2012 Impreza Sport - Warning lights after snow encounter

[Suzam]

Trying to diagnose my daughter's car from a distance. As the title says, this is a 2012 Impreza Sport.

These warning lights came on last night when she was parking in her neighborhood and slipping around on ice and never went off: vehicle dynamics, check engine, abs, with a flashing “cruise”.
The weather was snow that turned to sleet and freezing rain for a time, so there was a lot of slushy conditions on the main roads and frozen stuff in the neighborhoods.

She did drive to work this morning with them all still on. She says the car seems to drive normally with no strange noises.

I'm wondering if it could this be packed snow, or did possibly pulled something loose underneath if she was in a snow pile?

 

I told her if they were still on afterwork she should try to get to her service shop. They are small but not very Subaru specific but a good general mechanic

IMG_1404.heic

[Numbchux]

1st step is to get the codes read. Most auto parts stores will read this for free. Have her write down the code number, one letter and 4 numbers. The car is trying to tell you what's wrong, trying to make a guess what that might be is wasted effort.

[idosubaru]

1 hour ago, Suzam said:

These warning lights came on last night when she was parking in her neighborhood and slipping around on ice and never went off: vehicle dynamics, check engine, abs, with a flashing “cruise”.

Good information!

Easy - Have her get the check engine light code scanned.  It's free at any national chain - Advance Auto Parts, NAPA, Auto Zone, OReilly...etc.  All of them come right out and scan the code for free for you.  You do nothing, you pay nothing.  

Tell her to write down the code they scan, like P0301 or whatever it is.  We don't want the person's diagnosis or distilled feedback, we want the actual code. 

The check engine issue disables those other systems and causes those other lights - very common.  So you start there - read the check engine light and ignore everything else. 

 

1 hour ago, Suzam said:

I'm wondering if it could this be packed snow, or did possibly pulled something loose underneath if she was in a snow pile?

Maybe.  My guess is all the slush ice snow may have caused local humidity and excessive moisture around ignition components in the engine bay in which case you'd get a "Cylinder misfire code" - P0301...or 2...3...or 4 for which cylinder is problematic.  But there's no point in guessing - read the codes first.

 

[idosubaru]

2 hours ago, Suzam said:

 

I told her if they were still on afterwork she should try to get to her service shop. They are small but not very Subaru specific but a good general mechanic

That'll work - although any national parts store can scan it for free and easier.  With a mechanic - it's taking away from their ability to generate income to ask them to do something that simple that can be done free and easy elsewhere.  I'd rather know the code before I talk to the shop about fixing/repairing. 

[brus brother]

The Check Engine Light is often referred to as the "Money Light"

Get the codes read not erased and then report back here where you will be charged absolutely nothing!

[Suzam]

Follow up: My daughter talked with her mechanic yesterday and he asked her to come in tomorrow when he'll have time to to pull the codes, however this afternoon when she went to go home after work all the lights were now off. Seems it cycled enough to reset itself.

Since she already planned on stopping at the mechanic tomorrow, she still will get the codes to see what it recorded.

She also took the initiative and double checked the gas cap and any wire group plugs and caps she could see under the hood yesterday, but the problem continued for 2 more cycles of starting and driving.. 

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Suzam

[brus brother]

Unless there is a new "pending" code (code pending, waiting for a second hit but no CEL yet), the computer has cleared the old codes and there won't be anything stored.

Props to your daughter for nosing around.

[idosubaru]

1 hour ago, Suzam said:

 Seems it cycled enough to reset itself.

 

No code - that's gotta feel good to at least have some progress already!  Good news!

That means the code no longer exists. It doesn't "reset itself".  If the problem exists, the light stays lit no matter how many "cycles".   It either sees an issue or not - if it does, it triggers the light.  If it doesn't - no light. 

If my guess yesterday was the cause - humidity/wetness - that can evaporate and rectify the causative issue and check engine light. 

1 hour ago, Suzam said:

My daughter talked with her mechanic yesterday and he asked her to come in tomorrow when he'll have time to to pull the codes, however this afternoon when she went to go home after work all the lights were now off.

 

That's one reason I suggested the national chains instead of a shop - they're typically open longer hours, not inconvenienced by it, and the code is the only thing needed.  Mechanic should be able to check memory and see what code was tripped. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by idosubaru

[brus brother]

44 minutes ago, idosubaru said:

Mechanic should be able to check memory and see what code was tripped. 

How long are the codes stored after the ECM resets the CEL. On my $20 top o the line code reader/eraser, once I erase, it doesn't show any stored codes.

[GeneralDisorder]

When you get a bunch of wheel slip the computers will often set wheel speed sensor codes. Happens literally every time we run cars up in the air on a lift. They will clear on their own when it doesn't see the fault for X number of drive cycles.

GD

[Numbchux]

15 hours ago, brus brother said:

How long are the codes stored after the ECM resets the CEL. On my $20 top o the line code reader/eraser, once I erase, it doesn't show any stored codes.

AFAIK, it's different for different cars/codes/readers. But generally, if you manually erase the codes, they're gone.

Sometimes the conditions are met for a code to no longer illuminate the CEL, but it will remain as a pending code for some time.