2021 Ram 1500 Check Engine Light (2024)

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

The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly. It could be anything from a contentious sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is glaring, we recommend that you pull over and contact Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram to help choose if your car is safe to drive in or if we recommend a tow truck. Since each 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.

2021 Ram 1500 Check Engine Light

A flashing light illustrates that the problem is hazardous and if not taken care of now may result in finest break to the vehicle. If the check engine light in your 2021 Ram 1500 starts flashing, that means that the problem needs abrupt attention and your Ram should be brought in now. This blinking light often suggests a exacting engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can quickly expand the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is conceivable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A bad, long-established or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If the problem is ignored or you continue to travel to work, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a excessively lavish repair. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram rapidly by calling 9702364701.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2021 Ram 1500 will typically 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 sane, and you did various 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 Ram 1500 light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that deposit and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?

The central value for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is consistently between $88 and $111. The adequate news, Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help express the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not appropriately tightened to a more dangerous failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it adequate to get the apt code reading and diagnosis.

2021 Ram 1500 Check Engine Light Flashing

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

Every 2021 Ram 1500 was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its troublesome systems. The sensors are commonly 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 inaccurate nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 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 prolific.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2021 Ram 1500 is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few distinctive 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 Ram 1500. 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 mean a collection of distinctive things. It can be as pure as your gas cap being loose or as serious as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2021 Ram 1500, contact Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Our Ram service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or observe why your check engine light is glaring. Contact Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram today!

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2021 Ram 1500?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as accessible as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a precarious problem that could cause precarious damage to your engine and come with a hefty repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow continually means something fewer precarious but a twinkling check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in precarious trouble and service is mandatory immediately. If your check engine light is twinkling in your 2021 Ram 1500, we tremendously recommend not to drive the vehicle and schedule Ram service today. Below is a list of the most affable reasons your check engine light can come on:

• 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 reasonable 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 break to your catalytic converter and your 2021 Ram 1500's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the right mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A harmful O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
• Your 2021 Ram 1500 has a vacuum leak. Every Ram 1500 has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps cut 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 dry out and crack, especially if they’re exposed to awesome heat or extreme brisk.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are imperative for your 2021 Ram 1500. 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 old, you will experience meager 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 break to ignition coils and O2 sensors, leading to more fancy repairs.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Ram 1500 is what determines how much fuel is imperative 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 abundant changes, like altitude. If your Ram 1500 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.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or added item can wreak havoc on your 2021 Ram 1500 if it’s not installed perfectly. 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 commonplace, deliver your 1500 to Ram 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 initial place might cost a tiny bit more but could save you money from having to get meager function and break caused by meager installation function corrected.
• One of the most logical and frequent cause is that your 2021 Ram 1500 gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2021 Ram 1500 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 old 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 fancy. If your check engine light turns on suddenly after you put gas in your 2021 Ram 1500, initial thing you should check is to make confident 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 2021 Ram 1500’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 naturally caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Ram service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2021 Ram 1500 will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your automobile may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause added problems from overheating.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2021 Ram 1500 is every vital. Without a automobile battery, your automobile won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s automobile batteries last much longer than they did bountiful decades ago, and they don't genuinely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Ram you drive, but check our ongoing service coupons and specials.

Check Engine Light Service 2021 Ram 1500

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Ram 1500 and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Ram 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 Ram 1500 checked as soon as correct. Ignoring that warning could end up causing exceptional damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2021 Ram 1500's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t fair, 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 electronic observe tool that is used by our Ram auto repair technicians at Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. There are also a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you choose that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to indicate the issue and repair it.

2021 Ram 1500 Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that small light on your vehicle’s dashboard instantly brightens, 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 cognizant as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your 1500. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can mean. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling meaningful diagnostics will give you favorable knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, simple and favorable vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of handy OBD codes, there are also hundreds of handy reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is various 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 now by a certified Ram mechanic. Call Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram at 9702364701 now or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a scrupulous concern, you risk harmful your car additional by not repairing the issue right away.

Is it safe to drive your 2021 Ram 1500 with the check engine light on?

This question is not very normal 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 dependable to drive. This is continually 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 contentious problem. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a contentious issue and it is recommended to service your Ram 1500 at this moment. Call the mentors at Mike Shaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram by dialing 9702364701 so you can describe the issues. Or reduce your speed and bring your 2021 Ram to our certified mechanics as soon as probable.