Is it safe to drive your 2015 BMW X5 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 BMW X5 suddenly. This question is not very common 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 commonly indicated by a steady 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 famous problem. Call the experts at Richmond BMW by dialing 8042074692 so you can describe the issues. Or reduction in cost your speed and bring your 2015 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as effective.
2015 BMW X5 Check Engine Light
A glaring light indicates that the problem is risky and if not taken care of today may result in memorable damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2015 BMW X5 starts glaring, that means that the problem needs quick attention and your BMW should be brought in today. This twinkling light usually indicates a rigid 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 likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exclusively be the cause. A bad, departed or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is ignored or you continue to travel to work, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a very expensive repair. If your check engine light is blinking, please contact our team of automotive veterans at Richmond BMW instantly by calling 8042074692.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we endorse that you pull over and contact Richmond BMW to help embrace if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we endorse a tow truck. Since each 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.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2015 BMW X5 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in plentiful discrete 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 2015 BMW X5. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of various things. It can be as classic as your gas cap being loose or as risky as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2015 BMW X5, contact Richmond BMW. Contact Richmond BMW today! Our BMW service department can assist you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.
2015 BMW X5 Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that microscopic light on your vehicle’s dashboard abruptly brightens, 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 acknowledged as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your X5. There are hundreds of exact codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a microscopic patience, tackling main diagnostics will give you cooperative knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really 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 attainable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of attainable reasons for the light, including:
- Ignition system faults
- Computer output circuit issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Bad Spark Plugs
- O2 Sensor
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Old Battery
- Emissions controls issues
- Transmission issues
This is why it is intense for someone who does not have copious of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out immediately by a certified BMW mechanic. Call Richmond BMW at 8042074692 immediately or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a important concern, you risk damaging your car extra by not repairing the issue right away.
2015 BMW X5 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 prevalent causes including something as comfortable as a loose gas cap. Further prevalent reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged 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 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 repaired.
Every 2015 BMW X5 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its hefty systems. The sensors are continuously detecting conditions while sending data to the computerized control unit. If the computerized 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 truly 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 Especially Qualified Service compelling.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2015 BMW X5 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 feasible, 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 2015 BMW X5 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that eject 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.
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 dangerous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it excellent to get the agreeable code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is naturally between $88 and $111. The excellent news, Richmond BMW offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light.
Check Engine Light Service 2015 BMW X5
What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW X5 and abruptly, 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 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 2015 BMW X5 checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing unusual break to expensive engine components.
When your 2015 BMW X5's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the computerized control system that it can’t common, 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 identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is read with an electrical scan 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 pick that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an professional professional to determine the issue and repair it.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2015 BMW X5?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as visible as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a alarming problem that could cause alarming damage to your engine and come with a important repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow generally means something less alarming but a flashing check engine light suggests that your vehicle’s engine is in alarming trouble and service is basic hastily. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2015 BMW X5, we tremendously indicate not to drive the vehicle and schedule BMW service today. Below is a list of the most visible reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or substitute item can wreak havoc on your 2015 BMW X5 if it’s not installed well. These aftermarket parts and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the automobile from starting. If these issues sound attentive, bring your X5 to BMW and have our department of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, exceedingly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might value a little bit more but could save you money from having to get meager work and damage caused by meager installation work corrected.
- Your 2015 BMW X5 has a vacuum leak. Every BMW X5 has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen 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 parched out and crack, exceedingly if they’re exposed to imposing heat or extreme bleak.
- One of the most fair and innumerable cause is that your 2015 BMW X5 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2015 BMW X5 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 erstwhile 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 now after you put gas in your 2015 BMW X5, first thing you should check is to make courageous the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- Your catalytic converter is detrimental or going detrimental. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2015 BMW X5’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's perform is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A damaged catalytic converter is typically 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 2015 BMW X5 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.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW X5 is what determines how much fuel is fundamental 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 attentive changes, like altitude. If your BMW X5 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 detrimental 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 automobile will be less correct 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 2015 BMW X5's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to opt for 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.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are fundamental for your 2015 BMW X5. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your automobile. 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 detrimental or erstwhile, you will experience meager 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, finest to more expensive repairs.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2015 BMW X5 is every evident. 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 assorted decades ago, and they don't certainly require maintenance. The value of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our fair service coupons and specials.