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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 BMW X3 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few distinctive 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 collection of things for your 2018 BMW X3. Some of these include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name assorted. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of definite things. It can be as pure as your gas cap being loose or as hazardous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 BMW X3, contact Richmond BMW Midlothian. Contact Richmond BMW Midlothian today! Our BMW service department can assist you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is glaring.

2018 BMW X3 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard immediately 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 conscious as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your X3. There are hundreds of divergent codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling large diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is certainly supposed to do: be your guide. Regrettably, indisputable and difficult vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of factual OBD codes, there are also hundreds of factual reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is meaningful 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 productive concern, you risk bad your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out rapidly by a certified BMW mechanic. Call Richmond BMW Midlothian at 8043618758 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

Is it safe to drive your 2018 BMW X3 with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is glaring, this means that there is a productive issue and it is recommended to service your BMW X3 quickly. This question is not excessively discernable 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 reliable to drive. This is typically 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 persuasive problem. Call the experts at Richmond BMW Midlothian by dialing 8043618758 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2018 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as achievable.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 BMW X3?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as easy as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a hazardous problem that could cause hazardous damage to your engine and come with a vast repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow consistently means something less hazardous but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in hazardous trouble and service is needed abruptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 BMW X3, we highly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule BMW 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 needed for your 2018 BMW X3. 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 traditional, 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, first-rate to more fancy repairs.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 BMW X3’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's work 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 Richmond BMW Midlothian offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every BMW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 BMW X3 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 further problems from overheating.
  • Your 2018 BMW X3 has a vacuum leak. Every BMW X3 has a vacuum system that performs a big assortment of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce 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 chilled.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW X3 is what determines how much fuel is needed 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 BMW X3 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden 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, prominent 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 2018 BMW X3'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 bad O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
  • One of the most effortless and frequent cause is that your 2018 BMW X3 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 BMW X3 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 traditional 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 2018 BMW X3, 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 further item can wreak havoc on your 2018 BMW X3 if it’s not installed correctly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound prominent, bring your X3 to BMW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly 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 2018 BMW X3 is every 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 countless decades ago, and they don't certainly require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.

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 laborious to predict how copious miles you can drive with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we suggest that you pull over and contact Richmond BMW Midlothian to help mean if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. It could be anything from a damaging sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.

2018 BMW X3 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 regular reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, 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 BMW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as needed to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your BMW issue was serviced.

Every 2018 BMW X3 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its necessary systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control team. If the electronic 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 exactly is inaccurate nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Richmond BMW Midlothian 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 skilled.

Check Engine Light Service 2018 BMW X3

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW X3 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most BMW 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 2018 BMW X3 checked as soon as lucid. Ignoring that warning could end up causing generous damage to lavish engine components.

When your 2018 BMW X3's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t accurate, 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 BMW auto repair mechanics at Richmond BMW Midlothian. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you designate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to embrace the issue and repair it.

2018 BMW X3 Check Engine Light

A flashing light implies that the problem is treacherous and if not taken care of hastily may result in substantial damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2018 BMW X3 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your BMW should be delivered in hastily. This blinking light consistently indicates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can suddenly surge the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is probable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A bad, historic 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 blinking, please contact our team of automotive experts at Richmond BMW Midlothian quickly by calling 8043618758.

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

The middle cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The great news, Richmond BMW Midlothian offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help choose the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not subsequently tightened to a more dangerous failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it great to get the authentic code reading and diagnosis.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 BMW X3 will frequently 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 active, 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 2018 BMW X3 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 Richmond BMW Midlothian so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.