2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 Check Engine Light

2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 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, also known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Silverado 3500. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can correctly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your car and will also allow that vital Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, apparent and useful car symptoms do not invariably accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is crucial for someone who does not have a lot of predominant automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. 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 Hare Chevrolet at 3173336958 today 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 skillful certified Chevy mechanic.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 will usually 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 promptly turn itself off. Again, if your catalytic converter is working properly, 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 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 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 Hare Chevrolet so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 Check Engine Light

A flashing light reveals that the problem is exceptionally serious and if not taken care of quickly may result in major and significant damage to the car. If the check engine light in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention quickly and your Chevy should be brought in expeditiously. This blinking light ordinarily indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can promptly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive and extensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A defective, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is consistently flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Hare Chevrolet quickly by calling 3173336958. If the problem is entirely ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a exceptionally pricey repair.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most ordinarily misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the important onboard diagnostics system, and displays in an assortment 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 an assortment of things for your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500. Some of these essential duties include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing cohesion control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a wide range of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500, contact Hare Chevrolet. Contact Hare Chevrolet today! Our Chevy 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?

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 accordingly. If you check engine light is flashing, we propose that you pull over and contact Hare Chevrolet to help determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we propose a tow truck. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is typically difficult to predict how many miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on.

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, Hare Chevrolet offers totally complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine 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 serious failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it good to get the proper code reading and diagnosis.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Still, the check engine light could still be a warning of an essential problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and costly 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 signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in significant trouble and helpful service is needed promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500, we immensely advocate not to drive the car and schedule Chevy service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Silverado 3500 to Chevy and have our team of skilled certified mechanics make sure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly 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.
• Your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 has a vacuum leak. Every Chevy Silverado 3500 has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower unhealthy 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel combination in the combustion chamber of your vehicle. 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 experience a conspicuous 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, leading to more costly repairs.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Chevy Silverado 3500 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 Chevy Silverado 3500 is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a vital sign of a damaged mass airflow sensor.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 is every crucial. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Chevy you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 serves numerous purposes. It prevents perilous 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 damaged 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 expeditiously after you put gas in your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500, 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 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 rapidly and your vehicle will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A damaged sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500'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 damaged O2 sensor can also cause a car to fail an emissions test.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500’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 normally caused by consistently neglected maintenance, which is why Hare Chevrolet offers a complimentary multi-point examination with every Chevy service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 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 delicate problems from overheating.

Is it safe to drive your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is advised to service your Chevy Silverado 3500 swiftly. This question is not immensely 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 secure to drive. This is usually 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. Call the experts at Hare Chevrolet by dialing 3173336958 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2012 Chevy to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.

Check Engine Light Service 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Chevy Silverado 3500 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Chevy owners, your heart sinks extremely because you may have absolutely 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, peaceful breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean you have to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is advised that you get your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 checked instantly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, huge damage to costly engine components.

When your 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500'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 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 expeditiously 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 Chevy auto repair mechanics at Hare Chevrolet. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you select 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 correct issue and repair it.

2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 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 common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other mostly common reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, dirty mass airflow sensor, broken head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, or damaged spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Chevy Certified Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and totally repair it as necessary to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Chevy issue was totally fixed.

Every 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its crucial systems. The rapid sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending essential 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. Nonetheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what exactly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Hare Chevrolet provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Immensely Qualified Service professional.