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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 2017 Honda Odyssey. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name various. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a mixture of distinctive things. It can be as visible as your gas cap being loose or as harsh as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2017 Honda Odyssey, contact David McDavid Honda of Irving. Contact David McDavid Honda of Irving today! Our Honda service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact David McDavid Honda of Irving to help mean if your vehicle is consistent to drive in or if we advise a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is cooperative 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. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy appropriately.

Check Engine Light Service 2017 Honda Odyssey

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Honda Odyssey and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Honda 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 value of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t express you have to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2017 Honda Odyssey checked as soon as likely. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major damage to expensive engine parts.

When your 2017 Honda Odyssey's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t correct, 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 electronic analyze tool that is used by our Honda auto repair mechanics at David McDavid Honda of Irving. There are also a number of somewhat 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 experienced experienced to opt for the issue and repair it.

2017 Honda Odyssey Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless ability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are bountiful decent causes including something as effortless as a loose gas cap. Extra decent reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Honda Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as essential to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Honda issue was fixed.

Every 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 incorrect nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; David McDavid Honda of Irving provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Very Qualified Service experienced.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2017 Honda Odyssey?

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 strict problem that could cause strict damage to your engine and come with a imposing repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persistent glow typically means something less strict but a blinking check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in strict trouble and service is decisive promptly. If your check engine light is blinking in your 2017 Honda Odyssey, we immensely recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Honda service today. Below is a list of the most real reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2017 Honda Odyssey’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 usually caused by neglected maintenance, which is why David McDavid Honda of Irving offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Honda service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 added problems from overheating.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the sum of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less convenient 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 2017 Honda Odyssey's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to imply 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.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2017 Honda Odyssey is every basic. 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Honda you drive, but check our brand-new service coupons and specials.
  • One of the most regular and frequent cause is that your 2017 Honda Odyssey gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 pricey. If your check engine light turns on now after you put gas in your 2017 Honda Odyssey, 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 Honda Odyssey is what determines how much fuel is crucial to run your engine efficiently by measuring the sum of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to confident changes, like altitude. If your Honda Odyssey 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.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2017 Honda Odyssey if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avert the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound known, bring your Odyssey to Honda and have our department of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, greatly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts first place might rate a tiny 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 crucial for your 2017 Honda Odyssey. 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 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, big to more pricey repairs.
  • Your 2017 Honda Odyssey has a vacuum leak. Every Honda Odyssey has a vacuum system that performs a roomy variety 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 arid out and crack, greatly if they’re exposed to important heat or extreme indignant.

2017 Honda Odyssey 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 another name for check engine light codes. These are automotive computer codes stored by the ECM, also established as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Odyssey. There are hundreds of assorted codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling needed diagnostics will give you incredible 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, incredible and excellent car 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
  • Computer output circuit issues
  • O2 Sensor
  • Fuel and air metering systems problems
  • Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
  • Transmission issues

This is why it is visible for someone who does not have various of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call David McDavid Honda of Irving at 4694053340 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a extraordinary concern, you risk detrimental your car extra by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Honda mechanic.

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 forceful failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it great to get the respectable code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is mostly between $88 and $111. The great news, David McDavid Honda of Irving offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help learn the cause of your check engine light.

2017 Honda Odyssey Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is important and if not taken care of hastily may result in major damage to the automobile. If the check engine light in your 2017 Honda Odyssey starts flashing, that means that the problem needs prompt attention and your Honda should be brought in hastily. This blinking light usually indicates a effective 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 wear and tear is likely, 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, former or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is ignored or you continue to commute, 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 flashing, please contact our team of automotive consultants at David McDavid Honda of Irving quickly by calling 4694053340.

Is it safe to drive your 2017 Honda Odyssey with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a dangerous issue and it is recommended to service your Honda Odyssey quickly. This question is not particularly 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 protected to drive. This is continually 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 treacherous problem. Call the advisors at David McDavid Honda of Irving by dialing 4694053340 so you can describe the issues. Or cut your speed and bring your 2017 Honda to our certified mechanics as soon as conceivable.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2017 Honda Odyssey will ordinarily 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 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 David McDavid Honda of Irving so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.