Ram ProMaster City Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most ordinarily misunderstood lights or indicators in your Ram ProMaster City 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 Ram ProMaster City. Some of these essential duties 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 an assortment of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as unpredictable as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Ram ProMaster City, contact Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM. Our Ram 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!

Is it safe to drive your Ram ProMaster City 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 vehicle, 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 Ram ProMaster City swiftly. 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 Ram to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.

Ram ProMaster City Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, exceptionally 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, likewise known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your ProMaster City. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can accurately represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you useful knowledge about your vehicle and will likewise allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, apparent and useful vehicle symptoms do not invariably accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are likewise hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of prevailing automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your car 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 quickly by a proficient certified Ram mechanic.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Ram ProMaster City?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Also, the check engine light could likewise be a warning of a serious problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and pricey repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow ordinarily means something less serious but a flashing check engine light signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and useful service is necessary promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your Ram ProMaster City, we exceptionally advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ram service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Ram ProMaster City is every vital. Without a car battery, your car won’t start, light up the road in front, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s car batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't genuinely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Ram you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your Ram ProMaster City. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture 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 endure a noticeable 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 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 Ram ProMaster City 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 Ram ProMaster City is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a vital sign of a faulty mass airflow sensor.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your Ram ProMaster City if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your ProMaster City to Ram and have our team of skilled certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could assist you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• 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 instantly 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 faulty sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your Ram ProMaster City's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the definitely correct mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A faulty O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Ram ProMaster City’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 frequently caused by consistently neglected maintenance, which is why Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM offers a complimentary multi-point examination with every Ram service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Ram ProMaster City 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 other dangerous problems from overheating.
• Your Ram ProMaster City has a vacuum leak. Every Ram ProMaster City has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower adverse 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 intense heat or extreme cold.
• One of the most typical and frequent cause is that your Ram ProMaster City gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Ram ProMaster City serves different purposes. It prevents unpredictable gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps manage pressure within the fuel tank. What results if you have a faulty 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 pricey. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on swiftly after you put gas in your Ram ProMaster City, 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.

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

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 free multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to support determine the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not accurately 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.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Ram ProMaster City 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 expeditiously turn itself off. Also, if your catalytic converter is working properly, 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 Ram ProMaster City 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.

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

Every Ram ProMaster City was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its critical systems. The rapid sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending important 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, unfortunately 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; 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 Highly Certified Service professional.

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 each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is generally difficult to predict how many miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we suggest that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM to support determine if your vehicle is secure to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

Check Engine Light Service Ram ProMaster City

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ram ProMaster City and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ram owners, your heart sinks exceptionally because you may have definitely 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, serene 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 suggested that you get your Ram ProMaster City checked immediately. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, major damage to expensive engine components.

When your Ram ProMaster City'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 expeditiously 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 Ram auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM. There are again a number of essentially inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you pick 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 specifically right issue and repair it.

Ram ProMaster City Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your Ram ProMaster City starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention expeditiously and your Ram should be brought in expeditiously. A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in significant and meaningful damage to the vehicle. This blinking light usually signifies a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can swiftly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an pricey and huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can explicitly be the cause. A broken, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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 expensive repair. If your check engine light is always flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM instantly by calling 3178540239.