Subaru Impreza Check Engine Light

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

Since any 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. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. 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 Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise to assist determine if your car is safe to drive in or if we propose a tow truck.

Check Engine Light Service Subaru Impreza

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Subaru Impreza 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 precisely 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, calm 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 Subaru Impreza checked instantly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing considerable, huge damage to expensive engine parts.

When your Subaru Impreza'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 usually 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 again a number of comparatively 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 exactly appropriate issue and repair it.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Subaru Impreza will normally 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 instantly turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is working correctly, 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 Impreza 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.

Subaru Impreza 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 regular causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other often regular reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, damaged head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, broken oxygen sensor, dirty mass airflow sensor, or damaged 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 totally 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 Subaru issue was entirely fixed.

Every Subaru Impreza 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 quick 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. Nonetheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what specifically 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 Exceedingly Certified Service professional.

Subaru Impreza Check Engine Light

A flashing light reveals that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in significant and significant damage to the car. If the check engine light in your Subaru Impreza starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention expeditiously and your Subaru should be brought in instantly. This blinking light ordinarily reveals 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 huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A damaged, 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 Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise expeditiously by calling 2089952310. 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.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your Subaru Impreza 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do a wide range of things for your Subaru Impreza. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing security 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 dangerous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your Subaru Impreza, contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise. 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. Contact Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise today!

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

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out immediately by a proficient 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.

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

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could likewise be a warning of a meaningful 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 generally means something less serious but a flashing check engine light signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in meaningful trouble and useful service is required promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your Subaru Impreza, we very recommend not to drive the car and schedule Subaru 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 Subaru Impreza is each important. 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.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your Subaru Impreza gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Subaru Impreza serves various purposes. It prevents dangerous gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps manage pressure within the fuel tank. What happens if you have a damaged 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 quickly after you put gas in your Subaru Impreza, 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 Subaru Impreza. 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 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 clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more pricey repairs.
• 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 rapidly and your car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A damaged sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your Subaru Impreza'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 damaged O2 sensor can again cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Subaru Impreza 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 Impreza is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden speedy change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a critical sign of a damaged mass airflow sensor.
• Your Subaru Impreza has a vacuum leak. Each Subaru Impreza has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system again 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 dry out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Subaru Impreza’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 regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Subaru Boise offers a complimentary multi-point check with each Subaru service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Subaru Impreza 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 perilous problems from overheating.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your Subaru Impreza if it’s not installed properly. 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 Impreza to Subaru and have our team of gifted 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 components 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.

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, 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. 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.

Is it safe to drive your Subaru Impreza 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 typically 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 advised to service your Subaru Impreza immediately. 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.