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Is it safe to drive your 2013 Ford Mustang with the check engine light on?

This question is not very classic 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 typically indicated by a common 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 critical problem. If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a critical issue and it is recommended to service your Ford Mustang abruptly. Call the specialists at Coggin Ford Jacksonville by dialing 9047478996 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2013 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as likely.

Check Engine Light Service 2013 Ford Mustang

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford Mustang and hastily, 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 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 2013 Ford Mustang checked as soon as probable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing first-rate damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2013 Ford Mustang's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t right, 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 read with an computerized inspect tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at Coggin Ford Jacksonville. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you mean that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced skilled to mean the issue and repair it.

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 strict failure like a damaging catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it fair to get the innate code reading and diagnosis. The average rate for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is continually between $88 and $111. The fair news, Coggin Ford Jacksonville offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help opt for the cause of your check engine light.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most frequently misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2013 Ford Mustang is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few assorted 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 2013 Ford Mustang. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of contrasting things. It can be as easy as your gas cap being loose or as curious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2013 Ford Mustang, contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville. Contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville today! Our Ford service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or investigate why your check engine light is flashing.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2013 Ford Mustang will commonly shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is repaired. 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 2013 Ford Mustang 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 Coggin Ford Jacksonville so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2013 Ford Mustang Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2013 Ford Mustang starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Ford should be brought in swiftly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is serious and if not taken care of swiftly may result in considerable wear and tear to the vehicle. This blinking light commonly hints a persuasive engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be deposited into the exhaust system. There it can promptly raise 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 entirely be the cause. A bad, traditional 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 exceedingly expensive repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our unit of automotive advisors at Coggin Ford Jacksonville quickly by calling 9047478996.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2013 Ford Mustang?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as plain as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a notable problem that could cause notable 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 typically means something less notable but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in notable trouble and service is paramount shortly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2013 Ford Mustang, we remarkably recommend not to drive the automobile and schedule Ford service today. Below is a list of the most natural reasons your check engine light can come on:

  • Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Ford Mustang 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 conclusive changes, like altitude. If your Ford Mustang 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.
  • New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2013 Ford Mustang. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel range 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 historic, 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 wear and tear to ignition coils and O2 sensors, big to more expensive repairs.
  • The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2013 Ford Mustang is every big. 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 drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
  • Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, noted as the O2 sensor, measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be fewer functional 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 wear and tear to your catalytic converter and your 2013 Ford Mustang's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the prudent range 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.
  • Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2013 Ford Mustang’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 frequently caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Coggin Ford Jacksonville 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 2013 Ford Mustang 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 problems from overheating.
  • Your 2013 Ford Mustang has a vacuum leak. Every Ford Mustang has a vacuum system that performs a expanded range of functions. The vacuum system also helps lessen detrimental 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 astonishing heat or extreme fast.
  • Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2013 Ford Mustang if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound favorite, deliver your Mustang to Ford and have our unit of 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 parts original place might cost a microscopic bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and wear and tear caused by poor installation work corrected.
  • One of the most acceptable and many cause is that your 2013 Ford Mustang gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2013 Ford Mustang 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 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 2013 Ford Mustang, original 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.

2013 Ford Mustang Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are countless conceivable causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several pure causes including something as natural as a loose gas cap. Back-up pure reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name assorted. 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 decisive 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 2013 Ford Mustang was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the automobile on its difficult systems. The sensors are continuously 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 specifically is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Ford Jacksonville 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 professional.

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

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is draconian to predict how copious miles you can travel to work with the warning light on. If you check engine light is blinking, we recommend that you pull over and contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville to help select if your vehicle is strong to travel to work in or if we recommend a tow truck. 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.

2013 Ford Mustang Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that tiny light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly flashes, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear good 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 prevailing as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Mustang. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can represent. While that sounds daunting, with a tiny patience, tackling decisive diagnostics will give you appropriate knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is absolutely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, pronounced and accessible vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of viable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of viable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is main for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out abruptly by a certified Ford mechanic. Call Coggin Ford Jacksonville at 9047478996 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a relentless concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue honest away.