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Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2012 Ford Focus will commonly 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 functional, 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 2012 Ford Focus light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that fee and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Check Engine Light Service 2012 Ford Focus

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford Focus and abruptly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ford 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 2012 Ford Focus checked as soon as probable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing lanky damage to pricey engine parts.

When your 2012 Ford Focus's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electrical control system that it can’t fitting, 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 learn with an electronic scan tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg. There are also a number of relatively economical code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you edge that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to edge the 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 laborious to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be interchanged. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. If you check engine light is flashing, we recommend that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg to help favor if your vehicle is accurate to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 Ford Focus is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in assorted divergent 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 mixture of things for your 2012 Ford Focus. Some of these include ignition timing, controlling engine speed, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can determine a range of other things. It can be as detectable as your gas cap being loose or as active as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 Ford Focus, contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg. Contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg today! Our Ford service department can help you learn what code is turning your check engine light on or investigate why your check engine light is flashing.

2012 Ford Focus Check Engine Light

A flashing light hints that the problem is relentless and if not taken care of shortly may result in major damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2012 Ford Focus starts flashing, that means that the problem needs speedy attention and your Ford should be brought in shortly. This blinking light frequently indicates a harsh engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly increase the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is potential, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can definitely be the cause. A harmful, classical or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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 greatly fancy repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg immediately by calling 3177903264.

2012 Ford Focus Check Engine Light Flashing

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

Every 2012 Ford Focus was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its hard systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending 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, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what definitely is amiss nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Exceedingly Qualified Service licensed.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Ford Focus?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as specific as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a strict problem that could cause strict damage to your engine and come with a considerable repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow generally means something less strict but a shining check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in strict trouble and service is basic urgently. If your check engine light is shining in your 2012 Ford Focus, we tremendously recommend not to commute the vehicle and schedule Ford service today. Below is a list of the most decent reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your 2012 Ford Focus has a vacuum leak. Every Ford Focus has a vacuum system that performs a humongous assortment 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 arid out and crack, notably if they’re exposed to huge heat or extreme cold.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replenished. The Oxygen sensor, authentic as the O2 sensor, measures the deposit of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less common 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 2012 Ford Focus's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the proper mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A harmful O2 sensor can also cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or different item can wreak havoc on your 2012 Ford Focus if it’s not installed perfectly. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even avert the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound authentic, bring your Focus to Ford and have our department of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, notably aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components first place might value a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor function and damage caused by poor installation function corrected.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replenished. The mass airflow sensor in your Ford Focus is what determines how much fuel is necessary to run your engine efficiently by measuring the deposit of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to keen changes, like altitude. If your Ford Focus is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a harmful mass airflow sensor.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2012 Ford Focus. 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 deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are harmful or historic, you will experience poor performance and reduced power. In a microscopic 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 expensive repairs.
  • One of the most daily and frequent cause is that your 2012 Ford Focus gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Ford Focus 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 harmful fuel cap? If your gas cap is historic 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 suddenly after you put gas in your 2012 Ford Focus, 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 catalytic converter is harmful or going harmful. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 Ford Focus’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 Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Ford service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Ford Focus 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 different problems from overheating.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Ford Focus is every miraculous. 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 microscopic decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The estimate of a new one depends on the type of Ford you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.

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 perfectly tightened to a more risky failure like a harmful catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it great to get the fearless code reading and diagnosis. The central cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is commonly between $88 and $111. The great news, Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help represent the cause of your check engine light.

Is it safe to drive your 2012 Ford Focus with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a competent issue and it is recommended to service your Ford Focus instantly. This question is not exceedingly uncomplicated 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 protected to travel to work. This is frequently indicated by a dependable 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 professional problem. Call the experts at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg by dialing 3177903264 so you can describe the issues. Or lower down your speed and bring your 2012 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as feasible.

2012 Ford Focus 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 proper 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 acknowledged as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Focus. There are hundreds of odd codes that your check engine light can determine. While that sounds daunting, with a microscopic patience, tackling main diagnostics will give you appropriate knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is surely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, discernable and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of adequate OBD codes, there are also hundreds of adequate reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is direct for someone who does not have assorted of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Ford mechanic. Call Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg at 3177903264 straightaway or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a rigid concern, you risk damaging your car supplemental by not repairing the issue good away.