2012 Kia Soul Check Engine Light

2012 Kia Soul Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2012 Kia Soul starts flashing, that means that the problem needs immediate attention and your Kia should be brought in quickly. A flashing light expresses that the problem is critical and if not taken care of quickly may result in considerable damage to the vehicle. This blinking light usually expresses a relentless engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be drained into the exhaust system. There it can swiftly boost the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is viable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can solely be the cause. A bad, classic or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is glaring, please contact our team of automotive consultants at Nalley Kia immediately by calling 7702885283. 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 costly repair.

Check Engine Light Service 2012 Kia Soul

What do you do when you’re driving along in your Kia Soul and suddenly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most Kia 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 2012 Kia Soul checked as soon as attainable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing first-rate damage to expensive engine components.

When your 2012 Kia Soul's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t definite, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is naturally 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 Kia auto repair mechanics at Nalley Kia. There are also a number of somewhat low-cost 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 choose the issue and repair it.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2012 Kia Soul?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as authentic 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 wear and tear to your engine and come with a gigantic repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow often means something less alarming but a twinkling check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in alarming trouble and service is needed rapidly. If your check engine light is twinkling in your 2012 Kia Soul, we largely suggest not to commute the vehicle and schedule Kia service today. Below is a list of the most helpful 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 Kia Soul is what determines how much fuel is fundamental to run your engine efficiently by measuring the payment of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to cognizant changes, like altitude. If your Kia Soul is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a precipitous change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or supplemental item can wreak havoc on your 2012 Kia Soul if it’s not installed correctly. These aftermarket parts and accessories can discharge the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even impede the vehicle from starting. If these issues sound amiable, transport your Soul to Kia 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 first place might cost a tiny bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your 2012 Kia Soul has a vacuum leak. Every Kia Soul has a vacuum system that performs a wide variety of functions. The vacuum system also 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, especially if they’re exposed to unusual heat or extreme chilly.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, known as the O2 sensor, measures the payment of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your vehicle will be less direct 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 2012 Kia Soul's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to opt for the right assortment 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 2012 Kia Soul’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's work 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 Nalley Kia offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every Kia service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2012 Kia Soul 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 supplemental problems from overheating.
• One of the most contemporary and frequent cause is that your 2012 Kia Soul gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2012 Kia Soul 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 former 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 rapidly after you put gas in your 2012 Kia Soul, first 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.
• The battery is low or dead. The battery in your 2012 Kia Soul is every crucial. 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 Kia you drive, but check our extant service coupons and specials.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are fundamental for your 2012 Kia Soul. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel assortment 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 former, 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, big to more expensive repairs.

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 direct failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it convenient to get the fair code reading and diagnosis. The central price for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is mostly between $88 and $111. The convenient news, Nalley Kia offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to assist favor 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 2012 Kia Soul is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a lot 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 range of things for your 2012 Kia Soul. Some of these include controlling engine speed, ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can represent a variety of divergent things. It can be as authentic as your gas cap being loose or as alarming as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2012 Kia Soul, contact Nalley Kia. Contact Nalley Kia today! Our Kia service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or inspect why your check engine light is twinkling.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2012 Kia Soul will generally 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 essential, 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 Kia Soul light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that payment and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Nalley Kia so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2012 Kia Soul Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that small light on your vehicle’s dashboard suddenly illuminates, 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 prevalent as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Soul. There are hundreds of contrasting codes that your check engine light can suggest. While that sounds daunting, with a small patience, tackling basic diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is surely supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, positive and convenient vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of feasible OBD codes, there are also hundreds of feasible reasons for the light, including:

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

This is why it is tremendous for someone who does not have assorted of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. Call Nalley Kia at 7702885283 today or schedule your check engine light service online today! If the engine light comes on due to a hazardous concern, you risk damaging your vehicle supplemental by not repairing the issue right away. When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out quickly by a certified Kia mechanic.

Is it safe to drive your 2012 Kia Soul with the check engine light on?

This question is not highly authentic 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 consistently 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 alarming problem. If the check engine light is blinking, this means that there is a alarming issue and it is recommended to service your Kia Soul expeditiously. Call the experts at Nalley Kia by dialing 7702885283 so you can describe the issues. Or discount your speed and bring your 2012 Kia to our certified mechanics as soon as cognizant.

2012 Kia Soul Check Engine Light Flashing

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

Every 2012 Kia Soul was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its important systems. The sensors are consistently 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 definitely is inaccurate nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Kia provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Tremendously Qualified Service experienced.

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 Nalley Kia to help find out if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we advocate 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. 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.