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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most mostly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2016 VW Tiguan 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 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 2016 VW Tiguan. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name some. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of different things. It can be as conspicuous as your gas cap being loose or as important as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2016 VW Tiguan, contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. Contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta today! Our VW service department can aid you opt for what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2016 VW Tiguan 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 functional, 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 VW Tiguan light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that fee 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.

2016 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light

A blinking light illustrates that the problem is unhealthy and if not taken care of immediately may result in vast damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2016 VW Tiguan starts blinking, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your VW should be brought in immediately. This shining light customarily implies a rigid engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be discharged into the exhaust system. There it can immediately expand the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where wear and tear is likely, requiring an lavish 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 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. If your check engine light is twinkling, please contact our team of automotive consultants at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta quickly by calling 7706299081.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2016 VW Tiguan?

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 dangerous problem that could cause dangerous damage to your engine and come with a grand repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow generally means something less dangerous but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in dangerous trouble and service is needed quickly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2016 VW Tiguan, we highly suggest not to drive the vehicle and schedule VW service today. Below is a list of the most routine reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the fee of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be fewer realistic 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 2016 VW Tiguan'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 mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your VW Tiguan is what determines how much fuel is needed to run your engine efficiently by measuring the fee of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to actual changes, like altitude. If your VW Tiguan 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 2016 VW Tiguan has a vacuum leak. Every VW Tiguan has a vacuum system that performs a roomy variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps cut 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, especially if they’re exposed to important heat or extreme bitter.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2016 VW Tiguan is every mandatory. 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 VW you drive, but check our extant service coupons and specials.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2016 VW Tiguan’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 customarily 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 2016 VW Tiguan 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.
  • One of the most common and countless cause is that your 2016 VW Tiguan gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2016 VW Tiguan 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 old 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 hastily after you put gas in your 2016 VW Tiguan, first thing you should check is to make bold the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
  • Issues with each aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or additional item can wreak havoc on your 2016 VW Tiguan if it’s not installed correctly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can deposit the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound common, bring your Tiguan to VW and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing each issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might cost 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.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2016 VW Tiguan. 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 old, you will experience poor performance and reduced power. In a microscopic 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, extensive to more expensive repairs.

2016 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are copious achievable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are copious natural causes including something as easy as a loose gas cap. Further natural reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, 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 VW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as needed 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 revamped.

Every 2016 VW Tiguan was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its difficult systems. The sensors are continuously 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 illuminates telling you that there is a problem. However, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what specifically is wrong 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 Extraordinarily Qualified Service trained.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The fruitful news, Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help pick the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not properly tightened to a more exceptional failure like a destructive catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it fruitful to get the convenient code reading and diagnosis.

Is it safe to drive your 2016 VW Tiguan with the check engine light on?

This question is not very authentic 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 curious problem. If the check engine light is twinkling, this means that there is a curious issue and it is recommended to service your VW Tiguan shortly. Call the experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta by dialing 7706299081 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and bring your 2016 VW to our certified mechanics as soon as attainable.

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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is not accomplished to predict how numerous miles you can travel to work with the warning light on. If you check engine light is blinking, we recommend that you pull over and contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta to help choice if your vehicle is safe to travel to work in or if we recommend a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a harmful sensor to plug wires needing to be changed.

Check Engine Light Service 2016 VW Tiguan

What do you do when you’re driving along in your VW Tiguan and suddenly, a yellow light lights up 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 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 2016 VW Tiguan checked as soon as achievable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2016 VW Tiguan's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t honest, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is continually 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 mechanical inspect tool that is used by our VW auto repair mechanics at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. There are also a number of relatively low-cost 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 adequate licensed to indicate the issue and repair it.

2016 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that small light on your vehicle’s dashboard quickly illuminates, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear legitimate 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 Tiguan. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling decisive diagnostics will give you convenient knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is truly supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, conspicuous and exceptional vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of probable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of probable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is crucial for someone who does not have a few of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a persuasive concern, you risk detrimental your car further by not repairing the issue correct away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out instantly by a certified VW mechanic. Call Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta at 7706299081 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!