Is it safe to drive your 2017 Toyota Highlander with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a excellent issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Highlander quickly. This question is not highly cogent 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 typically indicated by a practical 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 courageous problem. Call the specialists at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest by dialing 7706290279 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2017 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as capability.
Check Engine Light Service 2017 Toyota Highlander
What do you do when youāre driving along in your Toyota Highlander and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If youāre 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 doesnāt 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 2017 Toyota Highlander checked as soon as convenient. Ignoring that warning could end up causing important damage to expensive engine components.
When your 2017 Toyota Highlander's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it canāt acceptable, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is frequently labeled ācheck engineā or āservice engine soonā, or the light may be nothing more than a picture of an engine, or a picture of the engine with the word ācheck.ā
When the light turns on, the ECM stores an engine code or ātrouble codeā 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 diagnose tool that is used by our Toyota auto repair mechanics at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest. 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 pick the issue and repair it.
2017 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that miniature light on your vehicleās 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 Highlander. There are hundreds of plentiful codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a miniature patience, tackling prime diagnostics will give you agreeable 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, accessible and troublesome vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of functional OBD codes, there are also hundreds of functional reasons for the light, including:
- Emissions controls issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Transmission issues
- Old Battery
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Ignition system faults
- O2 Sensor
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Computer output circuit issues
This is why it is important for someone who does not have various of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a precarious concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Nalley Toyota Stonecrest at 7706290279 immediately or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out immediately by a certified Toyota mechanic.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2017 Toyota Highlander 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 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 2017 Toyota Highlander 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 Nalley Toyota Stonecrest so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
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 draconian failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it valuable to get the bizarre code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The valuable news, Nalley Toyota Stonecrest offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help find out the cause of your check engine light.
2017 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless conceivable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are innumerable regular causes including something as prevalent as a loose gas cap. Added regular reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, 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 2017 Toyota Highlander 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 ā it wonāt tell you what exactly is awry nor what to do about it. Thatās 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 Notably Qualified Service licensed.
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 Nalley Toyota Stonecrest to help mean if your automobile is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a detrimental sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how copious miles you can drive with the warning light on.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2017 Toyota Highlander?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as natural 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 big repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow frequently means something fewer important but a flashing check engine light expresses that your vehicleās engine is in important trouble and service is necessary hastily. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2017 Toyota Highlander, we highly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most routine reasons your check engine light can come on:
- One of the most straightforward and innumerable cause is that your 2017 Toyota Highlander gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2017 Toyota Highlander 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 harmful 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 expeditiously after you put gas in your 2017 Toyota Highlander, first thing you should check is to make convinced the cap isnāt loose ā or that it's still on your carās roof or at the fuel pump.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or divergent item can wreak havoc on your 2017 Toyota Highlander if itās not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can jettison the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound routine, deliver your Highlander to Toyota and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, highly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might estimate a scant bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be interchanged. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota Highlander is what determines how much fuel is necessary to run your engine efficiently by measuring the payment of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to considerable changes, like altitude. If your Toyota Highlander is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a harmful mass airflow sensor.
- Your 2017 Toyota Highlander has a vacuum leak. Every Toyota Highlander has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce 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 parched out and crack, highly if theyāre exposed to important heat or extreme bitter.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2017 Toyota Highlander is every critical. Without a automobile battery, your automobile wonāt start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Todayās automobile batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't completely require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our modern service coupons and specials.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be interchanged. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the payment of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less pragmatic when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I donāt 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 2017 Toyota Highlander's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicleās onboard computer to mean the right collection of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A harmful O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2017 Toyota Highlander. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel collection 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 harmful 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, central to more expensive repairs.
- Your catalytic converter is harmful or going harmful. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2017 Toyota Highlanderās 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 2017 Toyota Highlander 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 divergent problems from overheating.
2017 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your 2017 Toyota Highlander starts flashing, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your Toyota should be brought in rapidly. A flashing light suggests that the problem is miraculous and if not taken care of rapidly may result in major damage to the vehicle. This blinking light ordinarily suggests a important engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly hike the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is possible, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can strictly be the cause. A bad, common or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our team of automotive experts at Nalley Toyota Stonecrest instantly 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 highly expensive repair.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most typically misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2017 Toyota Highlander is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few specific 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 2017 Toyota Highlander. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of various things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as important as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2017 Toyota Highlander, contact Nalley Toyota Stonecrest. Contact Nalley Toyota Stonecrest today! Our Toyota service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or investigate why your check engine light is flashing.