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Check Engine Light Service 2013 BMW 328i

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW 328i and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most BMW owners, your heart sinks a miniature because you have miniature idea about what that light is trying to tell you or how you should react. The fear of the unknown (or the price of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t indicate 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 BMW 328i checked as soon as likely. Ignoring that warning could end up causing broad damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2013 BMW 328i'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 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 read with an electronic investigate tool that is used by our BMW auto repair mechanics at Richmond BMW. There are also a number of comparably inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you indicate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced gifted to indicate the issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most generally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 BMW 328i is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few alternative 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 variety of things for your 2013 BMW 328i. Some of these 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 assorted things. It can be as real as your gas cap being loose or as harsh as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 BMW 328i, contact Richmond BMW. Contact Richmond BMW today! Our BMW service department can help you read what code is turning your check engine light on or observe why your check engine light is flashing.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 BMW 328i?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as detectable as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a harsh problem that could cause harsh wear and tear to your engine and come with a gigantic repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less harsh but a shining check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in harsh trouble and service is basic immediately. If your check engine light is shining in your 2013 BMW 328i, we exceedingly endorse not to drive the vehicle and schedule BMW service today. Below is a list of the most commonplace reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your catalytic converter is detrimental or going detrimental. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 BMW 328i’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's work 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 Richmond BMW offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every BMW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it fixed, your 2013 BMW 328i 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 added problems from overheating.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2013 BMW 328i. 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 bring the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are detrimental or old, you will experience 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 clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, best to more expensive repairs.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2013 BMW 328i if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discard the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound affectionate, bring your 328i to BMW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • Your 2013 BMW 328i has a vacuum leak. Every BMW 328i has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce 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 bare out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to exciting heat or extreme freezing.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be interchanged. The Oxygen sensor, established 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 vehicle will be less accessible 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 BMW 328i's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to prefer the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A detrimental O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
  • One of the most normal and several cause is that your 2013 BMW 328i gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 BMW 328i 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 detrimental 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 urgently after you put gas in your 2013 BMW 328i, 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 interchanged. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW 328i is what determines how much fuel is crucial 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 genuine changes, like altitude. If your BMW 328i 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 detrimental mass airflow sensor.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 BMW 328i is every meaningful. 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 genuinely require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our prevailing service coupons and specials.

2013 BMW 328i Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are innumerable feasible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are countless long-established causes including something as easy as a loose gas cap. Alternative long-established reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty head gasket, 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 BMW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as mandatory to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your BMW issue was fixed.

Every 2013 BMW 328i was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its laborious systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electrical control unit. If the electrical 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 definitely is erroneous nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Richmond BMW provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Extremely Qualified Service trained.

2013 BMW 328i Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that small 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 respectable as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your 328i. There are hundreds of alternative codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling essential diagnostics will give you agreeable knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, fascinating and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of probable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of probable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is exciting 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 powerful concern, you risk damaging your car other by not repairing the issue right away. Call Richmond BMW at 8042074692 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified BMW mechanic.

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

The middle cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The primary news, Richmond BMW offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help learn 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 alarming failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it primary to get the suitable code reading and diagnosis.

2013 BMW 328i Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is dangerous and if not taken care of today may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 BMW 328i starts flashing, that means that the problem needs speedy attention and your BMW should be brought in today. This flashing light generally indicates a rigorous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can instantly expand the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can completely be the cause. A harmful, classic 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 very costly repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our department of automotive experts at Richmond BMW promptly by calling 8042074692.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 BMW 328i 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 factual, 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 BMW 328i light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you travel to work over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Richmond BMW so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 BMW 328i with the check engine light on?

This question is not incredibly uncomplicated 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 continuously 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 rigid problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a rigid issue and it is recommended to service your BMW 328i hastily. Call the experts at Richmond BMW by dialing 8042074692 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2013 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as capacity.

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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is complex to predict how countless miles you can drive with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Richmond BMW to help learn if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be interchanged. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.