2018 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light

Check Engine Light Service 2018 VW Tiguan

What do you do when you’re driving along in your VW Tiguan and hastily, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most VW owners, your heart sinks a cheap because you have cheap 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 2018 VW Tiguan checked as soon as viable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2018 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 good, 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 electronic inspect tool that is used by our VW auto repair mechanics at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. There are also a number of relatively bargain 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 skilled trained to favor the issue and repair it.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 VW Tiguan is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few odd 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 assortment of things for your 2018 VW Tiguan. Some of these include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a lot. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a mixture of different things. It can be as proper as your gas cap being loose or as unusual as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 VW Tiguan, contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. Our VW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or investigate why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta today!

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 VW Tiguan?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as natural as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a memorable problem that could cause memorable damage to your engine and come with a big repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less memorable but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in memorable trouble and service is basic quickly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 VW Tiguan, we hugely recommend not to commute the vehicle and schedule VW service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, deliberate 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 2018 VW Tiguan's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to learn the polite variety of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 VW Tiguan’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's perform 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 serviced, your 2018 VW Tiguan will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your vehicle may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause assorted problems from overheating.
• Your 2018 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 extraordinary heat or extreme bitter.
• 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 essential 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 actual changes, like altitude. If your VW Tiguan 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are essential for your 2018 VW Tiguan. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel variety 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 historic, 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, extensive to more expensive repairs.
• One of the most natural and innumerable cause is that your 2018 VW Tiguan gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 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 historic 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 quickly after you put gas in your 2018 VW Tiguan, initial 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 assorted item can wreak havoc on your 2018 VW Tiguan if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound deliberate, bring your Tiguan to VW and have our company 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 parts initial place might estimate a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• The battery is poor or dead. The battery in your 2018 VW Tiguan is every exceptional. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did some decades ago, and they don't absolutely require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of VW you drive, but check our prevailing service coupons and specials.

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

The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is troublesome to predict how bountiful miles you can travel to work 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 advocate that you pull over and contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta to help represent if your vehicle is safe to travel to work in or if we advocate a tow truck.

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 innumerable news, Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help hint 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 unhealthy failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it innumerable to get the suitable code reading and diagnosis.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 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 adequate, and you did a few 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 2018 VW Tiguan light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you commute 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.

2018 VW Tiguan 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 correct 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 assorted codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling important diagnostics will give you advantageous 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, easy and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of feasible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of feasible reasons for the light, including:

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

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

2018 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2018 VW Tiguan starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your VW should be brought in abruptly. A twinkling light illustrates that the problem is persuasive and if not taken care of abruptly may result in broad damage to the vehicle. This flashing light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be discharged into the exhaust system. There it can promptly improve the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is achievable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can totally be the cause. A bad, traditional or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta immediately 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.

2018 VW Tiguan Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are bountiful potential causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are a lot famous causes comprising something as commonplace as a loose gas cap. Coherent famous reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, 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 2018 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 vital 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 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 amiss 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 Particularly Qualified Service professional.

Is it safe to drive your 2018 VW Tiguan with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a direct issue and it is recommended to service your VW Tiguan shortly. This question is not very accepted 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 constantly 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 compelling problem. Call the experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta by dialing 7706299081 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2018 VW to our certified mechanics as soon as likely.