Please wait while the page loads...

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most naturally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Acura TSX is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in plentiful individual 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 a variety of things for your 2013 Acura TSX. 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 alter of divergent things. It can be as common as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Acura TSX, contact Coggin Acura Fort Pierce. Contact Coggin Acura Fort Pierce today! Our Acura service department can aid you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or observe why your check engine light is flashing.

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. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Coggin Acura Fort Pierce to help pick if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is laborious 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 replaced.

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Acura TSX

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Acura TSX and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Acura 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 represent you have to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2013 Acura TSX checked as soon as achievable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to lavish engine parts.

When your 2013 Acura TSX's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t real, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is normally 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 learn with an electronic observe tool that is used by our Acura auto repair technicians at Coggin Acura Fort Pierce. There are also a number of relatively economical code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you determine that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced experienced to learn the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Acura TSX?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as classic as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a relentless problem that could cause relentless damage to your engine and come with a notable repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less relentless but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in relentless trouble and service is imperative now. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Acura TSX, we tremendously suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Acura service straightaway. Below is a list of the most decent reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are fundamental for your 2013 Acura TSX. 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 transport 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 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, big to more expensive repairs.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Acura TSX is what determines how much fuel is fundamental to run your engine efficiently by measuring the sum 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 Acura TSX 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.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, certain as the O2 sensor, measures the sum of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less good 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 2013 Acura TSX's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean 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 alternative item can wreak havoc on your 2013 Acura TSX if it’s not installed accurately. 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 certain, bring your TSX to Acura and have our team of 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 microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • Your 2013 Acura TSX has a vacuum leak. Every Acura TSX has a vacuum system that performs a wide assortment 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 parched out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to exciting heat or extreme brisk.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Acura TSX’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's perform is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A damaged catalytic converter is frequently caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Coggin Acura Fort Pierce offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Acura service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2013 Acura TSX 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 alternative problems from overheating.
  • One of the most certain and frequent cause is that your 2013 Acura TSX gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Acura TSX 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 old 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 instantly after you put gas in your 2013 Acura TSX, 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.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Acura TSX is every critical. 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 a few decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Acura you drive, but check our present service coupons and specials.

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 properly tightened to a more perilous failure like a detrimental catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it colossal to get the apt code reading and diagnosis. The intermediate cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is often between $88 and $111. The colossal news, Coggin Acura Fort Pierce offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light.

2013 Acura TSX Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are many ability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are various daily causes including something as authentic as a loose gas cap. Various daily reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, or defective spark plugs to name assorted. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Acura Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as necessary to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Acura issue was serviced.

Every 2013 Acura TSX 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 consistently 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 precisely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Acura 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 Notably Qualified Service professional.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Acura TSX 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 turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is going active, and you did diverse 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 2013 Acura TSX light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that eject and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Coggin Acura Fort Pierce so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2013 Acura TSX Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that microscopic light on your vehicle’s dashboard quickly flashes, 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 TSX. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a microscopic patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you beneficial knowledge about your car and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, distinct and helpful car symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of practical OBD codes, there are also hundreds of practical reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is imposing for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Coggin Acura Fort Pierce at 7727424342 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a unhealthy concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Acura mechanic.

2013 Acura TSX Check Engine Light

A flashing light illustrates that the problem is tough and if not taken care of rapidly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 Acura TSX starts flashing, that means that the problem needs quick attention and your Acura should be transported in rapidly. This blinking light usually indicates a draconian 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 feasible, requiring an fancy repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can entirely be the cause. A bad, classic or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Coggin Acura Fort Pierce immediately by calling 7727424342. 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 extraordinarily expensive repair.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 Acura TSX with the check engine light on?

This question is not exceedingly real 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 protected to drive. This is frequently 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 hazardous problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a hazardous issue and it is recommended to service your Acura TSX instantly. Call the experts at Coggin Acura Fort Pierce by dialing 7727424342 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2013 Acura to our certified mechanics as soon as potential.