2013 Acura TLX Check Engine Light

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Acura TLX

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Acura TLX and quickly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Acura 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 2013 Acura TLX checked as soon as functional. Ignoring that warning could end up causing big damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2013 Acura TLX's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electrical control system that it can’t accurate, 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 identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is determine with an electronic analyze tool that is used by our Acura auto repair mechanics at Park Place Acura. There are also a number of relatively low-cost 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 experienced to determine the issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Acura TLX 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 illuminates in either an amber or red color and is part of the diagnostics system found on your automobile. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored automobile performance since the 80s and do a collection of things for your 2013 Acura TLX. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a mixture of distinctive things. It can be as pure as your gas cap being loose or as exacting as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Acura TLX, contact Park Place Acura. Our Acura 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 Park Place Acura today!

Is it safe to drive your 2013 Acura TLX with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a critical issue and it is recommended to service your Acura TLX rapidly. This question is not very straightforward 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 consistent 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 convenient problem. Call the mentors at Park Place Acura by dialing 4696207939 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2013 Acura to our certified mechanics as soon as functional.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Acura TLX will usually 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 obvious, and you did assorted 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 Acura TLX 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 Park Place Acura so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2013 Acura TLX Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that slight 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 known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your TLX. There are hundreds of chance codes that your check engine light can imply. While that sounds daunting, with a slight patience, tackling main diagnostics will give you accessible 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, singular and pragmatic vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of pragmatic OBD codes, there are also hundreds of pragmatic reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is harsh 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 unhealthy concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Park Place Acura at 4696207939 now or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out abruptly by a certified Acura mechanic.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Acura TLX?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as apparent 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 extensive repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow generally means something less unhealthy but a flashing check engine light illustrates that your vehicle’s engine is in unhealthy trouble and service is essential immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Acura TLX, we extremely recommend not to travel to work the vehicle and schedule Acura service today. Below is a list of the most prevailing reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Acura TLX’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 Park Place Acura offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Acura service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2013 Acura TLX 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 substitute problems from overheating.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or substitute item can wreak havoc on your 2013 Acura TLX if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound ongoing, bring your TLX to Acura and have our unit of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts original place might cost a little bit more but could save you money from having to get scanty work and damage caused by scanty installation work corrected.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are decisive for your 2013 Acura TLX. 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 old, 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, preeminent to more expensive repairs.
• One of the most typical and bountiful cause is that your 2013 Acura TLX gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Acura TLX 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 expensive. If your check engine light turns on expeditiously after you put gas in your 2013 Acura TLX, original 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 O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, typical as the O2 sensor, measures the payment of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less adequate 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 2013 Acura TLX's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to find out 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.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Acura TLX is every main. 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 specifically require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Acura you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Acura TLX is what determines how much fuel is decisive to run your engine efficiently by measuring the payment of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to reasonable changes, like altitude. If your Acura TLX is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a abrupt change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
• Your 2013 Acura TLX has a vacuum leak. Every Acura TLX has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower 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 dry out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to competent heat or extreme chilled.

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

2013 Acura TLX Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are many potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are many modern causes including something as natural as a loose gas cap. Distinct modern reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name innumerable. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Acura Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as fundamental to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Acura issue was fixed.

Every 2013 Acura TLX was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its crucial 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 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 incorrect nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Park Place Acura provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Exceedingly Qualified Service experienced.

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

If you check engine light is twinkling, we suggest that you pull over and contact Park Place Acura to help determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a damaging sensor to plug wires needing to be interchanged. Since any 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.

2013 Acura TLX Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is perilous and if not taken care of suddenly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 Acura TLX starts flashing, that means that the problem needs agile attention and your Acura should be brought in suddenly. This blinking light ordinarily illustrates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is ready for use, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can certainly be the cause. A bad, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive veterans at Park Place Acura shortly by calling 4696207939. 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 extremely expensive repair.