1999 Forester - been driving around with diagnostic connectors connected.

[danielzink]

Hey All,

 

1999 Forester.

 

I had a check engine light come on the other day so I stopped by my local FLAPS and had them bring out their reader.

 

After many tries they finally gave up - their reader just would communicate through the OBD plug.

 

I decided to try and pull the codes manually and when I got under my dash I found that the black diagnostic connectors were already connected.

 

No idea how long I've been driving around like that...I've owner the car for about a year and I know *I* didn't connect them.

 

So....2 questions.

 

1. Could this have been why their reader wouldn't connect to the ECU

 

and

 

2. Would driving around with them connected for an extended period of time do any harm (to anything ) ?

 

 

Thanks !

 

[GeneralDisorder]

It shouldn't make any difference. And no it will not hurt anything. 

 

GD

[pstanstill]

I recently bought a 97 legacy L, 2.2, auto , 270K. Runs well but had a noticeable quirk

; if you turned the key on but didn't start it the fans would cycle on and off, on and off. Somewhere on this forum I read that that was a symptom of the diagnostics being connected.  They were ( though mine were green, not black.)  when disconnected, the fans stopped cycling and I haven't noticed any other ill affects

[Mike104]

Some us that have put their heads under the dash and see the two green connectors disconnected think that they must be put together!  A big surprise when you turn the key on!  I guess like the "virgin switch" (switch on top of the steering column to turn the parking lights on) some of us go down that path eventually.