2013 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Chevy Equinox

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Equinox and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevy 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, 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 suggested that you get your 2013 Chevy Equinox checked promptly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, considerable damage to expensive engine parts.

When your 2013 Chevy Equinox'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 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 Chevy auto repair mechanics at Stevinson Chevrolet. There are also a number of comparatively 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 precisely correct issue and repair it.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Chevy Equinox will ordinarily 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 immediately turn itself off. Also, 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 2013 Chevy Equinox 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 Stevinson Chevrolet so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 Chevy Equinox with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your Chevy Equinox swiftly. This question is not exceptionally 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 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. Call the experts at Stevinson Chevrolet by dialing 7207042290 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and bring your 2013 Chevy to our certified mechanics as promptly as imaginable.

2013 Chevy Equinox 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 common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other generally common reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, defective emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, defective head gasket, damaged oxygen sensor, or damaged spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Chevy Certified Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and utterly 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 Chevy issue was totally fixed.

Every 2013 Chevy Equinox was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its important 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. Nonetheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what definitely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Stevinson Chevrolet 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 Qualified Service professional.

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

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. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is typically difficult to predict how many miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we endorse that you pull over and contact Stevinson Chevrolet to help determine if your car is secure to drive in or if we endorse a tow truck.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Chevy Equinox?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Still, the check engine light could likewise 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 generally means something less serious but a flashing check engine light reveals that your vehicle’s engine is in significant trouble and useful service is required expeditiously. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Chevy Equinox, we very suggest not to drive the car and schedule Chevy service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2013 Chevy Equinox gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Chevy Equinox serves numerous purposes. It prevents hazardous 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 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 expensive. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your 2013 Chevy Equinox, 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 2013 Chevy Equinox has a vacuum leak. Every Chevy Equinox has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system again 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.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2013 Chevy Equinox if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Equinox to Chevy and have our team of skilled certified mechanics make sure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could help 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 rapidly and your vehicle will be less efficient 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 serious damage to your catalytic converter and your 2013 Chevy Equinox's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the precisely correct combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A faulty O2 sensor can again cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevy Equinox 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 Chevy Equinox 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 faulty mass airflow sensor.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Chevy Equinox’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 invariably neglected maintenance, which is why Stevinson Chevrolet offers a free multi-point check with every Chevy service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2013 Chevy Equinox 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 delicate problems from overheating.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2013 Chevy Equinox. 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 clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more pricey repairs.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Chevy Equinox is every important. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevy you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.

2013 Chevy Equinox 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 Equinox. 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 advantageous knowledge about your car and will again allow that vital Check Engine Light to do what it is genuinely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, apparent and helpful car symptoms do not consistently 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:

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

This is why it is critical for someone who does not have a lot of prevailing automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out instantly by a proficient certified Chevy mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Stevinson Chevrolet at 7207042290 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most ordinarily misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Chevy Equinox 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 2013 Chevy Equinox. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, 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 perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Chevy Equinox, contact Stevinson Chevrolet. Our Chevy 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. Contact Stevinson Chevrolet today!

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The good news, Stevinson Chevrolet offers entirely 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 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.

2013 Chevy Equinox Check Engine Light

A flashing light reveals that the problem is extremely serious and if not taken care of immediately may result in major and serious damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 Chevy Equinox starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention immediately and your Chevy 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 rapidly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an pricey and far-reaching repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A broken, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is repeatedly flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Stevinson Chevrolet quickly by calling 7207042290. If the problem is entirely ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a exceedingly expensive repair.