Flashing or illuminating the Check Engine Light always indicates that something is wrong with the car’s system. Check Engine Light (also called as Malfunction Indicator Lamp) is a signal that your car’s engine wants you to check for any issue with the engine.
So, if you see that your Check Engine Light is illuminating or flashing, you should visit your car mechanic as soon as possible to prevent further damages of the engine parts. As this is an issue that you can’t ignore, you should know what does this mean. That’s why I’m here to elaborate the reasons why is your Check Engine Light flashing at the time of accelerating?
Table of Contents
The Reasons behind Check Engine Light Flashing While Accelerating
Your car’s Check Engine Light illuminates is three main ways-
- Continuous Illumination (the light is on)
- Intermittent Illumination (the light flashes for a while and then stops)
- Continuous Flashing (the light is flashing continuously without stopping)
For the first two cases, the situation is not an emergency and you have some time before taking it to the mechanic. But for the third case, which is the main topic of discussion of this article, you don’t have time to waste.
Continuous flashing of the Check Engine Light refers to a serious problem of the engine that maybe needs you to turn the engine off as soon as possible. There are a few different reasons behind it, but the most common reason is Ignition Misfire on one or several cylinders. Misfire happens for different reasons, but those are not our focus point.
However, except ignition misfire, there are a few more reasons behind check engine light flashing. Those are given below.
- Faulty spark plug/coil
- Faulty injectors
- Faulty EGR Valves
- Faulty engine sensors
- Faulty crankshaft/camshaft sensor
- Boost/overcharging problems
- Exhaust emission problems
- Internal engine problems
- Faulty engine control unit
Among these, the last two reasons are rare if you take care of your engine properly. Others are some common reasons of flashing Check Engine Light while accelerating.
What to do If Check Engine Light Flashes While Accelerating?
As this indicates a serious problem of your engine, you should focus on solving the problem as soon as possible if you don’t want your engine to create more problems. If you do so, you’ll face more trouble that’ll cost more bucks.
So, as soon as you face this problem, I suggest you to find out the nearest car mechanic shop and head to that place. This will cost you some bucks depending on the reason behind, but this will save you from spending a thousand or much more in the near future.
How much does It Cost to Fix the Issue
As the Check Engine Light flashes for a lot of reasons, the cost varies depending on the exact problem. Besides, it also depends on the vehicle make, model and year. So, I can’t give you an exact chart or quote the exact amount you need to fix the issue.
Depending on all the factors, the cost of fixing the problem is around $100 to $500. If the problem is in the spark plugs or coils, the cost will be $100 to $150. On the other hand, for problems in the fuel injector, you’ll have to pay around $450 to $500. Almost all other problems behind Check Light Flashing can be settled within this range.
Final Verdict
So, when you see Check Engine Light flashing when accelerating, all you need to do is visiting a mechanic as soon as possible. Let him find out the problem and solve it. Otherwise, there are chances of more troubles shortly.
There might be few more symptoms coming with this issue. No matter what the symptom is, fix the issue right away. Don’t be late.
Leave a Reply