What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
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 serious 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 usually means something less serious but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and useful service is required instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, we extremely endorse 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:
- Your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime has a vacuum leak. Each Toyota RAV4 Prime has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system again 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, particularly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is each vital. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s vehicle batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't genuinely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Toyota you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your RAV4 Prime to Toyota and have our team of gifted certified mechanics guarantee that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime serves multiple purposes. It prevents dangerous 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 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 costly. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't pricey. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, 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 expeditiously and your car will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A broken sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause serious damage to your catalytic converter and your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the exactly correct mix of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A broken O2 sensor can again cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
- Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota RAV4 Prime is what determines how much fuel is necessary 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 RAV4 Prime is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden speedy change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a vital sign of a broken mass airflow sensor.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime’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 repeatedly neglected maintenance, which is why Courtesy Toyota of Brandon offers a free multi-point inspection with each Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your vehicle may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause other perilous problems from overheating.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mix 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 experience a evident 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 pricey repairs.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime will usually 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 promptly turn itself off. Likewise, 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 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime 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 Courtesy Toyota of Brandon so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, exceptionally 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 RAV4 Prime. 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 vehicle and will also allow that critical Check Engine Light to do what it is genuinely supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, obvious and helpful vehicle symptoms do not repeatedly 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:
- Computer output circuit issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Emissions controls issues
- Bad Spark Plugs
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- O2 Sensor
- Transmission issues
- Ignition system faults
- Old Battery
This is why it is vital for someone who does not have a lot of prevalent automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away. Call Courtesy Toyota of Brandon at 8132854632 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 talented certified Toyota mechanic.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime 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 a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty head gasket, faulty emissions control part, dirty mass airflow sensor, broken oxygen sensor, or faulty 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 totally 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 entirely fixed.
Every 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its important systems. The speedy sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending important 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, sadly 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; Courtesy Toyota of Brandon 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 professional.
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. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is generally difficult to predict how many miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. If you check engine light is flashing, we suggest that you pull over and contact Courtesy Toyota of Brandon to help determine if your car is secure to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime 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 vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do an assortment of things for your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. Some of these essential duties include controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, 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 unpredictable as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, contact Courtesy Toyota of Brandon. Contact Courtesy Toyota of Brandon today! Our Toyota 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.
Is it safe to drive your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime with the check engine light on?
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 safe to drive. This is generally indicated by a steady glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the car, 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 advised to service your Toyota RAV4 Prime swiftly. Call the experts at Courtesy Toyota of Brandon by dialing 8132854632 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2021 Toyota to our certified mechanics as shortly as conceivable.
Check Engine Light Service 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota RAV4 Prime and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota owners, your heart sinks extremely because you may have exactly 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, calm 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 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime checked swiftly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, major damage to expensive engine components.
When your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime'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 instantly 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 Courtesy Toyota of Brandon. There are still a number of essentially inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you pick 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 specifically correct issue and repair it.
How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?
The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is ordinarily between $88 and $111. The good news, Courtesy Toyota of Brandon offers completely free 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 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 proper code reading and diagnosis.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Check Engine Light
A flashing light reveals that the problem is immensely serious and if not taken care of instantly may result in major and significant damage to the car. If the check engine light in your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention instantly and your Toyota should be brought in rapidly. This blinking light usually reveals a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can expeditiously raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an pricey and huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A broken, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is repeatedly flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Courtesy Toyota of Brandon expeditiously by calling 8132854632. 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 extremely expensive repair.
