Caoimhin Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 1999 Forester -- the CEL has been on for months. I know, I need to find the problem it's referring to (no autozone within a 100 miles), but I need it to go off for a least a few hours. Pulled the battery cables for an hour, and it comes right back on. Is there a fuse I could pull, or some way to temporarily make it go away? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 Well, you could take the bulb out. But they probably check that it comes on before starting it and won't pass it if it always off. It's likely to be the O2 sensor, if the car is still running fine. Is it seriously 100 miles to the nearest auto place? I didn't think Maine was that big. You can get your own OBDII reader for about $120, and reset it yourself. Don't know how long it'll stay off if the problem is still there though. Another thought -- does this car automatically turn the CEL on at a certain mileage to make you go in for scheduled maintenance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caoimhin Posted December 20, 2005 Author Share Posted December 20, 2005 Well, you could take the bulb out. But they probably check that it comes on before starting it and won't pass it if it always off. It's likely to be the O2 sensor, if the car is still running fine. Is it seriously 100 miles to the nearest auto place? I didn't think Maine was that big. You can get your own OBDII reader for about $120, and reset it yourself. Don't know how long it'll stay off if the problem is still there though. Another thought -- does this car automatically turn the CEL on at a certain mileage to make you go in for scheduled maintenance? Taking the bulb out sounds like major surgery. Any links to a "how to"? I'm up in Piscataquis County, and the nearest Autozone is in Belfast. Maine's not that big compared to Western states, but it's very large compared to the rest of New England. I wouldn't doubt that the light is to force me to go see the dealer for some scheduled service. I'm hoping (of course) to get out of this without paying an arm or a leg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 The problem is not that they check for the bulb (they do), but that they also check for codes. They will find them if the CEL is on, whether the bulb is in or not. It is less than $120 in gas to go to Belfast to get the codes checked. If the light is not going out, you have a problem that the ECU is not happy with, and is not going away. You need to fix this before it becomes a bigger problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 1999 Forester -- the CEL has been on for months. I know, I need to find the problem it's referring to (no autozone within a 100 miles), but I need it to go off for a least a few hours. Pulled the battery cables for an hour, and it comes right back on. Is there a fuse I could pull, or some way to temporarily make it go away? Thanks! well, the best way to make it "temporarily" go out and get it off your mind is some black electrical tape. other than that, it's not gonna go out until the problem is fixed and the codes are cleared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 1999 Forester -- the CEL has been on for months. I know, I need to find the problem it's referring to (no autozone within a 100 miles), but I need it to go off for a least a few hours. First, make sure the gas tank cap and neck aren't damaged, and that you're tightening the cap fully (several "clicks"). Something as simple as an air leak there can cause the CEL to come on. If the cap is only loose, it will still probably take several ignition on/off cycles for it to reset unless a scanner is used. Even a partially plugged air filter or a slight vacuum leak can throw things off enough. I've recently heard that some MAF sensors from around MY99 may be bad, and that there is a recall for them. That could certainly cause a code to be set. Perhaps you should get your VIN, and call either the dealer or Subaru's toll-free national number and ask if yours is in that group. Since you didn't give any details (mileage, recent service, etc), it's hard to make further suggestions. Besides the CEL, anything else noticable? --OB99W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 They seriously pull the codes when they do the inspection??? I never realized how easy our inspections here in Colorado are. No roadworthy inspections at all, and only a dynamometer run, gas cap check, and make sure the CEL isn't on, for the emissions. The problem is not that they check for the bulb (they do), but that they also check for codes. They will find them if the CEL is on, whether the bulb is in or not. It is less than $120 in gas to go to Belfast to get the codes checked. If the light is not going out, you have a problem that the ECU is not happy with, and is not going away. You need to fix this before it becomes a bigger problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 They seriously pull the codes when they do the inspection??? Here in New York State, they go a bit further. To quote the DMV: "For NYVIP inspection, the NYS-licensed inspection station uses new equipment to monitor the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) of your vehicle. The station uses the new equipment, a modem, and a dedicated telephone line to report the inspection results to the DMV. The dedicated telephone line must be an analog telephone line; it cannot be a digital telephone line." I suppose that's just in case the problem is intermittent, or someone "accidentally" rigged the CEL. We probably have a bit more pollution than you do in Colorado, or maybe some of yours just blows over here; like Denver, perhaps there's an advantage to being "a mile high" . --OB99W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 Here in New York State, they go a bit further. To quote the DMV: "For NYVIP inspection, the NYS-licensed inspection station uses new equipment to monitor the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) of your vehicle. The station uses the new equipment, a modem, and a dedicated telephone line to report the inspection results to the DMV. The dedicated telephone line must be an analog telephone line; it cannot be a digital telephone line." I suppose that's just in case the problem is intermittent, or someone "accidentally" rigged the CEL. We probably have a bit more pollution than you do in Colorado, or maybe some of yours just blows over here; like Denver, perhaps there's an advantage to being "a mile high" . --OB99W NY, like several urban areas, have gone to a CA emission standard, to reduce the concentration of polutants in these areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 Here in New York State, they go a bit further. To quote the DMV: "For NYVIP inspection, the NYS-licensed inspection station uses new equipment to monitor the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) of your vehicle. The station uses the new equipment, a modem, and a dedicated telephone line to report the inspection results to the DMV. The dedicated telephone line must be an analog telephone line; it cannot be a digital telephone line." I suppose that's just in case the problem is intermittent, or someone "accidentally" rigged the CEL. We probably have a bit more pollution than you do in Colorado, or maybe some of yours just blows over here; like Denver, perhaps there's an advantage to being "a mile high" . --OB99W Well, we do have pretty bad pollution in Denver (brown haze over the entire city till the wind comes and blows it into Kansas), but I think we have a much lower population density. The whole denver metro area is 2.4 million, and new reports this morning were talking about 7 million people just trying to get to work in NYC with the transit strike. We also have a few coal fired power plants helping create smog for us, but so to you, upwind in Ohio and such. We also have a retarded state government, that almost eliminated the entire emissions testing program entirely this fall, because it cost too much. Yeah it's a hassle, but without it, we'd have even dirtier air than we do now... Rocky Mountain National Park already doesn't meet air quaility standars in the summer because of the car exhaust coming up from denver. What about pre-OBDII cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 They seriously pull the codes when they do the inspection??? I never realized how easy our inspections here in Colorado are. No roadworthy inspections at all, and only a dynamometer run, gas cap check, and make sure the CEL isn't on, for the emissions. Gee i would feel better if you had a roadworthy inspection. ild like to know the car coming up behind me at a red light has brakes. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinC Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 WOW!!!! Here in indiana I just pay $28 dollars a year for plates and registration. Anyway how about the purge solenoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 1999 Forester -- the CEL has been on for months. I know, I need to find the problem it's referring to (no autozone within a 100 miles), but I need it to go off for a least a few hours. Pulled the battery cables for an hour, and it comes right back on. Is there a fuse I could pull, or some way to temporarily make it go away? Thanks! How many miles are on this car. Do you have any drivability issues When was the last time the car had a tuneup or a timing belt changed You can get a code reader off ebay and use that. They may scan for codes now when they do an emissions inspection, weather or not they use that information or not is up to the individual state. nipper nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 Gee i would feel better if you had a roadworthy inspection. ild like to know the car coming up behind me at a red light has brakes. nipper Yeah, yeah... be advised that no one here in CO uses turn signals either (or maybe they're just all burned out). WOW!!!! Here in indiana I just pay $28 dollars a year for plates and registration. Anyway how about the purge solenoid. That's like rural colorado and washington. Don't even need to see the vehical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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