2013 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light

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

The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy properly. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Nalley Toyota Union City to help read if your car is reliable to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is hard to predict how bountiful miles you can drive with the warning light on.

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 well tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a harmful catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it polite to get the contractual code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is regularly between $88 and $111. The polite news, Nalley Toyota Union City offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light.

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Toyota Highlander

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota Highlander and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota owners, your heart sinks a miniature because you have miniature 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 represent 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 2013 Toyota Highlander checked as soon as cogent. Ignoring that warning could end up causing leading break to expensive engine components.

When your 2013 Toyota Highlander's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the computerized control system that it can’t polite, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is commonly 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 electrical probe tool that is used by our Toyota auto repair mechanics at Nalley Toyota Union City. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you select that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced trained to select the issue and repair it.

2013 Toyota Highlander 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 flashes, 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 popular as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Highlander. There are hundreds of divergent codes that your check engine light can choose. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling imperative diagnostics will give you good knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, indisputable and good vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of probable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of probable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is meaningful 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 perilous concern, you risk damaging your car other by not repairing the issue right away. Call Nalley Toyota Union City at 7702848361 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out instantly by a certified Toyota mechanic.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Toyota Highlander?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as certain as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a unhealthy problem that could cause unhealthy 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 persistent glow mostly means something less unhealthy but a blinking check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in unhealthy trouble and service is needed immediately. If your check engine light is blinking in your 2013 Toyota Highlander, we extraordinarily recommend 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:

• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are mandatory for your 2013 Toyota Highlander. 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 old, 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, best to more costly repairs.
• One of the most prevailing and frequent cause is that your 2013 Toyota Highlander gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 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 bad 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. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on shortly after you put gas in your 2013 Toyota Highlander, first thing you should check is to make hopeful 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 2013 Toyota Highlander’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 Union City 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 2013 Toyota Highlander 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 contrasting problems from overheating.
• Your 2013 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 lessen damaging 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 competent heat or extreme angry.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Toyota Highlander is every significant. 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 a few decades ago, and they don't truly require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or contrasting item can wreak havoc on your 2013 Toyota Highlander if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avoid the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound prevailing, bring your Highlander to Toyota and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially 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 poor function and damage caused by poor installation function corrected.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota Highlander is what determines how much fuel is mandatory 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 Toyota Highlander is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, acknowledged 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 productive 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 2013 Toyota Highlander'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 bad O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most naturally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Toyota Highlander is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few odd 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 range of things for your 2013 Toyota Highlander. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, 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 fair things. It can be as effortless as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Toyota Highlander, contact Nalley Toyota Union City. Contact Nalley Toyota Union City 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.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Toyota Highlander will usually 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 logical, 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 2013 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 Union City so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2013 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are copious viable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are copious daily causes including something as authentic as a loose gas cap. Other daily reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name various. 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 necessary 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 2013 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 big systems. The sensors are constantly 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 – it won’t tell you what exactly is unsound nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Toyota Union City provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Excessively Qualified Service trained.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 Toyota Highlander with the check engine light on?

This question is not incredibly practical 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 continually 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 critical problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a critical issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Highlander immediately. Call the advisors at Nalley Toyota Union City by dialing 7702848361 so you can describe the issues. Or cut your speed and bring your 2013 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as accessible.

2013 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is unsafe and if not taken care of hastily may result in effective damage to the automobile. If the check engine light in your 2013 Toyota Highlander starts flashing, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your Toyota should be brought in hastily. This blinking light usually indicates a scrupulous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can urgently raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is achievable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can really be the cause. A detrimental, classical or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Nalley Toyota Union City hastily by calling 7702848361. 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 pricey repair.