Arty Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 My car throws the P1041 code. I've read every thread on this site relating to said code, and I can't seem to find an consistency in terms of an answer to my question- Can this issue be making a dramatic difference in MPG? Because recently, I've gone from getting 300+ miles per tank down to about 175. The CEL has been on all along, and nothing else has really changed. I'm confused. If it won't make a difference, I guess it's fine to just let it go? Also... I'm beginning to wonder if maybe something is wrong with my fuel gauge. It's always shown being completely empty at around 260 mile, then the light didn't come on until 300, but now the gauge is already at half by 100 miles, light on at 175. Once it gets to the quarter mark, it just drops all the way down to completely empty while there is obviously still gas in there. Could these two things at all be related? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Just FYI, Subarus are notorious for faulty fuel tank senders (there are two). Only way to check your actual mpg is to keep track of your miles from the last fill-up and divide by gallons to fill-up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arty Posted September 27, 2010 Author Share Posted September 27, 2010 Just FYI, Subarus are notorious for faulty fuel tank senders (there are two). Only way to check your actual mpg is to keep track of your miles from the last fill-up and divide by gallons to fill-up again. is there any good fix for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 You can pull the pump/sender units from the two sides of the tank and clean the slider contacts. I did it years ago (but it didn't really fix the problem!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 I can't find a definition for P1041. P0141 (in case that was a typo) is the heater circuit for the O2 sensor which could affect mileage significantly if you only make short trips. There are some other things that can affect fuel mileage. A faulty coolant temp sensor for example, but people usually encounter driveability issues when those go bad. What year, engine, and mileage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arty Posted September 27, 2010 Author Share Posted September 27, 2010 I can't find a definition for P1041. P0141 (in case that was a typo) is the heater circuit for the O2 sensor which could affect mileage significantly if you only make short trips. There are some other things that can affect fuel mileage. A faulty coolant temp sensor for example, but people usually encounter driveability issues when those go bad. What year, engine, and mileage? I've got a 95 legacy outback, 2.2 ~184,000 miles. i replaced the ects and sender a while back and that fixed a number of issues. there just seems to be a stronger smell of gas when i first start my car now. but you're right, it was the o2 sensor code, i mistyped it. just about every time i drive, i drive a short distance. if this thing is killing my mileage, i guess it should be replaced. i read that it's ok to buy after market for the rear o2 sensor. is this true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Rear sensor... That shouldn't affect mileage at all. A failing front sensor may be to blame for the mileage drop. The rear sensor is just a monitor and doesn't have any dealing with fuel consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstone Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Possible Solutions * Replace oxygen sensor (cannot repair open or short that occurs internally to sensor) * Repair short or open or high resistance in wiring harness or harness connectors http://www.obd-codes.com/P0141 This seems to perfectly sum up your issues. Go get an OE O2 sensor and replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arty Posted September 28, 2010 Author Share Posted September 28, 2010 Rear sensor... That shouldn't affect mileage at all. A failing front sensor may be to blame for the mileage drop. The rear sensor is just a monitor and doesn't have any dealing with fuel consumption. The front sensor is new-ish. But the guy who had the car before me never put OEM parts in it, so I've spent a decent amount of time fixing the problems after market parts have caused. I wonder if there may actually be an issue with the front sensor being some cheap piece of garbage? Because if I'm not mistaken, SUbarus naturally hate non OEM electric parts, right? Oh, but that code is the only one being thrown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Sometimes the ECU doesn't pick up on a bad o2 sensor right away. I the sensor is still responding in an expected manner the ECU will just adjust the fuel trim and go with it. The sensor output has to be out of spec or the frequency of change in the output has to be below a certain threshold before the ECU knows there is a problem. The heater circuit code may indicate there is a short or broken wire going to the rear O2 sensor, or that the heater itself has burned out. Either way it's not a huge deal. The sensor will still work normally once it reaches operating temperature. The heater is just there to hasten warming of the sensor so it produces a signal sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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