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't expensive. If your check engine light turns on instantly after you put gas in your CHEVROLET 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your CHEVROLET 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 smooth. 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 old, you will experience a noticeable 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, leading to more expensive repairs.
• Your CHEVROLET Equinox has a vacuum leak. Every CHEVROLET 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 intense heat or extreme cold.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. 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 more immediately and your vehicle will be less efficient 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 serious damage to your catalytic converter and your CHEVROLET Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the exactly correct mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A faulty O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.

CHEVROLET Equinox Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your CHEVROLET Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention quickly and your CHEVROLET should be brought in expeditiously. A flashing light reveals that the problem is extremely serious and if not taken care of quickly may result in major and meaningful damage to the vehicle. This blinking light usually signifies a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can instantly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an pricey and considerable repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can definitely be the cause. A faulty, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is invariably flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues swiftly by calling 9045745317. If the problem is entirely ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a remarkably expensive repair.

CHEVROLET Equinox Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, exceptionally to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminate, 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, still known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Equinox. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can correctly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you helpful knowledge about your vehicle and will still allow that crucial Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, evident and helpful vehicle symptoms do not consistently accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are still hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out rapidly by a adept certified CHEVROLET mechanic. Call Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues at 9045745317 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!