RAM 1500 Check Engine Light

Is it safe to drive your RAM 1500 with the check engine light on?

This question is not very simple 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 secure to drive. This is generally indicated by a steady 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 serious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your RAM 1500 expeditiously. Call the experts at Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale by dialing 4802072126 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and bring your RAM to our certified mechanics as soon as conceivable.

Check Engine Light Service RAM 1500

What do you do when you’re driving along in your RAM 1500 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most RAM owners, your heart sinks drastically because you may have explicitly 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, peaceful breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean you have to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is advised that you get your RAM 1500 checked promptly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing significant, considerable damage to expensive engine components.

When your RAM 1500's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t correct, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is typically 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 can quickly identify 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 RAM auto repair mechanics at Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale. There are again a number of essentially 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 professional to determine the exactly appropriate issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a RAM 1500?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Also, the check engine light could still be a warning of a significant problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and pricey repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow generally means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in meaningful trouble and useful service is needed immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your RAM 1500, we immensely endorse not to drive the vehicle and schedule RAM service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:

• One of the most typical and frequent cause is that your RAM 1500 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your RAM 1500 serves multiple purposes. It prevents hazardous gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps cultivate pressure within the fuel tank. What results if you have a broken 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 and be more costly. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your RAM 1500, first thing you should check is to make sure the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your RAM 1500 if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your 1500 to RAM and have our team of talented certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could support you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your RAM 1500’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 consistently neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale offers a free multi-point check with each RAM service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your RAM 1500 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 other perilous problems from overheating.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your RAM 1500 is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 RAM 1500 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a crucial sign of a broken mass airflow sensor.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your RAM 1500. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your car. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run smooth. 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 a conspicuous 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 obstructed catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more pricey repairs.
• Your RAM 1500 has a vacuum leak. Each RAM 1500 has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system likewise 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, particularly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns more immediately and your car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what results if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A broken sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause serious damage to your catalytic converter and your RAM 1500's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the exactly appropriate mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A broken O2 sensor can likewise cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your RAM 1500 is each essential. 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of RAM you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.

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 correctly tightened to a more serious failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the correct code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is usually between $88 and $111. The good news, Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale offers entirely free multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to support determine the cause of your check engine light.

RAM 1500 Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your RAM 1500 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention instantly and your RAM should be brought in instantly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of instantly may result in significant and serious damage to the car. This blinking light normally signifies a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can immediately raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an costly and huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can precisely be the cause. A faulty, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is totally 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 costly repair. If your check engine light is always flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale immediately by calling 4802072126.

RAM 1500 Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are many regular causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other usually regular reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, broken oxygen sensor, broken head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, broken emissions control part, or broken spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the RAM Certified Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and utterly repair it as necessary to restore factory specifications. When this hits, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your RAM issue was entirely fixed.

Every RAM 1500 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its crucial systems. The rapid sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending essential 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. Yet, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what absolutely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale 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 professional.

RAM 1500 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, exceptionally to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminate, 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 1500. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can accurately represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you helpful knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, obvious and helpful vehicle symptoms do not regularly 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:

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

This is why it is essential for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out swiftly by a talented certified RAM mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale at 4802072126 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

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

It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we endorse that you pull over and contact Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale to help determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we endorse a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. Since every check engine code has its own level of severity, it is usually difficult to predict how many miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your RAM 1500 will ordinarily 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 swiftly turn itself off. Again, if your catalytic converter is working accurately, 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 RAM 1500 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 Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most usually misunderstood lights or indicators in your RAM 1500 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the important onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a wide range of different 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do a wide range of things for your RAM 1500. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing security control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as unpredictable as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your RAM 1500, contact Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale. Contact Larry H. Miller Dodge RAM Avondale today! Our RAM service department can support you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.