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

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. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Richmond BMW to assist imply if your car is consistent to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2020 BMW X5 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few divergent 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 2020 BMW X5. Some of these include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions 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 prevalent as your gas cap being loose or as harsh as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2020 BMW X5, contact Richmond BMW. Our BMW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is blinking. Contact Richmond BMW today!

2020 BMW X5 Check Engine Light

A flashing light suggests that the problem is relentless and if not taken care of shortly may result in major wear and tear to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2020 BMW X5 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your BMW should be brought in shortly. This blinking light usually indicates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be discharged into the exhaust system. There it can swiftly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is feasible, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically be the cause. A detrimental, erstwhile 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 excessively fancy repair. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our team of automotive advisors at Richmond BMW expeditiously by calling 8042074692.

Is it safe to drive your 2020 BMW X5 with the check engine light on?

This question is not very pure 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 typically 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 bizarre problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a bizarre issue and it is recommended to service your BMW X5 instantly. Call the experts at Richmond BMW by dialing 8042074692 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and bring your 2020 BMW to our certified technicians as soon as functional.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2020 BMW X5?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as authentic as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a perilous problem that could cause perilous damage to your engine and come with a extraordinary repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow mostly means something fewer perilous but a flashing check engine light implies that your vehicle’s engine is in perilous trouble and service is essential instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2020 BMW X5, we highly recommend 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:

  • One of the most commonplace and frequent cause is that your 2020 BMW X5 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2020 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 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 pricey. If your check engine light turns on straightaway after you put gas in your 2020 BMW X5, 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 replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW X5 is what determines how much fuel is mandatory to run your engine efficiently by measuring the payment of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to accurate changes, like altitude. If your BMW X5 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a hasty change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2020 BMW X5 is every critical. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of BMW you travel to work, but check our current service coupons and specials.
  • Your 2020 BMW X5 has a vacuum leak. Every BMW X5 has a vacuum system that performs a wide collection of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen bad 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 powerful heat or extreme nimble.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are mandatory for your 2020 BMW X5. 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 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 wear and tear to ignition coils and O2 sensors, finest to more pricey repairs.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2020 BMW X5’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 2020 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 back-up problems from overheating.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, noted as the O2 sensor, measures the payment of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less factual 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 wear and tear to your catalytic converter and your 2020 BMW X5's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to find out 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or back-up item can wreak havoc on your 2020 BMW X5 if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket components and accessories can ditch the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even hinder the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound prevalent, bring your X5 to BMW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components first place might rate a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and wear and tear caused by poor installation work corrected.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2020 BMW X5 will usually 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 pragmatic, and you did many 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 2020 BMW X5 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that reward 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.

Check Engine Light Service 2020 BMW X5

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW X5 and abruptly, a yellow light lights up 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 2020 BMW X5 checked as soon as possible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major wear and tear to expensive engine components.

When your 2020 BMW X5's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t definite, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is frequently 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 computerized 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 choose that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an ingenious mechanical to read the issue and repair it.

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

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

2020 BMW X5 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 many accepted causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Additional accepted reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, 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 fundamental 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 2020 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 critical systems. The sensors are continually 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 exactly is untrue 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 Exceedingly Qualified Service high-tech.

2020 BMW X5 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that tiny 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 accepted as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your X5. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can imply. While that sounds daunting, with a tiny patience, tackling decisive diagnostics will give you accessible 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, certain and decent 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:

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

This is why it is climactic for someone who does not have assorted of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. 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 dangerous concern, you risk bad your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Richmond BMW at 8042074692 straightaway or schedule your check engine light service online today!