How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The better news, Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help indicate the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not subsequently tightened to a more severe failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it better to get the suitable code reading and diagnosis.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most typically misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few 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 flashes 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 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name decent. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a class of accessible things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as exacting as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata, contact Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa. Our Hyundai service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or analyze why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa today!
2012 Hyundai Sonata Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata starts flashing, that means that the problem needs quick attention and your Hyundai should be brought in swiftly. A flashing light hints that the problem is awesome and if not taken care of swiftly may result in colossal damage to the vehicle. This glaring light commonly indicates a relentless engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be deposited into the exhaust system. There it can quickly boost the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where break is helpful, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can certainly be the cause. A harmful, aged 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 Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa promptly by calling 8132855062. 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 very fancy repair.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Hyundai Sonata?
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 unhealthy problem that could cause unhealthy damage to your engine and come with a enormous repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow normally means something less unhealthy but a twinkling check engine light suggests that your vehicle’s engine is in unhealthy trouble and service is basic urgently. If your check engine light is twinkling in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata, we highly advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule Hyundai service today. Below is a list of the most affectionate reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or different item can wreak havoc on your 2012 Hyundai Sonata if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discard the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avert the car from starting. If these issues sound friendly, deliver your Sonata to Hyundai and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, very aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a scant bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
- Your 2012 Hyundai Sonata has a vacuum leak. Every Hyundai Sonata has a vacuum system that performs a immense variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce 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, very if they’re exposed to notable heat or extreme cold.
- One of the most simple and many cause is that your 2012 Hyundai Sonata gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 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 fancy. If your check engine light turns on immediately after you put gas in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata, 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 Hyundai Sonata is what determines how much fuel is needed to run your engine efficiently by measuring the fee of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to clear changes, like altitude. If your Hyundai Sonata is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Hyundai Sonata is every vital. 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 price of a new one depends on the type of Hyundai you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel assortment in the combustion chamber of your car. 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 old, you will experience low 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, leading to more fancy repairs.
- Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, admitted as the O2 sensor, measures the fee of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your car will be less prudent 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 2012 Hyundai Sonata's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to favor the right assortment 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.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 Hyundai Sonata’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 neglected maintenance, which is why Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Hyundai service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 different problems from overheating.
Is it safe to drive your 2012 Hyundai Sonata with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a remarkable issue and it is recommended to service your Hyundai Sonata swiftly. This question is not very prevalent 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 reliable 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 exciting problem. Call the experts at Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa by dialing 8132855062 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and bring your 2012 Hyundai to our certified mechanics as soon as likely.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 efficient, 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 2012 Hyundai Sonata light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that fee and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
Check Engine Light Service 2012 Hyundai Sonata
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Hyundai Sonata and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Hyundai owners, your heart sinks a scant because you have scant 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 select 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 2012 Hyundai Sonata checked as soon as advantageous. Ignoring that warning could end up causing giant damage to pricey engine parts.
When your 2012 Hyundai Sonata's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the mechanical control system that it can’t good, 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 probe tool that is used by our Hyundai auto repair mechanics at Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa. There are also a number of relatively bargain 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 indicate the issue and repair it.
2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 frequent simple causes consisting something as simple as a loose gas cap. Extra simple reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, 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 Hyundai Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as crucial to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Hyundai issue was fixed.
Every 2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the professional control company. If the professional control company 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 exactly is amiss nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Highly Qualified Service professional.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa to aid pick if your car is able to drive in or if we advise a tow truck. Since all check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how many miles you can drive 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.
2012 Hyundai Sonata 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 illuminates, 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 known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Sonata. There are hundreds of divergent codes that your check engine light can suggest. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling considerable diagnostics will give you beneficial knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is surely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, accessible and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of achievable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of achievable reasons for the light, including:
- Computer output circuit issues
- Ignition system faults
- O2 Sensor
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Old Battery
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Transmission issues
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Emissions controls issues
This is why it is remarkable for someone who does not have assorted of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out abruptly by a certified Hyundai mechanic. Call Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa at 8132855062 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a critical concern, you risk detrimental your car additional by not repairing the issue right away.