2018 Nissan Kicks Check Engine Light Codes
The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, especially 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, still known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Kicks. 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 helpful knowledge about your car and will still allow that essential Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, evident and helpful car symptoms do not constantly accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of possible OBD codes, there are still hundreds of possible reasons for the light, including:
- Transmission issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- O2 Sensor
- Computer output circuit issues
- Old Battery
- Emissions controls issues
- Ignition system faults
- Bad Spark Plugs
This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of prevailing automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out expeditiously by a talented certified Nissan mechanic. 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 Nissan of Tampa at 8138291813 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!
Is it safe to drive your 2018 Nissan Kicks 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 secure 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 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 Nissan Kicks swiftly. Call the experts at Courtesy Nissan of Tampa by dialing 8138291813 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and bring your 2018 Nissan to our certified mechanics as soon as possible.
What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 Nissan Kicks?
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 again 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 significant trouble and useful service is needed promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 Nissan Kicks, we immensely suggest not to drive the car and schedule Nissan service today. Below is a list of the most regular reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 Nissan Kicks’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 invariably neglected maintenance, which is why Courtesy Nissan of Tampa offers a complimentary multi-point examination with each Nissan service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 Nissan Kicks 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 delicate problems from overheating.
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2018 Nissan Kicks if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even limit the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Kicks to Nissan and have our team of gifted certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed properly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, especially 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.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2018 Nissan Kicks. 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 go through a noticeable 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 clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more costly repairs.
- The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2018 Nissan Kicks 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Nissan you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
- One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2018 Nissan Kicks gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 Nissan Kicks serves multiple purposes. It prevents dangerous gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps control pressure within the fuel tank. What happens if you have a defective 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 change a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on quickly after you put gas in your 2018 Nissan Kicks, 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 mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Nissan Kicks 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 Nissan Kicks is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden quick replace in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a critical sign of a defective mass airflow sensor.
- 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 vehicle will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t change your O2 sensor? A defective sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your 2018 Nissan Kicks'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 defective O2 sensor can again cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
- Your 2018 Nissan Kicks has a vacuum leak. Each Nissan Kicks has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system again helps lower adverse 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 intense heat or extreme cold.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2018 Nissan Kicks will normally 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 expeditiously turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is working correctly, 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 2018 Nissan Kicks 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 Nissan of Tampa so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2018 Nissan Kicks 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 generally common reasons for a Check Engine Light are a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged emissions control part, broken oxygen sensor, damaged head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, or damaged spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the Nissan Certified Mechanics and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and absolutely repair it as required to restore factory specifications. When this results, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your Nissan issue was entirely fixed.
Every 2018 Nissan Kicks 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 speedy 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. Nonetheless, sadly that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what explicitly is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Courtesy Nissan of Tampa provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Exceptionally Certified Service professional.
2018 Nissan Kicks Check Engine Light
A flashing light signifies that the problem is very serious and if not taken care of quickly may result in extensive and meaningful damage to the car. If the check engine light in your 2018 Nissan Kicks starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention quickly and your Nissan should be brought in instantly. This blinking light normally 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 pricey and extensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically 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 Courtesy Nissan of Tampa promptly by calling 8138291813. 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 very pricey repair.
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 accurately 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. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is ordinarily between $88 and $111. The good news, Courtesy Nissan of Tampa offers totally free multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most normally misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 Nissan Kicks is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the important onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a wide range 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 wide range of things for your 2018 Nissan Kicks. Some of these essential duties include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, 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 perilous as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 Nissan Kicks, contact Courtesy Nissan of Tampa. Contact Courtesy Nissan of Tampa today! Our Nissan 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.
Check Engine Light Service 2018 Nissan Kicks
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Nissan Kicks and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Nissan owners, your heart sinks exceptionally 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 car over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is advised that you get your 2018 Nissan Kicks checked swiftly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing extensive, major damage to pricey engine parts.
When your 2018 Nissan Kicks'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 usually 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 rapidly 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 Nissan auto repair mechanics at Courtesy Nissan of Tampa. There are again 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 specifically appropriate issue and repair it.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is generally difficult to predict how numerous miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on. 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. If you check engine light is flashing, we advise that you pull over and contact Courtesy Nissan of Tampa to support determine if your car is safe to drive in or if we advise a tow truck.