Is it safe to drive your 2015 Lexus RX 350 with the check engine light on?
This question is not very plain 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 risky problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a risky issue and it is recommended to service your Lexus RX 350 straightaway. Call the experts at Nalley Lexus Smyrna by dialing 7706187908 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and deliver your 2015 Lexus to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.
2015 Lexus RX 350 Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your 2015 Lexus RX 350 starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your Lexus should be transported in expeditiously. A twinkling light indicates that the problem is threatening and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in primary damage to the vehicle. This flashing light usually illustrates a scrupulous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can instantly improve the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is viable, requiring an pricey repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A detrimental, departed 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 Nalley Lexus Smyrna immediately by calling 7706187908. If the problem is ignored or you continue to travel to work, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a very expensive repair.
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 alarming failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it marvelous to get the marvelous code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is normally between $88 and $111. The marvelous news, Nalley Lexus Smyrna offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2015 Lexus RX 350 will usually 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 correct, 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 2015 Lexus RX 350 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 Nalley Lexus Smyrna so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2015 Lexus RX 350 Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless conceivable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are a lot routine causes including something as straightforward as a loose gas cap. Added routine reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Lexus Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as needed to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Lexus issue was fixed.
Every 2015 Lexus RX 350 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its tough systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the computerized control department. If the computerized control department 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 explicitly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Lexus Smyrna provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Extremely Qualified Service trained.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Nalley Lexus Smyrna to help determine if your vehicle is safe to travel to work in or if we recommend a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is laborious to predict how many miles you can travel to work with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be changed.
Check Engine Light Service 2015 Lexus RX 350
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Lexus RX 350 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Lexus 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 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 2015 Lexus RX 350 checked as soon as authentic. Ignoring that warning could end up causing principal damage to expensive engine components.
When your 2015 Lexus RX 350's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electrical control system that it can’t honest, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is naturally 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 read with an electronic scan tool that is used by our Lexus auto repair mechanics at Nalley Lexus Smyrna. There are also 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 read the issue and repair it.
2015 Lexus RX 350 Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly 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 real as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your RX 350. There are hundreds of chance codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling principal diagnostics will give you comfortable knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, familiar and proper vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of feasible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of feasible reasons for the light, including:
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Old Battery
- O2 Sensor
- Emissions controls issues
- Computer output circuit issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Transmission issues
- Ignition system faults
This is why it is adequate for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a hazardous concern, you risk harmful your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out instantly by a certified Lexus technician. Call Nalley Lexus Smyrna at 7706187908 instantly or schedule your check engine light service online today!
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2015 Lexus RX 350?
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 also be a warning of a dangerous problem that could cause dangerous damage to your engine and come with a big repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow regularly means something less dangerous but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in dangerous trouble and service is needed quickly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2015 Lexus RX 350, we very recommend not to travel to work the vehicle and schedule Lexus service today. Below is a list of the most present reasons your check engine light can come on:
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are paramount for your 2015 Lexus RX 350. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel range in the combustion chamber of your vehicle. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run. The spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are harmful 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, central to more expensive repairs.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be interchanged. The mass airflow sensor in your Lexus RX 350 is what determines how much fuel is paramount 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 considerable changes, like altitude. If your Lexus RX 350 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a harmful mass airflow sensor.
- Your catalytic converter is harmful or going harmful. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2015 Lexus RX 350’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 commonly caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Nalley Lexus Smyrna offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Lexus service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it serviced, your 2015 Lexus RX 350 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 additional problems from overheating.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be interchanged. 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 faster and your vehicle will be less realistic 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 2015 Lexus RX 350's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean the right range of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A harmful O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or additional item can wreak havoc on your 2015 Lexus RX 350 if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound natural, bring your RX 350 to Lexus and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts authentic place might value a miniature bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- Your 2015 Lexus RX 350 has a vacuum leak. Every Lexus RX 350 has a vacuum system that performs a wide assortment of functions. The vacuum system also helps decrease 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 bare out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to profound heat or extreme frosty.
- One of the most natural and bountiful cause is that your 2015 Lexus RX 350 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2015 Lexus RX 350 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 harmful 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 immediately after you put gas in your 2015 Lexus RX 350, authentic thing you should check is to make satisfied the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- The battery is meager or dead. The battery in your 2015 Lexus RX 350 is every profound. 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 numerous decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Lexus you drive, but check our present service coupons and specials.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2015 Lexus RX 350 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a lot assorted 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 variety of things for your 2015 Lexus RX 350. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name assorted. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of distinctive things. It can be as classic as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2015 Lexus RX 350, contact Nalley Lexus Smyrna. Contact Nalley Lexus Smyrna today! Our Lexus service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.