2002 Forester Check Engine Light

[lorimansell]

Check engine light on and off all the time. Have performed all recommended maintenance. Had O2 sensor replaced, it was faulty, dealer put in another. Now stuck with same problem. I am so tired of this. Go to auto repair shops and they say new gas cap, fuel injector, O2 censor, knock sensor, possible vapor leak, catalytic converter. My car has 132,000 miles so can't get emissions stuff done under warranty. What the hell is going on with check engine lights in Foresters? I can't get my vehicle inspection approved with the check engine light on. I have MS & support a family so like most of us don't have tons of money to spend on a car I have taken very good care of. Can the dealer reset the light long enough for me to get an inspection sticker until I have enough money for repairs? And how do I know for sure exactly what repairs are necessary or not?

[idosubaru]

we can help - here is what we need - what code is the CEL giving? advanced auto parts, Autozone, and other autoparts stores will check and clear the code for you FREE. or go to subaru and pay them $50-$80 to tell you. don't fix or replace anything, just let us know what the code is.

 

given your mileage the most common CEL would be a cylinder misfire code - which is usually just spark plugs and wires. the wires have to be Subaru wires on this engine and the plugs need to be the original NGK plugs (same plugs available at Subaru for $40 or your local auto parts store for $8).

 

yes you can clear the CEL long enough to have the emissions tested, done that myself before. some of the above stores...autozone and advanced

 

i'd avoid the dealer if you can, way overpriced and service isn't there (usually, there are some odd apples that are good).

[porcupine73]

Hi lorimansell. Sorry to hear about the check engine light (CEL) problem. Yes the first thing is we need to know what code(s) are being read, such as P0420. That is the first step. Even if the light is not on when you go to autozone some codes they can read out of the history.

 

If you reset the CEL/MIL (malfunction indicator lamp), you most likely will not pass an emissions inspection. Resetting the lamp resets all the emissions inspection monitors (I/M's) to 'not ready'. They must be 'ready' to pass an ODBII emissions inspection. It takes several drive cycles and miles of driving to get it to do all the tests/etc it needs to do to set those to 'ready' and so the CEL/MIL may come back on before that is complete.

 

Also you really need a scantool to know when the monitor's have went to 'ready'; if you go for the inspection and they're not 'ready' it will fail the test.

[idosubaru]

If you reset the CEL/MIL (malfunction indicator lamp), you most likely will not pass an emissions inspection.

hey, don't scare someone from a perfectly good possibility! this person probably doesn't know much about cars. i've done it and it does work. by "clearing the codes" i assume she doesn't own an OBDII scantool and will have it done somewhere else - that means she has to drive to the emissions testing station...getting past whatever mode you speak of. i've actually done this before and it works. so long as the CEL doesn't come back on before you get to the station you're golden.

[porcupine73]

Ok well it can be worth a shot. The worst that can happen is they tell you it can't pass because the readiness monitors aren't set. In some areas actually if that's the only problem you can get an inspection extension.

 

I guess it depends on what exactly your area's emissions inspection covers. I know here in NY all the relevant I/M's have to be set. '02 is going to be enhanced evap. In my experience the code that takes the longest to set is the evap I/M because of the pressure/integrity test, so the fuel tank has to have less than 9.6 gallons fuel or something, fuel temp has to be a certain thing, etc. for the ECU to run the test and set the evap monitor to ready.

 

Oh yes one exception is many '96 soobs. They reset all the I/M's to not ready every time the vehicle is turned off, so they are exempted from the I/M readiness requirement.

[jon38iowa]

Dear New Member:

This board is great and don't know what I would out them. I have one thing to say about these Foresters: Keep money in your bank for regular repairs.

My receipt folder is now three inches thick! At least every three months something or some sensor goes bad. But, it is still cheaper then buying new.

I love my Forester, however, it is far more complicated then any Subaru from the 80's and it is much, much more expensive to fix.

[porcupine73]

Here's some info about how to get the emissions I/M's to set to ready after clearing codes or replacing battery, etc: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6301

[Cougar]

We may be able to help you further with this trouble but we really need to know all the codes that are being set. If you don't know what they are you can have them read out at a place like Autozone. Once we know what codes are being set we can offer more specific help.

 

I also agree with Porcupine73 about trying to reset the ECU before going in for a IM test. You will most likely be shut down due to not enough monitors being set.