Jeep Engine Light Flashes 11 Times – Why? And What to Do?

When you start your Jeep, all warning lights on the dashboard go off, except if you left a door open or have not put on your safety belt. If the check engine light starts to flash and stops after flashing around 11 times, your vehicle has developed some problems. Those problems might be severe, or they might not.

For a better understanding of what it means when your Jeep engine light flashes 11 times and stops, read this article to the end.

Why Your Jeep Engine Light Flashes 11 Times Then Stops

The engine light is a warning that notifies the driver when the engine develops any problem. It is also used to notify you when there's an error in the engine or related parts.

Warning lights are usually found behind the steering wheel in an instrument cluster.

When the Engine Control Unit receives a signal from one of the sensors but realizes it's not consistent with the standard value, the check engine light comes on to notify the driver. When the engine light comes on, whether it stays illuminated continuously or flashes 11 times and stops, it usually gives drivers a hard time with a feeling of panic.

There are several reasons why the engine light flashes and goes off. However, the most severe issue is that your vehicle has developed a problem that should be fixed immediately. You should find a safe place to park and have the Jeep towed to your trustworthy mechanic for diagnosis.

A flashing check engine light can be hazardous to your vehicle, whether it blinks a few times and stops or continues. It could mean your engine has developed a severe misfiring problem, or there's a problem with other critical components of your Jeep.

Here are some reasons why the check engine light may flash 11 times.

• The Catalytic Converter May Be Faulty

If your Jeep were to run without a catalytic converter, you would harm the environment with dangerous emissions such as carbon monoxide. The catalytic converter treats these harmful gases into harmless emissions before they leave the exhaust pipe. When this vital component fails, the computer system of your Jeep will sense a fault in the engine and turn the engine light on in flashing mode.

Although the flashing may stop, it doesn't necessarily mean the problem has gone away. You should have a professional mechanic diagnose your vehicle and fix the bad catalytic converter. The unpleasant part of this story is that it may require a replacement, which is quite costly at around $2,000. The enjoyable part is that Jeep catalytic converters are pretty potent and last over ten years. So there probably is a problem in the wiring system, explaining why the flashing stopped.

• Spark Plugs May Be Dirty or Damaged

Spark plugs are responsible for creating the bolt of electricity required for the combustion that ignites the engine. If the spark plugs are dirty or damaged, or there's a loose connection, the spark produced will not be as potent as required. As a result, you will have a hard time starting your Jeep. You may also experience car jerking when accelerating and suffer bumpy rides caused by vibrations. The engine's efficiency will also be significantly affected.

When the spark plugs malfunction, your Jeep engine light will start to flash, and it may stop after a while. Spark plugs may also malfunction due to damaged connectors or damaged high-voltage wires. The easiest way to eliminate this problem is to replace the spark plugs.

• The Mass Air Flow Sensor May Be Defective

The optimal ratio of air to fuel enables your Jeep to start and run efficiently. If you have a faulty Mass Air Flow Sensor, you will experience symptoms such as the vehicle jerking when you accelerate and check the engine light flashing, then stopping.

The Mass Air Flow Sensor plays a critical role in your Jeep. It measures the flow of air going into the engine and then transmits the signal to the Engine Control Unit to calculate and adjust the required fuel and ignition timing.

If this sensor hasn't been checked for a long time, it may collect dust and dirt, making it impossible to transmit the correct data to the Engine Control Unit. When this happens, it affects the entire system, which causes the engine light to illuminate.

• Your Oxygen Sensor May Be Faulty

There are two possible ways the Oxygen Sensor can fail. The first is if the writing is broken or has a loose connection. The second one is if there is a high ethanol concentration in the gasoline you use, which translates to low-quality fuel.

The Oxygen Sensor measures the oxygen concentration in your Jeep's exhaust gas. It does this to assist the engine in adjusting the fuel injection level appropriately. This appropriation helps maintain a high level of efficiency at the same time complying with emission laws.

If the oxygen sensor isn't working correctly, it causes the engine light to start flashing. It also increases the fuel consumption of your Jeep by up to around 30 percent. When the sensor faults, the information it sends to the ECU will be incorrect, which may affect the combustion process. The engine will draw more fuel than required to compensate for the lost efficiency.

Therefore, the Oxygen Sensor may have failed if the check engine light on your Jeep flashes and sometimes goes away by itself.

To fix this problem, you must replace the Oxygen Sensor as soon as your mechanic confirms it is the cause of the flashing engine light.

• The Gas Cap May Be Open or Loose

This is as simple as it sounds. If the gas cap is open or loose, the check engine light may flash for some time and then go off. The gas cap plays a critical role in keeping fuel vapor from leaking.

When the gas cap is functioning correctly, it enables the fuel in the tank to attain its optimal pressure, and when the sensor measures it, it reports to the ECU that everything is working properly. The sensor reports the opposite when the cap is not well secured, thus the flashing engine light.

In some cases, the gas cap may be well tightened, but the rubber ring around it is scratched, which also affects the fuel tank pressure.

If your engine light is flashing and your scanner points to a faulty gas cap, you must perform a physical inspection of this component. If it indeed is defective, you have to get it fixed immediately.

Why You Should Fix Engine Flashing 11 Times Immediately

Driving with the Check Engine Light flashing could be dangerous to you and the vehicle. In the worst-case scenario, your Jeep may catch fire because of the unburned fuel entering the exhaust system.

Even if the issue is minor, you should fix it immediately before it escalates. The smooth operation of the engine depends on several parts. When one component fails, it could lead to another failing, and the chain goes on until you have the problem rooted out.

If your Jeep suddenly flashes 11 times while on the road, you should park it on the roadside and contact a towing service. If your mechanic is nearby, you can drive to the repair shop at speed not exceeding 25 mph.

Continuous flashing of the engine light indicates a much more severe problem. Your engine may be overheating or experiencing a serious misfiring issue. If this is the case with your Jeep, you must not continue driving as you may cause more problems that could damage the engine ultimately.

Now, find a safe place to park and wait for a towing service to take your Jeep to your service center.

When Your Jeep Engine Light Flashes 11 Times - What to Do?

In any case, if your check engine light flashes 11 times and then stops, you need to use one of the available code scanners to determine the cause of the flashing engine light. Currently, the market is flooded with several types of DTC scanners. You should always have one with you for your Jeep.

If you don't have a scanner, you should drive below 25 mph to the nearest repair shop or service center to scan the vehicle. This service usually is free.

When the engine light flashes 11 times and stops, the cause is one of the abovementioned issues. Your mechanic will know what to do the moment they learn what is causing the warning to come on.

Conclusion

Above are the possible causes of the Jeep engine light flashing 11 times and then stopping. We have also mentioned a few remedies to fix the issues causing the engine light to flash. However, when faced with this issue, the best possible course of action is to take your Jeep to a professional mechanic for diagnosis and repair.