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Is it safe to drive your 2021 Ford F-150 with the check engine light on?

This question is not exceedingly common 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 intelligent 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 unhealthy problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a unhealthy issue and it is recommended to service your Ford F-150 today. Call the experts at David McDavid Ford by dialing 8174207990 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2021 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as available.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2021 Ford F-150?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as cordial as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a persuasive problem that could cause persuasive damage to your engine and come with a considerable repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persuasive glow consistently means something less persuasive but a blinking check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in persuasive trouble and service is fundamental immediately. If your check engine light is blinking in your 2021 Ford F-150, we extraordinarily recommend not to commute the vehicle and schedule Ford service now. Below is a list of the most routine reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your 2021 Ford F-150 has a vacuum leak. Every Ford F-150 has a vacuum system that performs a expanded variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower detrimental 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 barren out and crack, incredibly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
  • 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 direct 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 Ford F-150's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to learn the right variety of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
  • One of the most easy and copious cause is that your 2021 Ford F-150 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2021 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 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 pricey. If your check engine light turns on hastily after you put gas in your 2021 Ford F-150, first thing you should check is to make fearless 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 Ford F-150’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 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 2021 Ford F-150 will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your automobile may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause other problems from overheating.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2021 Ford F-150 if it’s not installed properly. 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 established, bring your F-150 to Ford and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, incredibly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a scant bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are basic for your 2021 Ford F-150. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel variety 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 classic, you will experience low 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, leading to more pricey repairs.
  • 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 basic 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 conclusive changes, like altitude. If your Ford F-150 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.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2021 Ford F-150 is every dangerous. Without a automobile battery, your automobile won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s automobile batteries last much longer than they did various decades ago, and they don't actually require maintenance. The cost of a new one depends on the type of Ford you drive, but check our prevalent service coupons and specials.

2021 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard abruptly 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 admitted as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your F-150. There are hundreds of substitute codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling important diagnostics will give you convenient 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, evident and critical vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of agreeable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of agreeable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is logical for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a efficient concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. Call David McDavid Ford at 8174207990 expeditiously or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Ford mechanic.

How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?

Since all 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. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact David McDavid Ford to aid indicate if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

Check Engine Light Service 2021 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 2021 Ford F-150 checked as soon as solid. Ignoring that warning could end up causing dominant damage to costly engine components.

When your 2021 Ford F-150's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t contractual, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is frequently 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 high-tech scan tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at David McDavid Ford. There are also a number of somewhat economical 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 experienced professional to represent the issue and repair it.

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 subsequently tightened to a more precarious failure like a harmful catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it satisfactory to get the correct code reading and diagnosis. The middle cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The satisfactory news, David McDavid Ford offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to assist indicate the cause of your check engine light.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2021 Ford F-150 will commonly shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is serviced. 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 2021 Ford F-150 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that reward 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.

2021 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light

A flashing light suggests that the problem is threatening and if not taken care of shortly may result in big break to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2021 Ford F-150 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your Ford should be brought in shortly. This blinking light usually indicates a draconian engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly increase 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 definitely 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 commute, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a particularly pricey repair. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our team of automotive experts at David McDavid Ford hastily by calling 8174207990.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2021 Ford F-150 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few disparate 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 2021 Ford F-150. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, 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 diverse things. It can be as straightforward as your gas cap being loose or as critical as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2021 Ford F-150, contact David McDavid Ford. Contact David McDavid Ford today! Our Ford service department can assist you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or audit why your check engine light is flashing.

2021 Ford F-150 Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are innumerable feasible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are discrete simple causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other simple reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen 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 Ford Certified Mechanics 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 2021 Ford F-150 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its rigid systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control squad. If the electronic control squad 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 mistaken 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 Exceedingly Qualified Service professional.