2013 VW Jetta Check Engine Light

Check Engine Light Service 2013 VW Jetta

What do you do when you’re driving along in your VW Jetta and immediately, a yellow light lights up on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most VW owners, your heart sinks a bit 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 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 2013 VW Jetta checked as soon as accessible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing main damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2013 VW Jetta's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t decent, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is consistently 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 pick with an mechanical diagnose 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 designate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to mean the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 VW Jetta?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a unstable problem that could cause unstable damage to your engine and come with a considerable repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow ordinarily means something less unstable but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in unstable trouble and service is fundamental immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 VW Jetta, we excessively advise not to drive the vehicle and schedule VW service today. Below is a list of the most simple reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be interchanged. 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 competent 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 break to your catalytic converter and your 2013 VW Jetta's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to advocate the prudent 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.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 VW Jetta is every productive. 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 some decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of VW you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be interchanged. The mass airflow sensor in your VW Jetta is what determines how much fuel is crucial 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 conclusive changes, like altitude. If your VW Jetta 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.
• Your 2013 VW Jetta has a vacuum leak. Every VW Jetta has a vacuum system that performs a wide collection of functions. The vacuum system also helps reduce 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 barren out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to energetic heat or extreme chilly.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are crucial for your 2013 VW Jetta. 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 traditional, 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 break to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more expensive repairs.
• One of the most effective and many cause is that your 2013 VW Jetta gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 VW Jetta 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 expensive. If your check engine light turns on urgently after you put gas in your 2013 VW Jetta, first thing you should check is to make confident 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 2013 VW Jetta’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 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 2013 VW Jetta 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 diverse problems from overheating.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or diverse item can wreak havoc on your 2013 VW Jetta if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket elements and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound prevalent, bring your Jetta to VW and have our squad of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM elements first place might cost a scant bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and break caused by poor installation work corrected.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 VW Jetta with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is shining, this means that there is a hazardous issue and it is recommended to service your VW Jetta quickly. This question is not notably plain 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 normally 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 unhealthy problem. Call the specialists at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta by dialing 7706299081 so you can describe the issues. Or cut your speed and bring your 2013 VW to our certified mechanics as soon as available.

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 properly tightened to a more critical failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it generous to get the appropriate code reading and diagnosis. The middle estimate for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The generous news, Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help mean the cause of your check engine light.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 VW Jetta 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 functional, and you did assorted 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 2013 VW Jetta 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 deliver it in to Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2013 VW Jetta Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless probable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several classic causes including something as classic as a loose gas cap. Different classic reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name assorted. 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 2013 VW Jetta was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its acknowledged systems. The sensors are continuously detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control department. If the electronic control department detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light lights up 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 erroneous 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 Extremely Qualified Service professional.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most consistently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 VW Jetta 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 2013 VW Jetta. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a variety of odd things. It can be as uncomplicated as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 VW Jetta, 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 blinking. Contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta today!

2013 VW Jetta Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard immediately illuminates, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear decent 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 Jetta. There are hundreds of apparent codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a bit patience, tackling regular diagnostics will give you valuable knowledge about your car and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, contrasting and usable car symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of potential OBD codes, there are also hundreds of potential reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is meaningful for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified VW mechanic. Call Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta at 7706299081 straightaway or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a dangerous concern, you risk damaging your car added by not repairing the issue prudent away.

2013 VW Jetta Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2013 VW Jetta starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your VW should be brought in shortly. A twinkling light indicates that the problem is exacting and if not taken care of shortly may result in exquisite damage to the vehicle. This twinkling light commonly illustrates a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be discarded into the exhaust system. There it can immediately hike the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is usable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can explicitly be the cause. A bad, classic or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our company of automotive consultants at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta shortly 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 expensive repair.

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

It could be anything from a detrimental sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta to help choose if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is basic to predict how countless miles you can drive with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.