2012 Toyota Venza Check Engine Light

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Toyota Venza?

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 again be a warning of a serious problem that could cause serious damage to your engine and come with a hefty and expensive repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady and continuous glow usually 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 instantly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2012 Toyota Venza, we tremendously endorse not to drive the vehicle and schedule Toyota service today. Below is a list of the most common reasons your check engine light can come on:

• Your 2012 Toyota Venza has a vacuum leak. Each Toyota Venza has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system again helps lower unhealthy 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, exceptionally if they’re exposed to intense heat or extreme cold.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Toyota Venza is each essential. Without a vehicle battery, your vehicle won’t start, light up the road in front, 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 absolutely require maintenance. The price of a new one depends on the type of Toyota 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 instantly and your car 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 meaningful damage to your catalytic converter and your 2012 Toyota Venza'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 again cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
• One of the most common and frequent cause is that your 2012 Toyota Venza gas cap is loose, broken or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Toyota Venza 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 expensive. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't costly. If your check engine light turns on promptly after you put gas in your 2012 Toyota Venza, 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.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are needed for your 2012 Toyota Venza. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your car. 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 noticeable poor performance and decreased 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.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2012 Toyota Venza’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 usually caused by regularly neglected maintenance, which is why Toyota of Greenville offers a free multi-point inspection with each Toyota service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Toyota Venza 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 dangerous problems from overheating.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or other item can wreak extreme havoc on your 2012 Toyota Venza if it’s not installed accurately. These aftermarket components and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the car from starting. If these issues sound familiar, bring your Venza to Toyota and have our team of accomplished certified mechanics guarantee that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, exceptionally aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM components first place might cost a little bit more but could help you save substantially from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your Toyota Venza 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 certain changes, like altitude. If your Toyota Venza is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a sudden speedy change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a crucial sign of a damaged mass airflow sensor.

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

The average cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is usually between $88 and $111. The good news, Toyota of Greenville offers entirely complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help determine the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not perfectly 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.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2012 Toyota Venza 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 promptly turn itself off. Still, if your catalytic converter is working correctly, 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 2012 Toyota Venza 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 Toyota of Greenville so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

Check Engine Light Service 2012 Toyota Venza

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Toyota Venza and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Toyota owners, your heart sinks exceptionally because you may have absolutely 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 car over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is suggested that you get your 2012 Toyota Venza checked promptly. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major, major damage to pricey engine components.

When your 2012 Toyota Venza'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 typically 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 quickly 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 Toyota auto repair mechanics at Toyota of Greenville. There are still a number of relatively inexpensive code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you prefer 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 exactly correct issue and repair it.

2012 Toyota Venza Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating, exceptionally 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, again known as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Venza. There are hundreds of different codes that your check engine light can correctly represent. While that sounds daunting, with a little patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you useful knowledge about your car and will again allow that critical Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Sadly, clear and useful car symptoms do not consistently accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of imaginable OBD codes, there are again hundreds of imaginable reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is important for someone who does not have a lot of prevailing automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Toyota of Greenville at 8647547866 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a skillful certified Toyota mechanic. If the engine light comes on due to a serious concern, you risk damaging your vehicle further by not repairing the issue right away.

2012 Toyota Venza Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2012 Toyota Venza starts flashing, that means that the problem needs attention swiftly and your Toyota should be brought in swiftly. A flashing light signifies that the problem is tremendously serious and if not taken care of swiftly may result in major and serious damage to the car. This blinking light frequently indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system. There it can promptly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is likely, requiring an expensive and huge repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can specifically be the cause. A damaged, old or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. 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 immensely costly repair. If your check engine light is invariably flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Toyota of Greenville rapidly by calling 8647547866.

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

If you check engine light is flashing, we propose that you pull over and contact Toyota of Greenville to help determine if your vehicle is secure to drive in or if we propose a tow truck. 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 generally difficult to predict how many miles you can be secure in driving with the warning light on. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.

Is it safe to drive your 2012 Toyota Venza with the check engine light on?

This question is not tremendously 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 secure to drive. This is usually 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. If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a serious issue and it is recommended to service your Toyota Venza rapidly. Call the experts at Toyota of Greenville by dialing 8647547866 so you can describe the issues. Or lessen your speed and bring your 2012 Toyota to our certified mechanics as in the near future as likely.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2012 Toyota Venza is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the critical 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 car. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored car performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your 2012 Toyota Venza. 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 variety 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 2012 Toyota Venza, contact Toyota of Greenville. Our Toyota 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 Toyota of Greenville today!

2012 Toyota Venza 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 generally common reasons for a Check Engine Light are faulty head gasket, dirty mass airflow sensor, damaged oxygen sensor, broken emissions control part, 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 Toyota Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and utterly 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 Toyota issue was completely fixed.

Every 2012 Toyota Venza was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its essential systems. The speedy sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending essential 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. Nonetheless, unfortunately that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what precisely is wrong nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Toyota of Greenville provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Remarkably Qualified Service professional.