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2018 Ford Explorer Check Engine Light

A glaring light indicates that the problem is curious and if not taken care of abruptly may result in big damage to the car. If the check engine light in your 2018 Ford Explorer starts glaring, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Ford should be transported in abruptly. This shining light commonly indicates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly enhance the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive repair. A Scant owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can definitely be the cause. A destructive, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a highly pricey repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our department of automotive consultants at Coggin Deland Ford quickly by calling 3862100247.

Is it safe to drive your 2018 Ford Explorer with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a risky issue and it is recommended to service your Ford Explorer expeditiously. This question is not very commonplace because it each 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 vehicle, it could be an indication of a more perilous problem. Call the experts at Coggin Deland Ford by dialing 3862100247 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2018 Ford to our certified technicians as soon as feasible.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most continuously misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 Ford Explorer is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in some 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 mixture of things for your 2018 Ford Explorer. Some of these include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name some. With that being said, the check engine light can opt for a variety of contrasting things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as serious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 Ford Explorer, contact Coggin Deland Ford. Our Ford service department can aid you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Coggin Deland Ford today!

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 Ford Explorer?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as easy as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a critical problem that could cause critical 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 generally means something less critical but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in critical trouble and service is needed shortly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 Ford Explorer, we exceedingly suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ford service straightaway. Below is a list of the most normal reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • One of the most classic and bountiful cause is that your 2018 Ford Explorer gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 Ford Explorer 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 bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is long-established 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 2018 Ford Explorer, first thing you should check is to make positive the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
  • Your 2018 Ford Explorer has a vacuum leak. Every Ford Explorer has a vacuum system that performs a great variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen damaging 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 familiar.
  • Issues with each aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2018 Ford Explorer if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avert the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound noted, bring your Explorer to Ford and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing each issue. Getting accessories, exceptionally aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a small bit more but could save you money from having to get scanty work and damage caused by scanty installation work corrected.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Ford Explorer is what determines how much fuel is needed to run your engine efficiently by measuring the reward of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to apparent changes, like altitude. If your Ford Explorer is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a immediate change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 Ford Explorer’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 usually caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Coggin Deland Ford offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Ford service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 Ford Explorer 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 problems from overheating.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2018 Ford Explorer is every important. 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 really require maintenance. The cost of a new one depends on the type of Ford you travel to work, but check our ongoing service coupons and specials.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2018 Ford Explorer. 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. 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 long-established, you will experience scanty 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, finest to more expensive repairs.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the reward of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less pragmatic 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 2018 Ford Explorer's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to read the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.

2018 Ford Explorer Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless possible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are frequent contemporary causes encompassing something as authentic as a loose gas cap. Other contemporary 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 Ford 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 Ford issue was fixed.

Every 2018 Ford Explorer was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its hard systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control unit. If the electronic control unit detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light brightens telling you that there is a problem. However, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what specifically is amiss nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Deland Ford 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.

2018 Ford Explorer Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard expeditiously lights up, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear honest 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 regular as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Explorer. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling profound diagnostics will give you relevant knowledge about your car and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, thought-provoking and helpful car symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is critical for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Coggin Deland Ford at 3862100247 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out suddenly by a certified Ford mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a draconian concern, you risk harmful your vehicle other by not repairing the issue correct away.

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 consistent failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it accessible to get the proper code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The accessible news, Coggin Deland Ford offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help select the cause of your check engine light.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 Ford Explorer will commonly shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is serviced. 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 real, 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 2018 Ford Explorer 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 Coggin Deland Ford so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Check Engine Light Service 2018 Ford Explorer

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford Explorer and at this moment, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ford owners, your heart sinks some because you have tiny idea about what that light is trying to tell you or how you should react. The fear of the unknown (or the value of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t determine you have to pull the automobile over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2018 Ford Explorer checked as soon as apt. Ignoring that warning could end up causing persuasive damage to fancy engine elements.

When your 2018 Ford Explorer's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t relevant, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is frequently 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 Ford auto repair mechanics at Coggin Deland Ford. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you determine that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced trained to imply the issue and repair it.

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. If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Coggin Deland Ford to help indicate if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we advocate 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 hard to predict how frequent miles you can drive with the warning light on.