Please wait while the page loads...

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2021 Toyota RAV4?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as straightforward as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a strict problem that could cause strict damage to your engine and come with a curious repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow generally means something less strict but a flashing check engine light expresses that your vehicle’s engine is in strict trouble and service is mandatory promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2021 Toyota RAV4, we extraordinarily suggest not to travel to work the vehicle and schedule Toyota service straightaway. Below is a list of the most receptive reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your 2021 Toyota RAV4 has a vacuum leak. Every Toyota RAV4 has a vacuum system that performs a wide assortment of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower serious 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 bare out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to imposing heat or extreme angry.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota RAV4 is what determines how much fuel is paramount 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 comfortable changes, like altitude. If your Toyota RAV4 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a abrupt change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are paramount for your 2021 Toyota RAV4. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel fluctuate 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 departed, 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, extensive to more pricey repairs.
  • 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 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 2021 Toyota RAV4's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to select the right fluctuate of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
  • One of the most prevailing and plentiful cause is that your 2021 Toyota RAV4 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2021 Toyota RAV4 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 departed 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 pricey. If your check engine light turns on hastily after you put gas in your 2021 Toyota RAV4, 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.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2021 Toyota RAV4’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 fixed, your 2021 Toyota RAV4 will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your vehicle may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause supplemental problems from overheating.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or supplemental item can wreak havoc on your 2021 Toyota RAV4 if it’s not installed well. These aftermarket parts and accessories can jettison the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even stop the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound natural, bring your RAV4 to Toyota and have our unit of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly 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 work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 is every decisive. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did several 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 extant service coupons and specials.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most ordinarily misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in vital added 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 2021 Toyota RAV4. 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 assortment of assorted things. It can be as prevalent as your gas cap being loose or as alarming as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2021 Toyota RAV4, contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell. Our Toyota service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is glaring. Contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell today!

2021 Toyota RAV4 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 countless current causes including something as uncomplicated as a loose gas cap. Alternative current reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, 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 Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as mandatory 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 revamped.

Every 2021 Toyota RAV4 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its hard systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the computerized control team. If the computerized control team 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 precisely is wrong 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 Highly Qualified Service professional.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard rapidly brightens, 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 normal as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your RAV4. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling essential diagnostics will give you cooperative 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, hopeful and good vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of accessible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of accessible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is necessary for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Nalley Toyota of Roswell at 7707637398 now or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a competent concern, you risk aggressive your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Toyota mechanic.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2021 Toyota RAV4 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 accurate, 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 2021 Toyota RAV4 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that eject 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.

Check Engine Light Service 2021 Toyota RAV4

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota RAV4 and quickly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota owners, your heart sinks a small because you have small 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 vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2021 Toyota RAV4 checked as soon as capacity. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major wear and tear to pricey engine components.

When your 2021 Toyota RAV4's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electrical control system that it can’t noble, 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 mechanical diagnose 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 choose that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced mechanical to indicate the issue and repair it.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is naturally between $88 and $111. The good news, Nalley Toyota of Roswell offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help represent the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not correctly tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a destructive catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the essential code reading and diagnosis.

Is it safe to drive your 2021 Toyota RAV4 with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a threatening issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota RAV4 hastily. This question is not incredibly pure 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 protected to drive. This is mostly 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 serious problem. Call the experts at Nalley Toyota of Roswell by dialing 7707637398 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2021 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as attainable.

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. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is tough to predict how copious miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Nalley Toyota of Roswell to help read if your vehicle is protected to drive in or if we advise a tow truck.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Toyota should be transported in hastily. A flashing light indicates that the problem is dangerous and if not taken care of hastily may result in huge damage to the vehicle. This shining light usually hints a draconian engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly increase the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is conceivable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can actually be the cause. A destructive, erstwhile or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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. If your check engine light is glaring, please contact our department of automotive veterans at Nalley Toyota of Roswell expeditiously by calling 7707637398.