tall_tog Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 HI All , new to here although not new to subarus and i've been hiding in the forester forum for 6 months but just couldn't get on with it so have returned to an outback Anyway - I have the check engine light after a 30 mile drive , stopped at shop, started it back up and the CEL stayed on. I've seen a lot of mention of it being to do with the fuel cap not being tight enough or leaking pressure, is this an urban myth or fact? I've opened it closed and tightened until a good couple of clicks but the light is still on. Car drives totally unaffected Going back to where i bought it tomorrow so they can plug it in and clear the memory then see what happens thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 On some manufacturers if the cap isn't on the evap system won't be working at full efficency so can throw codes, or the carbon canister is saturated (if applicable) the same happens, do you have a Bluetooth dongle ? The generic ones are cheap as are the apps you'd be able to read the code and have some idea of what's coming up before taking it back for the garage to sort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 dont have a dongle , didnt know you could do that , thanks for the heads up on that. will pop to local guy who does my servicing to see if they can read the code today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 What phone are you on Apple or Android ? If android then something like this http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=391225491082&alt=web And search the play store for this, found it to be the best 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart360 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 You still need the generic Bluetooth module to transmit the code. Does the outback have the two wires under the dash to display the blink codes? Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart360 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Some more details would be helpfull :) Engine size, fuel type, type of driving, any issues preceding the CEL? Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 took it to local garage that i use and they plugged it in for me. cat converter bank 1 was the warning code they've reset it and after 20 miles stop start it hasnt come back on yet. Is that the lambda sensor potentially? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 and to reply to the questions - 2.5L gentle driving in very wet conditions on A roads then 15 miles steady 75 on dual carriageway i think it had been sitting for some time before i bought it, would that do it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Drove 5 miles onto motorway , cruise on , cel back on Hate not being able to use cruise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmamba Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 The way I understand it, cat efficiency bank 1 codes can be triggered by a number of causes, most not directly connected to the cat or the lambda sensor. These include; A damaged or failed oxygen sensor (HO2S) Downstream oxygen sensor (HO2S) wiring damaged or connected improperly The engine coolant temperature sensor is not working properly Damaged or leaking exhaust manifold / catalytic converter / silencer / exhaust pipe Retarded spark timing The oxygen sensors in front and behind the converter are reporting too similar readings Leaking fuel injector or high fuel pressure Cylinder misfire Oil contamination Poor fuel quality Vacuum leaks You might want to try a little sleuthing before changing parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Wow that's a scary list I'd read about the fuel quality / vacuum issue but I've run £40 of BP through it There is no noticeable misfire it runs really smoothly Hopefully that's narrowed it down a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart360 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 If you get an OBDII cable or Bluetooth dongle ( easiest) from the bay, and the torque app, Set them up, then look at the lambda setting & fuel settings, then run the car and observe the readings, then clear the CEL using the app. Drive the car again until it fails, then look at the readings, You should see what is returning the error message. If the car has stood, it may be crap on the lamda sensor, or the cat has become contaminated with unburnt fuel. Try a tank of cataclean and see what values are returned. Do you have an exhaust blow at all? that can also upset the fueling / lambda values. Check vacuum lines, if any are perished, they too will have an effect. Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart360 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 One quick Q turbo or NA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tall_tog Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I'll look into dongle and cataclean after new year Thanks for your advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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