What Is Limp Home Mode?
You’ve started up your car, but something isn’t right — its power has been significantly reduced. That most likely means your vehicle is in “limp home mode,” a feature that designed to help you stay mobile, but also mitigate impending powertrain damage by limiting speed, RPMs, and gear changes. Here’s a look at the basics of dealing with your vehicle when it goes into limp home mode.
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What to do when your vehicle is in limp home mode
While limp home mode is considered a safety feature, if it activates at an inconvenient time, it can leave you virtually stranded or in danger. If you happen to be near a repair shop, take your car there as soon as possible. If you need to change lanes or turn, be aware that your vehicle’s speed and maneuverability has been significantly hampered. Also, consider checking on your vehicle’s temperature gauge — if it’s getting too high before you can reach your home or repair shop, pull over before engine damage occurs. If you’re on a highway or busy road, it’s best to pull over, since a significantly slowed vehicle can become a traffic hazard.
Issues that can trigger limp home mode
A variety of issues can cause limp home mode to activate. It can happen suddenly, particularly if your vehicle detects an issue with its throttle body. Other times, you’ll have a bit more warning — such as the check engine light switching on. Here are some other common symptoms to look out for.
- Transmission trouble — limp home mode can activate to lock it into a certain low gear.
- Turbulent idling
- Black exhaust
- Stalling while idling
- Engine misfires
- Engine overheating/cooling system malfunction
- Sensor malfunctions — it’s entirely possible that a sensor could be misinterpreting data. Have this checked out by a trained technician
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Getting your vehicle back to normal
Much like when dealing with other electronic issues, it’s worth a shot to simply turn your vehicle off and on to see if it clears any computer malfunctions or sensor misinterpretations. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to take it to a technician. An expert can read the error codes from your vehicle’s sensors and make an accurate diagnosis. That said, it’s best to get your vehicle serviced as soon as possible. While limp home mode is designed to prevent further damage, it’s far from a good state to leave your car in. Try to have the issue fixed before permanent damage occurs.
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Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.