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Re: CEL after gas cap left off Posted by sam96CS [Email]  (#852) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from sam96CS) on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:39:11
In Reply to: Re: CEL after gas cap left off, saabit9000, Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:12:30 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Yes, the CEL will be cleared automatically by the car's computer. The OBDII computer stores not just the trouble code but also the driving conditions (speed, engine load, etc.) at the time the trouble code was generated. For fuel system errors (driving without a gas cap causes a fuel system error), the computer will wait until there is no trouble during three trips in which the driving conditions are duplicated.
You can bypass the 3 trips by disconnecting the battery (disconnect the negative terminal and leave it disconnected for 5-10 minutes). But there are several problems with doing this. First there is the risk of injury (however remote it may be) while working on the battery. Second there is the slight chance that your CEL has remained on due to some condition other than driving without the gas cap. Third, disconnecting will erase pending codes that are signs of trouble that aren't elevated enough yet to cause the OBDII computer to turn on the CEL. Pending codes could be useful to you or your mechanic. Fourth, If your 9000 is like mine, then disconnecting the battery also makes the car "forget" how to idle smoothly. It relearns automatically and fairly quickly, but until then it is prone to stalling at red lights.
Most auto parts stores have free loaner OBDII scanners that read the codes and can turn them off. OBDII scanners can be bought for $100 or less and will work on just about any 1996 or later model car sold in the USA. Most of them give you the option of turning off the trouble code. The Equus 3100a (made by Innova Electronics Corp. and available for under $100 at Amazon) comes with an excellent manual that explains how OBDII systems work. I got one for Father's Day but haven't played with it yet. With your own scanner you can diagnose problems and either fix them yourself or tell your mechanic very specifically what to troubleshoot.
Glad you're loving your 9000!
posted by 71.75.23...
, Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:24:09, Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:39:11 <-- Viewing This Message
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