2013 Toyota 4Runner Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the essential onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a variety of 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your 2013 Toyota 4Runner. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing cohesion control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as hazardous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner, contact Stevinson Toyota East. Contact Stevinson Toyota East today! Our Toyota service department can assist you find out 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 2013 Toyota 4Runner will ordinarily shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is fixed. For instance, if the cause of your check engine light coming on was a loose gas cap, if it's tightened, the light will quickly turn itself off. Also, if your catalytic converter is working accurately, 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 2013 Toyota 4Runner 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 bring it in to Stevinson Toyota East so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your 2013 Toyota 4Runner with the check engine light on?

This question is not very simple 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 ordinarily 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 serious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is suggested to service your Toyota 4Runner instantly. Call the experts at Stevinson Toyota East by dialing 7205139585 so you can describe the issues. Or decrease your speed and bring your 2013 Toyota to our certified mechanics as soon as imaginable.

2013 Toyota 4Runner Check Engine Light Flashing

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

Every 2013 Toyota 4Runner was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its critical systems. The quick sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending vital 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. Nevertheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what definitely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Stevinson Toyota East 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 2013 Toyota 4Runner?

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 significant problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and expensive repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow generally means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in significant trouble and useful service is required swiftly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner, we tremendously recommend not to drive the car and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner is every essential. Without a car battery, your car won’t start, light up the road in front, 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 Toyota you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• Your 2013 Toyota 4Runner has a vacuum leak. Every Toyota 4Runner has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system still helps lower 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, exceptionally if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• One of the most regular and frequent cause is that your 2013 Toyota 4Runner gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Toyota 4Runner serves multiple purposes. It prevents perilous gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps control pressure within the fuel tank. What hits if you have a broken 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 and be more expensive. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on instantly after you put gas in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner, 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 catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Toyota 4Runner’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A broken catalytic converter is ordinarily caused by regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Stevinson Toyota East offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2013 Toyota 4Runner 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 other perilous problems from overheating.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. 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 more swiftly and your car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what hits if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A broken sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your 2013 Toyota 4Runner's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the specifically correct combination of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A broken O2 sensor can still 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 Toyota 4Runner is what determines how much fuel is needed 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 certain changes, like altitude. If your Toyota 4Runner is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden quick change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a critical sign of a broken mass airflow sensor.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2013 Toyota 4Runner. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel combination in the combustion chamber of your car. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run smooth. 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 undergo a evident poor performance and decreased power. In some extreme cases, your engine will have trouble starting or continuing to run. Worn spark plugs and plug wires can cause obstructed catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more costly repairs.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2013 Toyota 4Runner if it’s not installed correctly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your 4Runner to Toyota and have our team of talented certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, exceptionally aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save substantially from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.

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. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. Since any check engine code has its own level of severity, it is usually difficult to predict how numerous miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we endorse that you pull over and contact Stevinson Toyota East to assist determine if your vehicle is secure to drive in or if we endorse a tow truck.

2013 Toyota 4Runner Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, particularly to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminate, 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, again known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your 4Runner. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can properly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your car and will again allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is genuinely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, clear and useful car symptoms do not consistently accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of potential OBD codes, there are again hundreds of potential reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out promptly by a talented certified Toyota mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Stevinson Toyota East at 7205139585 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Toyota 4Runner

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota 4Runner and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota owners, your heart sinks drastically because you may have explicitly 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, serene 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 suggested that you get your 2013 Toyota 4Runner checked quickly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, huge damage to costly engine parts.

When your 2013 Toyota 4Runner's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t appropriate, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is typically 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 can immediately identify the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is read with an electronic scan tool that is used by our Toyota auto repair mechanics at Stevinson Toyota East. There are likewise a number of relatively 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 professional to determine the precisely right issue and repair it.

2013 Toyota 4Runner Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in extensive and serious damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2013 Toyota 4Runner starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention expeditiously and your Toyota should be brought in instantly. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can immediately raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive and major repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A damaged, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is regularly flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Stevinson Toyota East promptly by calling 7205139585. If the problem is completely 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 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 good news, Stevinson Toyota East offers completely free multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to support determine the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not correctly tightened to a more serious failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the appropriate code reading and diagnosis.