Is it safe to drive your 2016 Acura TLX with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a critical issue and it is recommended to service your Acura TLX immediately. This question is not exceedingly amicable 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 naturally 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 meaningful problem. Call the specialists at Crown Acura Richmond by dialing 8043618447 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2016 Acura to our certified technicians as soon as viable.
Check Engine Light Service 2016 Acura TLX
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Acura TLX and abruptly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Acura owners, your heart sinks a bit 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 2016 Acura TLX checked as soon as satisfactory. Ignoring that warning could end up causing essential wear and tear to fancy engine components.
When your 2016 Acura TLX's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t honest, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is constantly 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 investigate tool that is used by our Acura auto repair technicians at Crown Acura Richmond. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you choice that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced experienced to find out the issue and repair it.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2016 Acura TLX 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 reasonable, 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 Acura TLX light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you commute over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Crown Acura Richmond so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is frequently between $88 and $111. The excellent news, Crown Acura Richmond offers complimentary 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 accordingly tightened to a more unstable failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it excellent to get the possible code reading and diagnosis.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2016 Acura TLX?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as classic 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 gigantic repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A logical glow commonly means something less perilous but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in perilous trouble and service is basic abruptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2016 Acura TLX, we exceptionally suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Acura service today. Below is a list of the most authentic reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, daily as the O2 sensor, measures the sum of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less direct 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 Acura TLX's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to read the honorable 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.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2016 Acura TLX. 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 transport the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are bad or common, you will experience scanty 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, large to more pricey repairs.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or extra item can wreak havoc on your 2016 Acura TLX if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even stop the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound natural, bring your TLX to Acura and have our unit of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, highly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could save you money from having to get scanty work and damage caused by scanty installation work corrected.
- One of the most daily and many cause is that your 2016 Acura TLX gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2016 Acura TLX 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 common 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 swiftly after you put gas in your 2016 Acura TLX, first thing you should check is to make fearless the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- Your 2016 Acura TLX has a vacuum leak. Every Acura TLX has a vacuum system that performs a expansive variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps decrease bad 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, highly if they’re exposed to mighty heat or extreme chilled.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2016 Acura TLX is every decisive. 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 some decades ago, and they don't strictly require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Acura you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2016 Acura TLX’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 Crown Acura Richmond offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Acura service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2016 Acura TLX 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 extra problems from overheating.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Acura TLX is what determines how much fuel is crucial to run your engine efficiently by measuring the sum of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to conclusive changes, like altitude. If your Acura TLX is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
2016 Acura TLX Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless feasible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are many attentive causes including something as decisive as a loose gas cap. Extra attentive reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty head gasket, or defective spark plugs to name some. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Acura Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as essential to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Acura issue was fixed.
Every 2016 Acura TLX was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its necessary systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control team. If the electronic 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 strictly is guilty nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Crown Acura Richmond provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Highly Qualified Service licensed.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most constantly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2016 Acura TLX is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few distinct ways. It can say "Check Engine", it can be a symbol of an engine, it can even be a combination of both. This light lights up 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 Acura TLX. Some of these include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name various. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a assortment of peculiar things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as risky as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2016 Acura TLX, contact Crown Acura Richmond. Our Acura service department can help you read what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Crown Acura Richmond today!
2016 Acura TLX Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your 2016 Acura TLX starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Acura should be brought in immediately. A flashing light suggests that the problem is impressive and if not taken care of immediately may result in extensive damage to the car. This blinking light constantly suggests a draconian engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ditched into the exhaust system. There it can hastily raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is convenient, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can genuinely be the cause. A bad, departed or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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 very fancy repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive consultants at Crown Acura Richmond instantly by calling 8043618447.
2016 Acura TLX 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 good 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 TLX. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with some patience, tackling cooperative diagnostics will give you cooperative knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is certainly supposed to do: be your guide. Regrettably, noteworthy and cooperative 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:
- O2 Sensor
- Emissions controls issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Computer output circuit issues
- Old Battery
- Ignition system faults
- Transmission issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
This is why it is decisive 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 productive concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue noble away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Acura mechanic. Call Crown Acura Richmond at 8043618447 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Crown Acura Richmond to help embrace if your vehicle is reliable to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a damaging sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since all check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.