2016 Subaru Forester Check Engine Light

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2016 Subaru Forester?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Again, the check engine light could also be a warning of an essential 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 usually means something less serious but a flashing check engine light signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and useful service is needed promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2016 Subaru Forester, we remarkably suggest not to drive the car and schedule Subaru service today. Below is a list of the most typical reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2016 Subaru Forester’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A broken catalytic converter is frequently caused by consistently neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise offers a complimentary multi-point examination with each Subaru service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2016 Subaru Forester 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 delicate problems from overheating.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2016 Subaru Forester is each essential. 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Subaru you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2016 Subaru Forester if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Forester to Subaru and have our team of talented certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, exceptionally aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could help 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 quickly and your vehicle 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 meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your 2016 Subaru Forester's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the exactly right combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A defective O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• Your 2016 Subaru Forester has a vacuum leak. Each Subaru Forester 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, exceptionally if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Subaru Forester is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 Subaru Forester is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden quick change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a vital sign of a defective mass airflow sensor.
• One of the most regular and frequent cause is that your 2016 Subaru Forester gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your 2016 Subaru Forester serves various 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 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 pricey. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your 2016 Subaru Forester, 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2016 Subaru Forester. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel combination in the combustion chamber of your vehicle. 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 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 blocked catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more pricey repairs.

2016 Subaru Forester Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2016 Subaru Forester starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention quickly and your Subaru should be brought in swiftly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of quickly may result in major and meaningful damage to the vehicle. This blinking light ordinarily indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can immediately raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an costly and huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can precisely be the cause. A defective, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is totally 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 costly repair. If your check engine light is repeatedly flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise immediately by calling 2089952310.

Is it safe to drive your 2016 Subaru Forester 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 secure 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 advised to service your Subaru Forester instantly. Call the experts at Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise by dialing 2089952310 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and bring your 2016 Subaru to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.

Check Engine Light Service 2016 Subaru Forester

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Subaru Forester and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Subaru owners, your heart sinks exceptionally because you may have exactly 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, peaceful breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean 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 2016 Subaru Forester checked immediately. Ignoring that warning could end up causing considerable, considerable damage to costly engine parts.

When your 2016 Subaru Forester's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t appropriate, 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 Subaru auto repair mechanics at Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise. There are still a number of essentially 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 absolutely appropriate issue and repair it.

2016 Subaru Forester 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, also known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Forester. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can properly 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. Unfortunately, apparent and helpful car symptoms do not constantly accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of imaginable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of imaginable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of prevalent 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 adept certified Subaru mechanic. Call Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise at 2089952310 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2016 Subaru Forester 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 swiftly turn itself off. Still, 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 2016 Subaru Forester 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 Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

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 correctly 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 typically between $88 and $111. The good news, Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise offers completely complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light.

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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is typically difficult to predict how numerous miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we suggest that you pull over and contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise to support determine if your car is safe to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.

2016 Subaru Forester 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 several typical causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other often typical reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, or faulty spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Subaru Certified Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and completely repair it as required to restore factory specifications. When this occurs, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Subaru issue was completely fixed.

Every 2016 Subaru Forester was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its crucial systems. The fast sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending essential 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. Nevertheless, 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; Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Exceptionally Knowledgeable Service professional.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2016 Subaru Forester is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the vital 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 vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do an assortment of things for your 2016 Subaru Forester. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, 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 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 2016 Subaru Forester, contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise. Our Subaru 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 Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise today!