Please wait while the page loads...

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most mostly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2017 Toyota Avalon 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 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 Avalon. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name assorted. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a collection of discrete things. It can be as coherent as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2017 Toyota Avalon, contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell. Contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell today! Our Toyota service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or inspect why your check engine light is twinkling.

2017 Toyota Avalon Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little 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 accepted as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Avalon. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling considerable diagnostics will give you legitimate 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, evident and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of attainable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of attainable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a few of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a noteworthy concern, you risk damaging your automobile additional by not repairing the issue right away. Call Nalley Toyota of Roswell at 7707637398 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out suddenly by a certified Toyota mechanic.

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 critical failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it visible to get the fitting code reading and diagnosis. The average value for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The visible news, Nalley Toyota of Roswell offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to aid designate the cause of your check engine light.

Is it safe to drive your 2017 Toyota Avalon with the check engine light on?

This question is not excessively easy 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 active to travel to work. This is commonly 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 draconian problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a draconian issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Avalon expeditiously. Call the experts at Nalley Toyota of Roswell by dialing 7707637398 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2017 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as attainable.

2017 Toyota Avalon Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is relentless and if not taken care of immediately may result in big damage to the automobile. If the check engine light in your 2017 Toyota Avalon starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Toyota should be brought in immediately. This blinking light usually indicates a strict engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can expeditiously raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where wear and tear is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically be the cause. A detrimental, historic or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive veterans at Nalley Toyota of Roswell promptly by calling 7707637398. 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 very expensive repair.

2017 Toyota Avalon Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless likely causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several plain causes including something as straightforward as a loose gas cap. Diverse plain reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty emissions control part, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen 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 Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as imperative 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 Avalon was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its notable systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control company. If the electronic control company 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 inaccurate nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Toyota of Roswell provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Extremely Qualified Service professional.

Check Engine Light Service 2017 Toyota Avalon

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota Avalon 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 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 Avalon checked as soon as attainable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major break to fancy engine components.

When your 2017 Toyota Avalon's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t decent, 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 identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is read with an electronic probe tool that is used by our Toyota auto repair mechanics at Nalley Toyota of Roswell. 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 adequate skilled to illustrate the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2017 Toyota Avalon?

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 risky problem that could cause risky wear and tear to your engine and come with a enormous repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A obvious glow consistently means something less risky but a twinkling check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in risky trouble and service is basic immediately. If your check engine light is twinkling in your 2017 Toyota Avalon, we hugely recommend not to drive the car and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most prevailing reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, classic 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 practical 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 2017 Toyota Avalon's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean 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.
  • One of the most ongoing and copious cause is that your 2017 Toyota Avalon gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2017 Toyota Avalon 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 fancy. If your check engine light turns on immediately after you put gas in your 2017 Toyota Avalon, earliest 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or distinct item can wreak havoc on your 2017 Toyota Avalon if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket components and accessories can discard the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound amicable, transport your Avalon 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 components earliest place might price a slight bit more but could save you money from having to get poor perform and damage caused by poor installation perform corrected.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are essential for your 2017 Toyota Avalon. 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 transport 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, fundamental to more fancy repairs.
  • Your 2017 Toyota Avalon has a vacuum leak. Every Toyota Avalon has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower 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, highly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme enraged.
  • Your catalytic converter is damaging or going damaging. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2017 Toyota Avalon’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 of Roswell offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it revamped, your 2017 Toyota Avalon 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 distinct problems from overheating.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2017 Toyota Avalon is every basic. 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 actually require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our ongoing service coupons and specials.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota Avalon is what determines how much fuel is essential 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 existing changes, like altitude. If your Toyota Avalon 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 damaging mass airflow sensor.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2017 Toyota Avalon 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 turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is going functional, 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 Avalon 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 of Roswell so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

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 damaging sensor to plug wires needing to be changed. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how several miles you can travel to work with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell to help illustrate if your vehicle is safe to travel to work in or if we recommend a tow truck.