Ram 1500 Check Engine Light

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Ram 1500?

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 an essential 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 signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and helpful service is required expeditiously. If your check engine light is flashing in your Ram 1500, we exceptionally advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ram service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:

• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Ram 1500 is each vital. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road in front, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't genuinely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Ram you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Ram 1500’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 ordinarily caused by regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with each Ram service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Ram 1500 will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your vehicle may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause other dangerous problems from overheating.
• Your Ram 1500 has a vacuum leak. Each Ram 1500 has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower adverse 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your Ram 1500. 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 go through 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 obstructed catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more pricey repairs.
• One of the most typical and frequent cause is that your Ram 1500 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your Ram 1500 serves different purposes. It prevents perilous 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 broken 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 change a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your Ram 1500, 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 Ram 1500 is what determines how much fuel is needed 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 Ram 1500 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden rapid change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a crucial sign of a broken mass airflow sensor.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your Ram 1500 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 1500 to Ram and have our team of gifted certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly 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 support you save substantially 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 instantly and your vehicle will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what results if I don’t change your O2 sensor? A broken sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your Ram 1500's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the absolutely right combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A broken O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Ram 1500 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 immediately turn itself off. Also, 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 Ram 1500 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 Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Ram 1500 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 1500. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can correctly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you useful knowledge about your car and will again allow that vital Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, obvious and useful car symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are again hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of prevailing 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 promptly by a proficient certified Ram mechanic. Call Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise at 2085100490 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your Ram 1500 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 Ram 1500. 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 a wide range 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 Ram 1500, contact Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise. Contact Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise today! Our Ram 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.

Is it safe to drive your Ram 1500 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 ordinarily 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 suggested to service your Ram 1500 expeditiously. Call the experts at Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise by dialing 2085100490 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and bring your Ram to our certified mechanics as soon as potential.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The good news, Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise offers completely free 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 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 appropriate code reading and diagnosis.

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

Since any check engine code has its own level of severity, it is typically difficult to predict how numerous miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise to assist determine if your vehicle is secure to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck. 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.

Check Engine Light Service Ram 1500

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ram 1500 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ram owners, your heart sinks extremely because you may have definitely 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, serene 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 suggested that you get your Ram 1500 checked swiftly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing considerable, extensive damage to pricey engine components.

When your Ram 1500'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 typically 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 immediately 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 Ram auto repair mechanics at Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise. There are again 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 definitely appropriate issue and repair it.

Ram 1500 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 different common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other usually common reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, or broken spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Ram Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and completely 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 Ram issue was entirely fixed.

Every Ram 1500 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 vital 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 explicitly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 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 Very Knowledgeable Service professional.

Ram 1500 Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your Ram 1500 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention immediately and your Ram should be brought in expeditiously. A flashing light signifies that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of immediately may result in significant and meaningful damage to the car. This blinking light normally 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 pricey and major repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically be the cause. A damaged, 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 pricey repair. If your check engine light is invariably flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Boise immediately by calling 2085100490.