2018 GMC Yukon XL Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the vital onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a variety 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 vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your 2018 GMC Yukon XL. Some of these essential duties include shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, ignition timing, and implementing cohesion control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a wide range of different things. It can be as simple as your gas cap being loose or as unpredictable as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL, contact Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park. Our GMC 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 Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park today!

2018 GMC Yukon XL Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, particularly 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 Yukon XL. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can properly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your car and will still allow that important Check Engine Light to do what it is genuinely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, clear and helpful car symptoms do not regularly 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:

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

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of prevalent automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out immediately by a talented certified GMC mechanic. Call Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park at 9046829278 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park to help determine if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck. 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. Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is ordinarily difficult to predict how many miles you can be safe in driving with the warning light on.

2018 GMC Yukon XL Check Engine Light

A flashing light signifies that the problem is tremendously serious and if not taken care of rapidly may result in major and serious damage to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention rapidly and your GMC should be brought in rapidly. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can expeditiously raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an costly and major repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can absolutely be the cause. A damaged, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is consistently flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park rapidly by calling 9046829278. If the problem is completely 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.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 GMC Yukon XL 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. Again, if your catalytic converter is working accurately, 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 GMC Yukon XL 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 Buick/GMC of Orange Park so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

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 usually between $88 and $111. The good news, Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park offers entirely complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light.

2018 GMC Yukon XL 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 several common causes including something as simple as a loose gas cap. Other mainly common reasons for a Check Engine Light are damaged oxygen sensor, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, defective head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, defective emissions control part, or damaged spark plugs to name a few. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the GMC Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and completely repair it as required to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your GMC issue was totally fixed.

Every 2018 GMC Yukon XL was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the car on its critical systems. The quick sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending crucial 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. Nevertheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what definitely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Highly Qualified Service professional.

Is it safe to drive your 2018 GMC Yukon XL with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is recommended to service your GMC Yukon XL quickly. 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 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. Call the experts at Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park by dialing 9046829278 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2018 GMC to our certified mechanics as promptly as imaginable.

Check Engine Light Service 2018 GMC Yukon XL

What do you do when you’re driving along in your GMC Yukon XL and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most GMC owners, your heart sinks extremely because you may have precisely 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, serene breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean you have to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is suggested that you get your 2018 GMC Yukon XL checked quickly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, extensive damage to expensive engine parts.

When your 2018 GMC Yukon XL'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 ordinarily 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 swiftly 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 GMC auto repair mechanics at Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park. There are still a number of relatively 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 experienced professional to determine the explicitly correct issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 GMC Yukon XL?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as simple as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Also, the check engine light could also be a warning of a serious problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and costly repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow typically means something less serious but a flashing check engine light signifies that your vehicle’s engine is in serious trouble and useful service is required immediately. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL, we tremendously advocate not to drive the car and schedule GMC service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are required for your 2018 GMC Yukon XL. 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 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 experience a evident 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 costly repairs.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2018 GMC Yukon XL gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 GMC Yukon XL serves different purposes. It prevents unpredictable 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 damaged 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 pricey. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on rapidly after you put gas in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL, 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 low or dead. The battery in your 2018 GMC Yukon XL is every crucial. 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 really require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of GMC you drive, but check our current service coupons and specials.
• 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 quickly and your vehicle will be less efficient when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A damaged sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause serious damage to your catalytic converter and your 2018 GMC Yukon XL's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the precisely correct mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A damaged O2 sensor can still cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2018 GMC Yukon XL if it’s not installed correctly. 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 familiar, bring your Yukon XL to GMC and have our team of accomplished certified mechanics make sure that your aftermarket items were installed accurately and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, particularly aftermarket parts and accessories, or utilizing OEM parts first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save considerably from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your 2018 GMC Yukon XL has a vacuum leak. Every GMC Yukon XL has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system still 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 dry out and crack, particularly if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your GMC Yukon XL is what determines how much fuel is required 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 GMC Yukon XL is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden fast change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a critical sign of a damaged mass airflow sensor.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 GMC Yukon XL’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A broken catalytic converter is normally caused by constantly neglected maintenance, which is why Coggin Buick/GMC of Orange Park offers a free multi-point check with every GMC service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 GMC Yukon XL 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.