What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your Honda Accord is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few 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 vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your Honda Accord. Some of these include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability 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 serious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Honda Accord, contact Coggin Honda Fort Pierce. Our Honda service department can assist you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Coggin Honda Fort Pierce today!
Honda Accord 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 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 Accord. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you useful 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, obvious and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Old Battery
- Transmission issues
- Computer output circuit issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- O2 Sensor
- Emissions controls issues
- Ignition system faults
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Honda Accord?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a serious problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and service is needed immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your Honda Accord, we highly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Honda service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your Honda Accord. 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 aged, you will experience poor performance and reduced power. In a bit extreme cases, your engine will have trouble starting or continuing to run. Worn spark plugs and plug wires can cause clogged catalytic converter or wear and tear to ignition coils and O2 sensors, big to more expensive repairs. 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 wear and tear to your catalytic converter and your Honda Accord's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to pick the honest 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.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Honda Accord is every fundamental. 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 some decades ago, and they don't truly require maintenance. The value of a new one depends on the type of Honda you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
- Your Honda Accord has a vacuum leak. Every Honda Accord 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, especially if they’re exposed to extraordinary heat or extreme cold.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, normal as the O2 sensor, measures the jettison of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less active when it comes to fuel economy.
- One of the most normal and countless cause is that your Honda Accord gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Honda Accord 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 aged 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 immediately after you put gas in your Honda Accord, first thing you should check is to make hopeful 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 Honda Accord’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 Coggin Honda Fort Pierce offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Honda service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it fixed, your Honda Accord 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 different problems from overheating.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or different item can wreak havoc on your Honda Accord if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discard the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even stop the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound amiable, deliver your Accord to Honda and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a bit bit more but could save you money from having to get poor function and wear and tear caused by poor installation function corrected.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Honda Accord is what determines how much fuel is crucial to run your engine efficiently by measuring the jettison of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to authentic changes, like altitude. If your Honda Accord 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.
Check Engine Light Service Honda Accord
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Honda Accord and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Honda 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 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 Honda Accord checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.
When your Honda Accord'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 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 Honda auto repair mechanics at Coggin Honda Fort Pierce. 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 professional to determine the issue and repair it.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your Honda Accord 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 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 Honda Accord 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 Coggin Honda Fort Pierce so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
Is it safe to drive your Honda Accord with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a strict issue and it is recommended to service your Honda Accord rapidly. This question is not extremely visible 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 reasonable to drive. This is consistently indicated by a persistent 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 harsh problem. Call the mentors at Coggin Honda Fort Pierce by dialing 7725772585 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and deliver your Honda to our certified mechanics as soon as handy.
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 every check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how several miles you can commute 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 recommend that you pull over and contact Coggin Honda Fort Pierce to assist designate if your vehicle is safe to commute in or if we recommend a tow truck.
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The middle value for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is frequently between $88 and $111. The accessible news, Coggin Honda Fort Pierce offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help pick the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not perfectly tightened to a more strict failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it accessible to get the noble code reading and diagnosis.
Honda Accord Check Engine Light
A twinkling light indicates that the problem is strict and if not taken care of abruptly may result in essential damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your Honda Accord starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Honda should be brought in abruptly. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly raise 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 absolutely be the cause. A bad, old 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 greatly expensive repair. If your check engine light is blinking, please contact our team of automotive veterans at Coggin Honda Fort Pierce shortly by calling 7725772585.
Honda Accord 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 several common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other common reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, dirty mass airflow 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 Honda 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 Honda issue was fixed.
Every Honda Accord was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its crucial 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 wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Honda Fort Pierce 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.