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Is it safe to drive your Chevrolet Corvette 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 usually 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 serious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your Chevrolet Corvette immediately. Call the experts at Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet by dialing 5753057061 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your Chevrolet to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.

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 correctly 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. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The good news, Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet offers completely complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light.

Check Engine Light Service Chevrolet Corvette

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevrolet Corvette and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevrolet owners, your heart sinks extremely because you may have specifically 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 advised that you get your Chevrolet Corvette checked expeditiously. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, considerable damage to pricey engine parts.

When your Chevrolet Corvette's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t appropriate, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is generally 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 swiftly 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 Chevrolet auto repair mechanics at Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet. There are also a number of relatively 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 exactly correct issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most generally misunderstood lights or indicators in your Chevrolet Corvette is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the essential 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 Chevrolet Corvette. Some of these essential duties include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety 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 Chevrolet Corvette, contact Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet . Our Chevrolet 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 Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet today!

Chevrolet Corvette Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your Chevrolet Corvette starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention quickly and your Chevrolet should be brought in instantly. A flashing light signifies that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of quickly may result in major and meaningful damage to the car. This blinking light usually reveals a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can promptly 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 explicitly be the cause. A faulty, 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 costly repair. If your check engine light is invariably flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet instantly by calling 5753057061.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your Chevrolet Corvette will normally 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 quickly turn itself off. Still, 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 Chevrolet Corvette 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 Casa Chevrolet so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we propose that you pull over and contact Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet to help determine if your car is safe to drive in or if we propose a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since every check engine code has its own level of severity, it is usually difficult to predict how multiple miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

Chevrolet Corvette 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, still known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Corvette. 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 still allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, evident and helpful car symptoms do not invariably accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are still hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is essential for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet at 5753057061 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out promptly by a skillful certified Chevrolet 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.

Chevrolet Corvette 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 several common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other usually common reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty emissions control part, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty head gasket, broken oxygen sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Chevrolet Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and absolutely repair it as necessary to restore factory specifications. When this hits, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Chevrolet issue was entirely fixed.

Every Chevrolet Corvette was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its vital systems. The speedy 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. Yet, 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 Casa 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.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a Chevrolet Corvette?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Again, the check engine light could again be a warning of a significant problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and costly repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow ordinarily 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 Chevrolet Corvette, we very endorse not to drive the car and schedule Chevrolet service today. Below is a list of the most typical reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your Chevrolet Corvette is every essential. Without a car battery, your car won’t start, light up the road in front, 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 genuinely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet Corvette 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 Chevrolet Corvette is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden rapid replace in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a vital sign of a defective mass airflow sensor.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your Chevrolet Corvette. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel combination in the combustion chamber of your car. 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 undergo a noticeable poor 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 obstructed catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more costly repairs.
  • Your Chevrolet Corvette has a vacuum leak. Every Chevrolet Corvette has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also 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, especially if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
  • 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 car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what occurs if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A defective sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your Chevrolet Corvette's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the precisely appropriate combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A defective O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
  • One of the most typical and frequent cause is that your Chevrolet Corvette gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your Chevrolet Corvette serves different purposes. It prevents perilous gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps maintain pressure within the fuel tank. What occurs if you have a defective 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 replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on quickly after you put gas in your Chevrolet Corvette, 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 catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your Chevrolet Corvette’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A broken catalytic converter is usually caused by regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Larry H. Miller Casa Chevrolet offers a free multi-point check with every Chevrolet service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your Chevrolet Corvette 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 perilous problems from overheating.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your Chevrolet Corvette if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even limit the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Corvette to Chevrolet and have our team of accomplished certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could assist you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.

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