2012 Toyota Tacoma Check Engine Light

2012 Toyota Tacoma Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that small light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly lights up, 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 common as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Tacoma. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can mean. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling fundamental diagnostics will give you congenial knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is truly supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, clear and authentic vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of potential OBD codes, there are also hundreds of potential reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is notable for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Nalley Toyota Stonecrest at 7706290279 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out abruptly by a certified Toyota mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a rigorous concern, you risk detrimental 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 flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Nalley Toyota Stonecrest to help illustrate if your vehicle is lucid to drive in or if we advise a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how plentiful miles you can drive with the warning light on.

Is it safe to drive your 2012 Toyota Tacoma with the check engine light on?

This question is not highly effortless 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 protected to drive. This is frequently indicated by a consistent 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 strict problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a strict issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Tacoma rapidly. Call the experts at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest by dialing 7706290279 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2012 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as attentive.

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 perfectly tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it marvelous to get the lawful code reading and diagnosis. The central value for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The marvelous news, Nalley Toyota Stonecrest offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help choose the cause of your check engine light.

2012 Toyota Tacoma Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is consistent and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in curious damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2012 Toyota Tacoma starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Toyota should be brought in expeditiously. This blinking light usually hints a harsh engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can quickly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is feasible, requiring an lavish repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically be the cause. A bad, historic or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive advisors at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest immediately by calling 7706290279. 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 incredibly expensive repair.

Check Engine Light Service 2012 Toyota Tacoma

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota Tacoma and urgently, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma checked as soon as potential. Ignoring that warning could end up causing comprehensive damage to pricey engine components.

When your 2012 Toyota Tacoma's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t positive, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is normally 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 find out with an electronic audit tool that is used by our Toyota auto repair mechanics at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest. There are also a number of comparatively 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 indicate the issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most typically misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 Toyota Tacoma is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few contrasting 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma. 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 alternative things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as persuasive as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 Toyota Tacoma, contact Nalley Toyota Stonecrest. Our Toyota service department can help you determine what code is turning your check engine light on or inspect why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Nalley Toyota Stonecrest today!

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2012 Toyota Tacoma 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 adequate, 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that reward and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Nalley Toyota Stonecrest so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Toyota Tacoma?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as prevailing as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a important problem that could cause important damage to your engine and come with a large repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less important but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in important trouble and service is needed shortly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2012 Toyota Tacoma, we immensely suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or different item can wreak havoc on your 2012 Toyota Tacoma 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 aware, bring your Tacoma to Toyota and have our company of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts original place might estimate a slight 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 intrusive or going intrusive. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 Toyota Tacoma’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 Nalley Toyota Stonecrest offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Toyota Tacoma 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 different problems from overheating.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota Tacoma is what determines how much fuel is fundamental 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 actual changes, like altitude. If your Toyota Tacoma is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a freezing change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a intrusive mass airflow sensor.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, natural 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 less handy 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to represent the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A intrusive O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
• One of the most natural and frequent cause is that your 2012 Toyota Tacoma gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Toyota Tacoma 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 intrusive fuel cap? If your gas cap is aged 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma, original 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are fundamental for your 2012 Toyota Tacoma. 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 intrusive or aged, 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, leading to more expensive repairs.
• Your 2012 Toyota Tacoma has a vacuum leak. Every Toyota Tacoma has a vacuum system that performs a good 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 exciting heat or extreme cold.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Toyota Tacoma is every main. 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 surely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our natural service coupons and specials.

2012 Toyota Tacoma Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are bountiful potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are copious common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Disparate common reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Toyota Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as decisive to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Toyota issue was fixed.

Every 2012 Toyota Tacoma 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 often detecting conditions while sending data to the mechanical control unit. If the mechanical 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 specifically is amiss nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Toyota Stonecrest provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Exceedingly Qualified Service technical.