What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most typically misunderstood lights or indicators in your BMW 328i is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few alternative 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 BMW 328i. 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 mean a variety of odd things. It can be as plain as your gas cap being loose or as relentless as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your BMW 328i, contact Plaza BMW. Contact Plaza BMW today! Our BMW service department can help you determine what code is turning your check engine light on or diagnose why your check engine light is flashing.

Check Engine Light Service BMW 328i

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW 328i and abruptly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most BMW 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 suggest 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 BMW 328i checked as soon as feasible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing big damage to expensive engine components.

When your BMW 328i's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t direct, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is generally 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 electrical scan tool that is used by our BMW auto repair mechanics at Plaza BMW. There are also a number of relatively honorable code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you opt for that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced high-tech to select the issue and repair it.

BMW 328i Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is harsh and if not taken care of suddenly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your BMW 328i starts flashing, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your BMW should be brought in suddenly. This blinking light usually indicates a severe 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 damage is likely, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A bad, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is shining, please contact our squad of automotive experts at Plaza BMW expeditiously by calling 3145823628. 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.

Is it safe to drive your BMW 328i 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 BMW 328i quickly. This question is not very effortless 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 dependable 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 effective problem. Call the consultants at Plaza BMW by dialing 3145823628 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as probable.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your BMW 328i will usually shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is repaired. 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 BMW 328i light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you travel to work over that amount and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Plaza BMW so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a BMW 328i?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as real as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a relentless problem that could cause relentless damage to your engine and come with a extraordinary repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less relentless but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in relentless trouble and service is mandatory instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your BMW 328i, we extraordinarily recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule BMW service at this moment. Below is a list of the most typical reasons your check engine light can come on:

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 BMW 328i's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the polite 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 poor or dead. The battery in your BMW 328i is every troublesome. 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 assorted decades ago, and they don't exactly require maintenance. The cost of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our contemporary service coupons and specials.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be changed. 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 accessible when it comes to fuel economy.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or supplemental item can wreak havoc on your BMW 328i if it’s not installed well. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound contemporary, bring your 328i to BMW and have our team 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 first place might cost a slight bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be changed. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW 328i 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 BMW 328i is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a hasty change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your BMW 328i gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your BMW 328i 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 common 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 immediately after you put gas in your BMW 328i, 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.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your BMW 328i’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 Plaza BMW offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every BMW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it serviced, your BMW 328i 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 supplemental problems from overheating.
• Your BMW 328i has a vacuum leak. Every BMW 328i has a vacuum system that performs a wide mixture of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen 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 imposing heat or extreme cool.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your BMW 328i. 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 bring the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are bad or common, 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, considerable to more expensive repairs.

BMW 328i Check Engine Light Flashing

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

Every BMW 328i was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its colossal systems. The sensors are typically detecting conditions while sending data to the mechanical control squad. If the mechanical control squad 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 definitely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Plaza BMW provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Chiefly Qualified Service trained.

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 dangerous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it conspicuous to get the correct code reading and diagnosis. The average value for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is generally between $88 and $111. The conspicuous news, Plaza BMW offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to assist read the cause of your check engine light.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Plaza BMW to help indicate if your automobile is safe to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck. 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 each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on.

BMW 328i Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that microscopic light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly 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 328i. There are hundreds of assorted codes that your check engine light can suggest. While that sounds daunting, with a microscopic patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you factual 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, peculiar and functional vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of available OBD codes, there are also hundreds of available reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is exciting 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 hastily by a certified BMW technician. If the engine light comes on due to a rigid concern, you risk damaging your car added by not repairing the issue correct away. Call Plaza BMW at 3145823628 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!