Subaru Crosstrek Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most normally misunderstood lights or indicators in your Subaru Crosstrek is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the important onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a wide range 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 a wide range of things for your Subaru Crosstrek. Some of these essential duties include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing cohesion 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 dangerous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Subaru Crosstrek, contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise. Contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise today! Our Subaru service department can support you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.

Subaru Crosstrek 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 various common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other usually common reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, damaged emissions control part, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Subaru Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and completely 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 Subaru issue was entirely fixed.

Every Subaru Crosstrek was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its vital systems. The fast 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, sadly 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 Immensely Certified Service professional.

Check Engine Light Service Subaru Crosstrek

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Subaru Crosstrek and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Subaru owners, your heart sinks drastically because you may have explicitly 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 recommended that you get your Subaru Crosstrek checked expeditiously. Ignoring that warning could end up causing extensive, huge damage to pricey engine components.

When your Subaru Crosstrek'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 instantly 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 likewise a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you choose 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.

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

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 again be a warning of a significant problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and expensive repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow generally means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in meaningful trouble and useful service is required swiftly. If your check engine light is flashing in your Subaru Crosstrek, we immensely 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:

• One of the most regular and frequent cause is that your Subaru Crosstrek gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your Subaru Crosstrek serves various 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 occurs 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 expensive. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your Subaru Crosstrek, 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 Subaru Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a crucial sign of a faulty mass airflow sensor.
• 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 expeditiously and your vehicle will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what occurs if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A faulty sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause significant damage to your catalytic converter and your Subaru Crosstrek's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the exactly right 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 Subaru Crosstrek has a vacuum leak. Every Subaru Crosstrek 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your Subaru Crosstrek. 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 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 evident 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, leading to more expensive repairs.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Subaru Crosstrek’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 ordinarily caused by invariably neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise offers a free multi-point check with every Subaru service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Subaru Crosstrek 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.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Subaru Crosstrek is every essential. 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 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 Subaru Crosstrek if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even limit the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Crosstrek to Subaru and have our team of accomplished certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could support you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.

Is it safe to drive your Subaru Crosstrek 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 usually 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 Crosstrek rapidly. Call the experts at Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise by dialing 2089952310 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your Subaru to our certified mechanics as soon as potential.

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 any check engine code has its own level of severity, it is usually 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 propose that you pull over and contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise to support determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we propose a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is ordinarily between $88 and $111. The good news, Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise 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 properly 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 proper code reading and diagnosis.

Subaru Crosstrek 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, again known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Crosstrek. 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 useful knowledge about your vehicle and will again allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, clear and useful vehicle symptoms do not invariably accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are again hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

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

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. If the engine light comes on due to a serious 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 talented certified Subaru mechanic. Call Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise at 2089952310 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

Subaru Crosstrek Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your Subaru Crosstrek starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention promptly and your Subaru should be brought in instantly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of promptly may result in extensive and significant 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 rapidly 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 specifically be the cause. A faulty, 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 consistently flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise instantly by calling 2089952310.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Subaru Crosstrek will frequently shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is fixed. For instance, if the cause of your check engine light coming on was a loose gas cap, if it's tightened, the light will quickly turn itself off. Still, if your catalytic converter is working accurately, 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 Subaru Crosstrek 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.