What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2014 Ford Focus?
When your check engine light comes on, this could be as uncomplicated as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a alarming problem that could cause alarming damage to your engine and come with a big repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A persistent glow normally means something fewer alarming but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in alarming trouble and service is crucial abruptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2014 Ford Focus, we exceedingly advocate not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ford service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:
- Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak havoc on your 2014 Ford Focus if it’s not installed properly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discard the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound favorite, bring your Focus to Ford and have our team of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed perfectly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, highly aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts original place might cost a legitimate bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
- New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2014 Ford Focus. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel collection 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 popular, 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, large to more expensive repairs.
- Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2014 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 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 2014 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 other problems from overheating.
- Your 2014 Ford Focus has a vacuum leak. Every Ford Focus has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps decrease 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 dry out and crack, highly if they’re exposed to exciting heat or extreme annoyed.
- 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 faster and your vehicle will be less competent 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 2014 Ford Focus's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to mean the prudent collection 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.
- One of the most prevailing and many cause is that your 2014 Ford Focus gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2014 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 popular 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 expeditiously after you put gas in your 2014 Ford Focus, original thing you should check is to make bold the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
- The battery is scanty or dead. The battery in your 2014 Ford Focus is every atrocious. 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Ford you drive, but check our brand-new service coupons and specials.
- 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 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 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.
How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?
If you check engine light is flashing, we suggest that you pull over and contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville to help pick if your car is protected to drive in or if we suggest a tow truck. Since any check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how many miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a contentious sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.
Is it safe to drive your 2014 Ford Focus with the check engine light on?
If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a strict issue and it is recommended to service your Ford Focus quickly. This question is not excessively pure 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 ordinarily indicated by a consistent 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 stringent problem. Call the experts at Coggin Ford Jacksonville by dialing 9047478996 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2014 Ford to our certified mechanics as soon as correct.
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 accordingly tightened to a more dangerous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it awesome to get the appropriate code reading and diagnosis. The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The awesome news, Coggin Ford Jacksonville offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to aid indicate the cause of your check engine light.
2014 Ford Focus Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your 2014 Ford Focus starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Ford should be brought in rapidly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is unhealthy and if not taken care of rapidly may result in dominant damage to the vehicle. This twinkling light usually expresses a scrupulous engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can abruptly increase the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is achievable, requiring an fancy repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can totally be the cause. A bad, popular 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 lavish repair. If your check engine light is glaring, please contact our squad of automotive consultants at Coggin Ford Jacksonville suddenly by calling 9047478996.
Will the check engine light reset itself?
The check engine light on your 2014 Ford Focus will frequently 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 usable, 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 2014 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 transport it in to Coggin Ford Jacksonville so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.
2014 Ford Focus 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 illuminates, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear noble 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 odd codes that your check engine light can suggest. While that sounds daunting, with a few patience, tackling needed diagnostics will give you hopeful 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, discernable and convenient vehicle symptoms do not always 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:
- Ignition system faults
- Emissions controls issues
- Old Battery
- Computer output circuit issues
- O2 Sensor
- Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap
- Transmission issues
- Fuel and air metering systems problems
- Bad Spark Plugs
This is why it is exciting for someone who does not have a lot of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Coggin Ford Jacksonville at 9047478996 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out immediately by a certified Ford mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a critical concern, you risk detrimental your car further by not repairing the issue decent away.
2014 Ford Focus Check Engine Light Flashing
Although there are countless capability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are many sufficient causes including something as accepted as a loose gas cap. Substitute sufficient reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name frequent. 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 needed 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 2014 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 difficult 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 exactly is guilty 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 Greatly Qualified Service adequate.
What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?
One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2014 Ford Focus is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in various various 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 collection of things for your 2014 Ford Focus. Some of these include shifting automatic transmissions ignition timing, controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can determine a variety of clear things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as precarious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2014 Ford Focus, contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville. Our Ford service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or scan why your check engine light is flashing. Contact Coggin Ford Jacksonville today!
Check Engine Light Service 2014 Ford Focus
What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ford Focus and suddenly, a yellow light lights up 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 represent 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 2014 Ford Focus checked as soon as accessible. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major wear and tear to expensive engine components.
When your 2014 Ford Focus's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the computerized control system that it can’t polite, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is continuously 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 electronic scan tool that is used by our Ford auto repair mechanics at Coggin Ford Jacksonville. There are also a number of somewhat 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 professional professional to find out the issue and repair it.