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What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most normally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 BMW M5 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 2018 BMW M5. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of distinctive things. It can be as uncomplicated as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 BMW M5, contact Coggin BMW Treasure Coast. Contact Coggin BMW Treasure Coast today! Our BMW 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.

2018 BMW M5 Check Engine Light

A shining light indicates that the problem is scrupulous and if not taken care of shortly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2018 BMW M5 starts shining, that means that the problem needs hasty attention and your BMW should be transported in shortly. This blinking light consistently indicates a relentless engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can urgently increase the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where break is achievable, requiring an fancy repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can truly be the cause. A bad, classical or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is twinkling, please contact our team of automotive advisors at Coggin BMW Treasure Coast today by calling 7727425582. If the problem is ignored or you continue to travel to work, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a very costly repair.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 BMW M5?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as easy as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a perilous problem that could cause perilous damage to your engine and come with a great repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less perilous but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in perilous trouble and service is crucial expeditiously. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 BMW M5, we greatly advise not to travel to work the vehicle and schedule BMW service expeditiously. Below is a list of the most admitted reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • 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 automobile will be less efficient 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 BMW M5'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.
  • One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2018 BMW M5 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 BMW M5 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 instantly after you put gas in your 2018 BMW M5, authentic 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 2018 BMW M5’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 Coggin BMW Treasure Coast offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every BMW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 BMW M5 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 various problems from overheating.
  • Your 2018 BMW M5 has a vacuum leak. Every BMW M5 has a vacuum system that performs a wide collection of functions. The vacuum system also 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, especially if they’re exposed to enormous heat or extreme bitter.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or various item can wreak havoc on your 2018 BMW M5 if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket components and accessories can dump the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the automobile from starting. If these issues sound prevalent, bring your M5 to BMW and have our squad of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components authentic place might cost a small bit more but could save you money from having to get poor perform and damage caused by poor installation perform corrected.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2018 BMW M5 is every vital. 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 cost of a new one depends on the type of BMW you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be changed. The mass airflow sensor in your BMW M5 is what determines how much fuel is fundamental 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 substantial changes, like altitude. If your BMW M5 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a abrupt 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 fundamental for your 2018 BMW M5. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your automobile. 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, enormous to more expensive repairs.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 BMW M5 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 pragmatic, 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 BMW M5 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 Coggin BMW Treasure Coast so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your 2018 BMW M5 with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a exceptional issue and it is recommended to service your BMW M5 quickly. This question is not very notable 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 better problem. Call the experts at Coggin BMW Treasure Coast by dialing 7727425582 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2018 BMW to our certified mechanics as soon as likely.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Coggin BMW Treasure Coast to help elect for if your car is dependable to drive 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 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.

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

The middle cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is continuously between $88 and $111. The satisfying news, Coggin BMW Treasure Coast offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help represent 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 relentless failure like a destructive catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it satisfying to get the practical code reading and diagnosis.

2018 BMW M5 Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are several conceivable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several normal causes consisting something as simple as a loose gas cap. Added normal reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, 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 basic 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 serviced.

Every 2018 BMW M5 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its extensive systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control squad. If the electronic 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 entirely is incorrect nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin BMW Treasure Coast provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Highly Qualified Service expert.

2018 BMW M5 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that tiny 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 known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your M5. There are hundreds of various codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a tiny patience, tackling necessary diagnostics will give you essential knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is actually supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, discernable and accessible vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of accessible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of accessible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Coggin BMW Treasure Coast at 7727425582 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out swiftly by a certified BMW mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a effective concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue right away.

Check Engine Light Service 2018 BMW M5

What do you do when you’re driving along in your BMW M5 and suddenly, 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 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 BMW M5 checked as soon as honest. Ignoring that warning could end up causing dominant damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2018 BMW M5's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t plentiful, 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 identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is opt for with an electronic diagnose tool that is used by our BMW auto repair mechanics at Coggin BMW Treasure Coast. There are also 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 experienced to opt for the issue and repair it.