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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most continuously misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2014 BMW 528i is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in bountiful extra 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 2014 BMW 528i. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name numerous. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of chance things. It can be as common as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2014 BMW 528i, contact Richmond BMW. Contact Richmond BMW today! Our BMW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or inspect why your check engine light is flashing.

Is it safe to drive your 2014 BMW 528i with the check engine light on?

This question is not particularly easy 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 naturally 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 critical problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a critical issue and it is recommended to service your BMW 528i promptly. Call the experts at Richmond BMW by dialing 8042074692 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2014 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as attainable.

2014 BMW 528i Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are copious ability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are a lot conspicuous causes including something as conspicuous as a loose gas cap. Alternative conspicuous reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, damaged oxygen 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 BMW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as basic 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 2014 BMW 528i 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 precisely is culpable 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 Immensely Qualified Service effective.

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

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

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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is complicated to predict how copious 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 illustrate if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a harmful sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

2014 BMW 528i Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2014 BMW 528i starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your BMW should be brought in swiftly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is perilous and if not taken care of swiftly may result in enormous damage to the vehicle. This blinking light commonly implies a rigorous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can instantly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is lucid, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically 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 company of automotive experts at Richmond BMW hastily by calling 8042074692. 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.

Check Engine Light Service 2014 BMW 528i

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW 528i and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most BMW 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 price 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 2014 BMW 528i checked as soon as correct. Ignoring that warning could end up causing considerable damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2014 BMW 528i's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the mechanical control system that it can’t honorable, 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 scan tool that is used by our BMW auto repair mechanics at Richmond BMW. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you designate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced expert to indicate the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2014 BMW 528i?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as plain as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a precarious problem that could cause precarious damage to your engine and come with a exceptional repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow naturally means something less precarious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in precarious trouble and service is paramount shortly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2014 BMW 528i, we very recommend not to commute the vehicle and schedule BMW service today. Below is a list of the most fair reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • One of the most instinctive and frequent cause is that your 2014 BMW 528i gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2014 BMW 528i 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 shortly after you put gas in your 2014 BMW 528i, 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 2014 BMW 528i’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 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 repaired, your 2014 BMW 528i 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 back-up problems from overheating.
  • The battery is poor or dead. The battery in your 2014 BMW 528i is every crucial. 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 certainly require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our instinctive service coupons and specials.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are imperative for your 2014 BMW 528i. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel variety 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 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, dominant to more expensive repairs.
  • Your 2014 BMW 528i has a vacuum leak. Every BMW 528i has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower aggressive 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 direct heat or extreme chilled.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW 528i is what determines how much fuel is imperative 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 understandable changes, like altitude. If your BMW 528i is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
  • 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 faster and your vehicle will be less definite 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 2014 BMW 528i's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to select the right variety 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or back-up item can wreak havoc on your 2014 BMW 528i if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prohibit the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound commonplace, bring your 528i to BMW and have our team 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 first place might cost a honorable bit more but could save you money from having to get poor function and damage caused by poor installation function corrected.

2014 BMW 528i 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 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 acceptable as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your 528i. There are hundreds of distinctive codes that your check engine light can mean. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you realistic knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is truly supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, conspicuous and helpful vehicle 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:

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

This is why it is crucial for someone who does not have several of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a alarming concern, you risk detrimental your car further by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified BMW technician. Call Richmond BMW at 8042074692 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2014 BMW 528i will generally 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 careful, 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 2014 BMW 528i 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 Richmond BMW so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.