Acura is a very good brand of car and there are lots of drivers of them. It is not a common situation that you can see a check engine light with Acura. But if you see that Acura check engine light, it is very important to know the general reasons lying behind it. Here, we explain the general reasons why you are seeing it. And also you can find detailed information about general fixes of the. Furthermore, you can find the price information for these fixes. According to the different scenarios, you can apply different kinds of solutions by yourself or by bringing your car to a mechanic or service.
What Are the Reasons for Acura Check Engine Light?
Yes, a check engine light is one of the most feared things in the automotive community. And there are different reasons for the check engine light if you are driving one of the models of Acura.
Problems with Oxygen Sensor
One of the most common reasons that you are seeing that the check engine light is blinking is the faulty oxygen sensor. In Acura cars, the main purpose of the oxygen sensor is to provide the level of oxygen inside exhaust fumes. Because if the oxygen level is high in the exhaust fumes, this means the air is high compared with the fuel in the intake manifold. And the sensor sends this information to the ECU system of the car. And ECU system adjusts the level of fuel that comes into the cylinders. So very oıptimised burn of the fuel takes place.
So if you have a problem with the oxygen sensor of your car, you can understand that the engine will not run smoothly and in an optimized way. You will feel the performance loss in your car. And also you will hear strange sounds coming from your engine. Misfires will happen inside the engine which can harm your engine cylinders.
How to Fix Acura Oxygen Sensor?
There are different ways to solve that problem. Because the problematic issue may not be the oxygen sensor itself.
First, we need to check the cable connections that connect the oxygen sensor to the battery and the ECU system. If there is damage to these cables, the sensor will not work properly. And the service just will change the faulty cable connection which will cost around $50 including the labor costs.
Also, the oxygen sensor of your car can be filthy. If there is a filth accumulation in your oxygen sensor such as carbon buildup, you need to clean this sensor properly. If you are familiar with car mechanics, you can doı it by yourself.
- First of all, you need to know where the oxygen sensor is placed. The place of oxygen sensor is right below your car. And it is located right after the catalytic converter of your car. So, it measures the level of oxygen in the exhaust fumes.
- In general, they fix the oxygen sensor to its place with basic fasteners. You just need to use a typical wrench and screwdriver set.
- You need to lift the car by using a hydraulic jack mechanism. Before doing that, wear your protective glasses and protective gloves on your hands. It is very important to take precautions for safety.
- After that, find the exact position of the oxygen sensoır. And rip it off by using your wrenches and screwdriver sets.
- Disconnect the electric and ECU cables from it.
- After that, you need to clean the oxygen sensor properly using special agents that are available in the market. Apply the cleaning agent according to the instructions o the agent.
- After cleaning it, attach the sensor back to its place.
- Control that your engine works properly and the check engine light is off.
Also, you can have a problem with the oxygen sensor itself. You can also change the oxygen sensor with a similar sensor that you can buy. Just be careful that the sensor that you selected is an OEM part of Acura. Otherwise, you can have problems with the aftermarket sensors. In general, the prices of the OEM sensors can change between $100-$150. Also if you bring your car to a car mechanic or Acura service, the labor cost for the installation will be around $100.
Problems with Catalytic Converter
Also if you have a problem with the catalytic converter of your Acura car, the Acura check engine light will be on. So, it is very important to check that you do not have a problem with it.
The main duty of the catalytic converter is to reduce the toxicity of the exhaust fumes before expelling them outside. So in terms of the environment and human health, it is very important to have a properly working catalytic converter in your engine.
There can be two different problems with your catalytic converter. The first one is the clogged internal channels. Because of the carbon builduğ over time, the channels of the catalytic converters get clogged. And you will feel it as an engine stall or performance loss. The main reason of it, the engine needs to give much more power to expel the exhaust gases inside very narrow holes.
Another problem that you can face is the damaged catalytic converter. If your catalytic converter is damaged, you can hear strange sounds coming from your exhaust system.
Fix the Catalytic Converter
If your catalytic converter is damaged, the general price of the OEM catalytic converter of Acura changes between $300-$350. And also if you are familiar with the car mechanics, you can install it on your own.
- First of all, you need to recognize the catalytic converter. The shape of the catalytic converter is like a semi-cylinder. If you check the bottom of your vehicle, you can see that it is located in the heat pipeline. And right before the tailpipe.
- In general, the catalytic converter of the vehicle is connected with very basic connections such as fasteners. You need a very basic wrench set and a very basic screwdriver set to rip it off.
