Is it safe to drive your 2012 VW Touareg with the check engine light on?
This question is not very 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 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 alarming problem. If the check engine light is shining, this means that there is a alarming issue and it is recommended to service your VW Touareg promptly. Call the specialists at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta by dialing 7706299081 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and transport your 2012 VW to our certified mechanics as soon as essential.
2012 VW Touareg Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little 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 added 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 Touareg. There are hundreds of additional codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling vital diagnostics will give you fitting knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is actually supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, accessible and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of likely OBD codes, there are also hundreds of likely reasons for the light, including:
- Old Battery
- Ignition system faults
- Emissions controls issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- O2 Sensor
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Transmission issues
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Computer output circuit issues
This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta at 7706299081 today 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 VW mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a perilous concern, you risk damaging your car contrasting by not repairing the issue right away.
Check Engine Light Service 2012 VW Touareg
What do you do when you’re driving along in your VW Touareg and suddenly, a yellow light flashes on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most VW 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 illustrate 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 2012 VW Touareg checked as soon as feasible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing flashy damage to pricey engine components.
When your 2012 VW Touareg's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t apt, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is often 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 inspect tool that is used by our VW auto repair mechanics at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you select that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced experienced to represent the issue and repair it.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2012 VW Touareg 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 correct, and you did innumerable 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 2012 VW Touareg 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 Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2012 VW Touareg Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are copious potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are frequent daily causes comprising something as curious as a loose gas cap. Extra daily reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, dirty mass airflow sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the VW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as crucial to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your VW issue was fixed.
Every 2012 VW Touareg 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 ordinarily 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 flashes 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 guilty nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Remarkably Qualified Service professional.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 VW Touareg?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as uncomplicated as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a hazardous problem that could cause hazardous damage to your engine and come with a substantial repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow often means something less hazardous but a shining check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in hazardous trouble and service is crucial abruptly. If your check engine light is shining in your 2012 VW Touareg, we tremendously opt for not to drive the vehicle and schedule VW service at this moment. Below is a list of the most routine reasons your check engine light can come on:
- One of the most fair and frequent cause is that your 2012 VW Touareg gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 VW Touareg 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 classical 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 fancy. If your check engine light turns on immediately after you put gas in your 2012 VW Touareg, 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 O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replenished. The Oxygen sensor, known 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 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 2012 VW Touareg's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean 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.
- Your 2012 VW Touareg has a vacuum leak. Every VW Touareg has a vacuum system that performs a wide collection of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower 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 extraordinary heat or extreme brisk.
- Issues with all aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or additional item can wreak havoc on your 2012 VW Touareg if it’s not installed accurately. 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 established, transport your Touareg to VW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing all issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2012 VW Touareg. 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 classical, 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, first-rate to more fancy repairs.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 VW Touareg’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 ordinarily caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every VW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 VW Touareg 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 additional problems from overheating.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replenished. The mass airflow sensor in your VW Touareg is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 definite changes, like altitude. If your VW Touareg 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 bad mass airflow sensor.
- The battery is meager or dead. The battery in your 2012 VW Touareg is every essential. 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 numerous decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The cost of a new one depends on the type of VW you drive, but check our ongoing service coupons and specials.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we represent that you pull over and contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta to help indicate if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we represent a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how bountiful miles you can drive with the warning light on. 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 normally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 VW Touareg is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few distinctive ways. It can say "Check Engine", it can be a symbol of an engine, it can even be a combination of both. This light brightens 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 2012 VW Touareg. 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 assortment of different things. It can be as common as your gas cap being loose or as extraordinary as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 VW Touareg, contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. Our VW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or observe why your check engine light is shining. Contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta today!
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The convenient news, Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not accurately tightened to a more suitable failure like a harmful catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it convenient to get the ready code reading and diagnosis.
2012 VW Touareg Check Engine Light
A flashing light indicates that the problem is perilous and if not taken care of quickly may result in sizable wear and tear to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2012 VW Touareg starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your VW should be transported in quickly. This glaring light usually hints a draconian engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where break is probable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A bad, classical or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our department of automotive experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta urgently by calling 7706299081. 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 lavish repair.