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What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2021 Ford Focus?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as natural as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a important problem that could cause important damage to your engine and come with a large repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persistent glow normally means something less important but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in important trouble and service is basic instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2021 Ford Focus, we exceedingly recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ford service today. Below is a list of the most productive reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • One of the most natural and copious cause is that your 2021 Ford Focus gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2021 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 bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is aged 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 promptly after you put gas in your 2021 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.
  • The battery is meager or dead. The battery in your 2021 Ford Focus is any interesting. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Ford you travel to work, but check our sophisticated service coupons and specials.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are essential for your 2021 Ford Focus. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel assortment 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 bad or aged, 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, leading to more expensive repairs.
  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Ford Focus is what determines how much fuel is essential to run your engine efficiently by measuring the reward of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to attentive 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 bad mass airflow sensor.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2021 Ford Focus if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound natural, deliver your Focus to Ford and have our team 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 parts first place might cost a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2021 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 any Ford service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it serviced, your 2021 Ford Focus 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 added problems from overheating.
  • Your 2021 Ford Focus has a vacuum leak. Any Ford Focus has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower damaging 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 barren out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to extraordinary heat or extreme chilly.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, established as the O2 sensor, measures the reward of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less direct 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 2021 Ford Focus's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to represent the right assortment 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.

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

Since all check engine code has its own level of severity, it is complicated to predict how bountiful miles you can drive with the warning light on. 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 subsequently. If you check engine light is glaring, we advocate that you pull over and contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg to help express if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most ordinarily misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2021 Ford Focus is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few contrasting 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 2021 Ford Focus. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a range of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as unhealthy as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2021 Ford Focus, contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg. Our Ford 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. Contact Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg today!

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2021 Ford Focus will consistently 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 equitable, 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 Ford Focus 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 Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Is it safe to drive your 2021 Ford Focus with the check engine light on?

This question is not exceedingly 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 commute. This is constantly 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 principal problem. If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a principal issue and it is recommended to service your Ford Focus instantly. Call the experts at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg by dialing 3177903264 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2021 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as functional.

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 well tightened to a more serious failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it sufficient to get the fantastic code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is frequently between $88 and $111. The sufficient 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.

2021 Ford Focus Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are bountiful capability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are innumerable commonplace causes including something as easy as a loose gas cap. Different commonplace reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, 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 Ford 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 Ford issue was fixed.

Every 2021 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 mandatory systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the mechanical control company. If the mechanical control company detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light brightens 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 inaccurate 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 Extremely Qualified Service professional.

2021 Ford Focus Check Engine Light

A flashing light indicates that the problem is strict and if not taken care of expeditiously may result in big damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2021 Ford Focus starts flashing, that means that the problem needs precipitous attention and your Ford should be brought in expeditiously. This blinking light usually indicates a rigorous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly hike the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is obvious, requiring an lavish repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A destructive, old 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 very expensive repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg expeditiously by calling 3177903264.

Check Engine Light Service 2021 Ford Focus

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford Focus and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ford owners, your heart sinks a scant because you have scant 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 2021 Ford Focus checked as soon as achievable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing immense damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2021 Ford Focus's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t equitable, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is naturally 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 investigate tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg. There are also a number of comparably inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you designate that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an trained professional to learn the issue and repair it.

2021 Ford Focus Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that scant 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 admitted as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Focus. There are hundreds of disparate codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a scant patience, tackling leading diagnostics will give you pragmatic knowledge about your car and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, indisputable and beneficial car symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of conceivable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of conceivable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is humongous for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a important concern, you risk bad your car extra by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out rapidly by a certified Ford mechanic. Call Bill Estes Ford Brownsburg at 3177903264 today or schedule your check engine light service online today!