How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact David McDavid Ford to help determine if your automobile is safe to drive in or if we advise a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be interchanged. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.
Check Engine Light Service 2019 Ford F-150
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford F-150 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ford 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 2019 Ford F-150 checked as soon as functional. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major wear and tear to expensive engine components.
When your 2019 Ford F-150's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electrical control system that it can’t correct, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is usually 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 pick with an electrical scan tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at David McDavid Ford. There are also a number of relatively economical code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you hint that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced trained to hint the issue and repair it.
2019 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light
A flashing light indicates that the problem is rare and if not taken care of immediately may result in primary wear and tear to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2019 Ford F-150 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Ford should be brought in immediately. This blinking light usually indicates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be deposited into the exhaust system. There it can suddenly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is achievable, requiring an fancy repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A bad, common or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our department of automotive experts at David McDavid Ford shortly by calling 8174207990. 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 particularly pricey repair.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2019 Ford F-150 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few 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 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 range of things for your 2019 Ford F-150. Some of these include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name copious. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a variety of diversified things. It can be as straightforward as your gas cap being loose or as alarming as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2019 Ford F-150, contact David McDavid Ford. Contact David McDavid Ford today! Our Ford service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.
2019 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are frequent conceivable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are assorted common causes including something as natural as a loose gas cap. Supplemental common reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Ford Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as decisive to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Ford issue was fixed.
Every 2019 Ford F-150 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the automobile on its main 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 totally is unsound nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; David McDavid Ford provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Very Qualified Service skilled.
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is continually between $88 and $111. The confident news, David McDavid Ford 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 properly tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it confident to get the natural code reading and diagnosis.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2019 Ford F-150 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 productive, and you did a few 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 2019 Ford F-150 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that payment and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to David McDavid Ford so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2019 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that miniature 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 established as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your F-150. There are hundreds of various codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a miniature patience, tackling preeminent diagnostics will give you suitable knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is certainly supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, accessible 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:
- Emissions controls issues
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- O2 Sensor
- Old Battery
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Computer output circuit issues
- Ignition system faults
- Transmission issues
This is why it is meaningful for someone who does not have various of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out expeditiously by a certified Ford mechanic. Call David McDavid Ford at 8174207990 now or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a relentless concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2019 Ford F-150?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as uncomplicated 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 generous repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persistent glow mostly means something less hazardous but a glaring check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in hazardous trouble and service is crucial suddenly. If your check engine light is glaring in your 2019 Ford F-150, we exceedingly advocate not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ford service now. Below is a list of the most routine reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Your 2019 Ford F-150 has a vacuum leak. Every Ford F-150 has a vacuum system that performs a wide collection 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, chiefly if they’re exposed to startling heat or extreme chilled.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, logical as the O2 sensor, measures the deposit of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less correct 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 2019 Ford F-150's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to indicate 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.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or distinctive item can wreak havoc on your 2019 Ford F-150 if it’s not installed appropriately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound attentive, bring your F-150 to Ford and have our unit of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, chiefly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts initial place might value a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are fundamental for your 2019 Ford F-150. 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 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, best to more expensive repairs.
- One of the most logical and frequent cause is that your 2019 Ford F-150 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2019 Ford F-150 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 2019 Ford F-150, initial 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.
- The battery is poor or dead. The battery in your 2019 Ford F-150 is every perilous. 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 copious decades ago, and they don't absolutely require maintenance. The rate of a new one depends on the type of Ford you drive, but check our logical service coupons and specials.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2019 Ford F-150’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 David McDavid Ford offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Ford service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2019 Ford F-150 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 distinctive problems from overheating.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Ford F-150 is what determines how much fuel is fundamental to run your engine efficiently by measuring the deposit of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to unmistakable changes, like altitude. If your Ford F-150 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a quick change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
Is it safe to drive your 2019 Ford F-150 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 safe 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 alarming problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a alarming issue and it is recommended to service your Ford F-150 expeditiously. Call the consultants at David McDavid Ford by dialing 8174207990 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2019 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as functional.