- You need to lift the vehicle by using a proper hydraulic jack or mechanical lifter. And then you need to wear proper safety equipment such as cut and scratch-resistant gloves and protective glasses.
- You need to buy the same catalytic converter for your Acura vehicle. Rip the old and damaged catalytic converter off. After that install the new catalytic converter properly.
- After that check the engine working correctly. Also, check that the check engine light is off.
Also, the changing prices of the catalytic converters are generally around $150-$200 including the expertise costs.
Furthermore, if your catalytic converter is clogged, you need to clean it. There are different cleaning agents. And on these cleaning agents, all the steps that you need to apply are explained. Rip your catalytic converter off, clean it, and install it back. You can check that your engine is working smoothly as intended.
Also if you can not clean your catalytic converter, just bring your car to an Acura service. And they will clean your catalytic converter. The cleaning will be around $150.
Electrical System and Spark Plug Problems
And also if you have a problem with your electrical systems such as spark plkıugs and other kinds of systems, your engine will not work properly. And you will see the check engine light. The main purpose of the spark plugs is to ignite the fuel inside the engine to create power. They provide a spark for the ignition when the cylinder is at the top dead center.
So, if there is a problem with the spark plugs, the ignition will not take place. You can have a problem with the individual spark plug of your car. And you will feel the problem of performance loss. Because one or several cylinders are not working.
Also, all the spark plugs are not working. Because there is a problem with the distributor system all the spark plugs are connected to it. It prişvdes electricity to spark plugs for ignition. The engine will not work in this case. And you cannot start the engine.
Furthermore, you can have problems with your starter motor. A starter motor starts your car with the electricity coming from the battery of your car. And if there is a problem with the starter motor, you simply can not start the engine.
Fixes to the Electrical Problems of Acura
As you see above you can have multiple electrical problems with your car.
First of all, if you have a problem with your spark plug, chasing it with a new one will generally cost about $50 including the labor costs. And also, if you have problems with multiple spark plugs, the general costs will be around $350-$400. Because the service must change the distributor of the car. This requires labor and expertise.
Also, you can have a problem with your starter motor. The prices of the OEM starter motors of Acura generally charge between $250-$300. And replacement costs for this part are generally between $100-$150. And you can pay up to $500 in total if you have a problem with your starter motor.
On the other hand, you just have problems with the cable connections between the electrical elements of your car. Problematic cables can be the cables between spark plugs, the distributor, and the battery. You just need to change it with a new one. If you bring your car to change it in service, the price will be generally $50-$100 per cable.
Also, carbon buildup can be a serious problem with spark plugs. Instead of chengişng it with a new one, you just need to clean it properly and reinstall it.
Mass Air Flow Sensor Issues
Like the oxygen sensor, the mass air flow sensor is a very important part that sends information about the amount of mass air flow that flows through the intake manifold. And with this information and the amount of oxygen şinformaiton, ECU adjusts the level of the best fuel and sends it to the injectsiıon system. And an optimum amount of air-fuel mixture takes place.
So, if you have a problem with the mass air flow sensor, you will feel the same symptoms that we explained for the oxygen sensor.
Fix
The generalized prices of the mass air flow sensor are nearly the same as the oxygen sensor. But the difference is, you can not rip the mass air flow sensor off on your own. Expertise is generally required for this job. You just need to bring your car to an expert and make the mass air flow sensor.
Loose Gas Cap
We wish you just have this problem… Because the loose gas capo can solve the problem of the Acura check engine light. You just need to tighten the gas cap. And check that the check engine light went off.
Also, you can make a little joke to your friend about it 🙂 If your friend or relatives have an Acura car, you can untighten the gas cap to make the check engine light on. And when he or she sees that, he or she will shock about this situation 🙂 But do not hold the joke long…
Issues with Transmission
Transmission of your car is responsible for the shifting and transmission of the engine power to the wheeşls. So, it is a very major part of your car. The transmission system is very complex and we can not cover all this topic here. And if you have an issue with your transmşissioni just bring your car to an Acura service. Because dealing with transmission requires very high expertise and profession. You can not deal with it yourself.
Also, if your check engine light is blşingkinf, just pull over immediately and call a tow to tow your car to the nearest Acura service. Blinking the check engine light means that you have a major problem with your engine system.
Conclusion on Acura Check Engine Light
These are the general things that we can state about the Acura check engine light. If you have additional comments and questions please leave them below. Your pğrecious feedbacks are very important to us!
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