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2016 BMW 328i Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless possible causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are other prevailing causes comprising something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other prevailing reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, 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 decisive 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 2016 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 essential 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 brightens 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 amiss 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 Highly Qualified Service experienced.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most naturally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2016 BMW 328i 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 lights up 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 2016 BMW 328i. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name assorted. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of alternative things. It can be as straightforward as your gas cap being loose or as rigorous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2016 BMW 328i, contact Richmond BMW. Our BMW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or analyze why your check engine light is twinkling. Contact Richmond BMW today!

2016 BMW 328i Check Engine Light

A flashing light hints that the problem is unhealthy and if not taken care of hastily may result in great wear and tear to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2016 BMW 328i starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your BMW should be brought in hastily. This glaring light ordinarily suggests a critical engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be drained into the exhaust system. There it can hastily hike the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is applicable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can really be the cause. A bad, old 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 fancy repair. If your check engine light is glaring, please contact our unit of automotive experts at Richmond BMW immediately by calling 8042074692.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2016 BMW 328i?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as straightforward as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a awesome problem that could cause awesome damage to your engine and come with a large repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less awesome but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in awesome trouble and service is fundamental instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2016 BMW 328i, we greatly advocate not to drive the vehicle and schedule BMW service today. Below is a list of the most decisive reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your 2016 BMW 328i has a vacuum leak. Every BMW 328i has a vacuum system that performs a extensive assortment 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 dry out and crack, exceptionally if they’re exposed to skittish heat or extreme freezing.
  • The battery is meager or dead. The battery in your 2016 BMW 328i is every extraordinary. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
  • One of the most acceptable and frequent cause is that your 2016 BMW 328i gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2016 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 bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is traditional 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 lavish. If your check engine light turns on shortly after you put gas in your 2016 BMW 328i, earliest 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or different item can wreak havoc on your 2016 BMW 328i 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 cognizant, transport your 328i to BMW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, exceptionally aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts earliest place might cost a scant bit more but could save you money from having to get low work and damage caused by low installation work corrected.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW 328i is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 responsive changes, like altitude. If your BMW 328i is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a precipitous 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 functional 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 2016 BMW 328i's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to learn 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.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2016 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 transport the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are bad or traditional, you will experience low 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, big to more lavish repairs.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2016 BMW 328i’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 2016 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 different problems from overheating.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The conducive news, Richmond BMW offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help choose the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not accordingly tightened to a more strict failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it conducive to get the decent code reading and diagnosis.

Check Engine Light Service 2016 BMW 328i

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW 328i and suddenly, a yellow light lights up on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most BMW owners, your heart sinks a slight because you have slight 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 represent 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 2016 BMW 328i checked as soon as likely. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2016 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 polite, 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 technical 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 high-tech to determine the issue and repair it.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2016 BMW 328i will ordinarily 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 suitable, 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 2016 BMW 328i 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.

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

The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy correctly. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is laborious to predict how frequent miles you can drive with the warning light on. If you check engine light is glaring, we recommend that you pull over and contact Richmond BMW to aid mean if your vehicle is secure to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced.

Is it safe to drive your 2016 BMW 328i with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a treacherous issue and it is recommended to service your BMW 328i promptly. This question is not very polite 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 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 precarious problem. Call the veterans at Richmond BMW by dialing 8042074692 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and deliver your 2016 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as functional.

2016 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 known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your 328i. There are hundreds of precise codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling imperative diagnostics will give you attentive knowledge about your automobile and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, evident and helpful automobile symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of careful OBD codes, there are also hundreds of careful reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is clear for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Richmond BMW at 8042074692 quickly 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 BMW mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a rigorous concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away.