Jeep Grand Cherokee Check Engine Light

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

It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since every check engine code has its own level of severity, it is usually difficult to predict how multiple miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. If you check engine light is flashing, we propose that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM to support determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we propose a tow truck.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Still, the check engine light could again be a warning of a significant problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and costly repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow usually means something less serious but a flashing check engine light signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in significant trouble and helpful service is required swiftly. If your check engine light is flashing in your Jeep Grand Cherokee, we exceedingly advise not to drive the car and schedule Jeep service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns more swiftly and your car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what results if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A defective sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause significant damage to your catalytic converter and your Jeep Grand Cherokee's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the specifically appropriate combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A defective O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Jeep Grand Cherokee’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 ordinarily caused by regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM offers a free multi-point inspection with each Jeep service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 other delicate problems from overheating.
• Your Jeep Grand Cherokee has a vacuum leak. Each Jeep Grand Cherokee has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower unhealthy 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 cold.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your Jeep Grand Cherokee if it’s not installed correctly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Grand Cherokee to Jeep and have our team of gifted certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save substantially from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your Jeep Grand Cherokee. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel combination in the combustion chamber of your car. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run smooth. 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 old, you will experience a conspicuous poor performance and decreased power. In some extreme cases, your engine will have trouble starting or continuing to run. Worn spark plugs and plug wires can cause obstructed catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more costly repairs.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Jeep Grand Cherokee is each important. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road in front, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Jeep you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your Jeep Grand Cherokee gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Jeep Grand Cherokee serves different purposes. It prevents unpredictable gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps maintain pressure within the fuel tank. What results if you have a defective fuel cap? If your gas cap is old or has a ruptured seal, you can lose fuel through evaporation which will result in more trips to the pump and be more expensive. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on instantly after you put gas in your Jeep Grand Cherokee, 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 mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 Jeep Grand Cherokee is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden quick change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a critical sign of a defective mass airflow sensor.

Check Engine Light Service Jeep Grand Cherokee

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Jeep Grand Cherokee and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Jeep owners, your heart sinks exceptionally because you may have absolutely 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, tranquil 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 advised that you get your Jeep Grand Cherokee checked instantly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing considerable, huge damage to costly engine parts.

When your Jeep Grand Cherokee'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 generally 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 can swiftly identify 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 Jeep auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM. There are again a number of comparatively inexpensive 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 determine the exactly appropriate issue and repair it.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other often common reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, broken oxygen sensor, defective emissions control part, defective head gasket, or broken spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Jeep Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and totally repair it as required to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Jeep issue was entirely fixed.

Every Jeep Grand Cherokee was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its critical systems. The quick sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending vital 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. Yet, unfortunately 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; Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Immensely Qualified Service professional.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 promptly turn itself off. Again, if your catalytic converter is working perfectly, 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 Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 ordinarily indicated by a steady glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the car, it could be an indication of a more serious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your Jeep Grand Cherokee promptly. Call the experts at Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM by dialing 3178540239 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your Jeep to our certified mechanics as soon as imaginable.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your Jeep Grand Cherokee starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention promptly and your Jeep should be brought in immediately. A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of promptly may result in significant and serious damage to the car. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can expeditiously raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an costly and considerable repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can definitely be the cause. A defective, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is constantly flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM expeditiously by calling 3178540239. If the problem is completely 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 pricey repair.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, especially to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminate, 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 Grand Cherokee. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can correctly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you helpful knowledge about your car and will also allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, apparent and helpful car symptoms do not repeatedly accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of potential OBD codes, there are also hundreds of potential reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of prevalent automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM at 3178540239 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out rapidly by a proficient certified Jeep mechanic.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most generally misunderstood lights or indicators in your Jeep Grand Cherokee is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the important onboard diagnostics system, and displays in an assortment of 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do an assortment of things for your Jeep Grand Cherokee. Some of these essential duties include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a wide range of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as hazardous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Jeep Grand Cherokee, contact Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM. Our Jeep 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 Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM today!

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 perfectly tightened to a more serious failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the appropriate code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is usually between $88 and $111. The good news, Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM offers completely complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to assist determine the cause of your check engine light.