2014 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most continuously misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2014 Toyota Highlander is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few chance 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 2014 Toyota Highlander. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a collection of alternative things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2014 Toyota Highlander, contact Nalley Toyota Union City. Our Toyota service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or probe why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Nalley Toyota Union City today!

Check Engine Light Service 2014 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 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 value 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 2014 Toyota Highlander checked as soon as convenient. Ignoring that warning could end up causing big damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2014 Toyota Highlander's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t countless, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is mostly 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 scan 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 pick that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to favor the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2014 Toyota Highlander?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as authentic as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a alarming problem that could cause alarming 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 dependable glow usually means something less alarming but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in alarming trouble and service is imperative immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2014 Toyota Highlander, we highly determine not to drive the car and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most prevalent reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your catalytic converter is damaging or going damaging. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2014 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 frequently caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Nalley Toyota Union City offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with each Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2014 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 added problems from overheating.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, tolerable 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 functional 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 2014 Toyota Highlander's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to opt for the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A damaging O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2014 Toyota Highlander if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound friendly, bring your Highlander to Toyota and have our team of certified technicians ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, notably aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might value a small bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are essential for your 2014 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 damaging or classic, 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, major to more expensive repairs.
• Your 2014 Toyota Highlander has a vacuum leak. Each Toyota Highlander 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, notably if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme fast.
• The battery is scanty or dead. The battery in your 2014 Toyota Highlander is each meaningful. 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 really require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our state-of-the-art service coupons and specials.
• One of the most normal and frequent cause is that your 2014 Toyota Highlander gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2014 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 damaging fuel cap? If your gas cap is classic 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 urgently after you put gas in your 2014 Toyota Highlander, first thing you should check is to make bold the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
• 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 essential 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 clear 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 damaging mass airflow sensor.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Nalley Toyota Union City to help mean if your vehicle is dependable to commute 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 commute with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replenished. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

2014 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2014 Toyota Highlander starts flashing, that means that the problem needs precipitous attention and your Toyota should be brought in quickly. A flashing light implies that the problem is strict and if not taken care of quickly may result in leading damage to the vehicle. This blinking light usually indicates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can immediately increase the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can strictly be the cause. A harmful, traditional or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our squad of automotive experts at Nalley Toyota Union City urgently 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 notably expensive repair.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2014 Toyota Highlander will regularly 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 available, 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 2014 Toyota Highlander 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 Union City so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2014 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that slight light on your vehicle’s 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 distinct codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a slight patience, tackling central diagnostics will give you improbable 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 vital vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of handy OBD codes, there are also hundreds of handy reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is cheerful for someone who does not have a few of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out promptly by a certified Toyota mechanic. Call Nalley Toyota Union City at 7702848361 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a dangerous concern, you risk damaging your car added by not repairing the issue right away.

Is it safe to drive your 2014 Toyota Highlander with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a draconian issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Highlander at this moment. This question is not particularly pure because it each 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 vehicle, it could be an indication of a more severe problem. Call the specialists at Nalley Toyota Union City by dialing 7702848361 so you can describe the issues. Or cut down your speed and bring your 2014 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as detailed.

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

The average price for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is consistently between $88 and $111. The better news, Nalley Toyota Union City offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help illustrate the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not well tightened to a more relentless failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it better to get the fitting code reading and diagnosis.

2014 Toyota Highlander Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are many feasible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are a lot sufficient causes including something as authentic as a loose gas cap. Disparate sufficient reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, faulty emissions control part, 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 essential 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 2014 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 fundamental 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 – it won’t tell you what exactly is remorseful 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 Remarkably Qualified Service impressive.