my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
to be an expensive service trip?
Thanks

dfeary@verizon.net wrote:
> my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
> check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
> I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
> Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
> to be an expensive service trip?
> Thanks

Best thing to do in case of any CEL is to pull the code. You can get it
done at an auto parts store (i.e. Autozone) for free. Make sure you ask
them for, and write down the code, because sometimes they will read it
and tell you a generic meaning which can be misleading.

Once you have the code you'll know what the problem is... there are a
few common ones that happen on most Subaru's eventually.

Hi dfeary!
On 15 Aug 2006 06:19:45 -0700, dfeary@verizon.net wrote:

>my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
>check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
>I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
>Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
>to be an expensive service trip?
>Thanks


Mmmmm, you're not gonna like what I'm about to tell you, BUT . . .

My sister was in a depressingly familiar sounding fix recently; CEL
immediately following a visit to a local service shop for a routine
oil change on her '96 Legacy.

I borrowed an OBDC reader from a friend, and when plugged in, it spit
out a "cam sensor" fault. Further investigation found that the plug on
top of the cam sensor was loose (as in just sitting on the sensor, not
"clicked" into place). Odd, because I was the last person to service
the engine, and while it is entirely possible that I might not have
gotten the connector all of the way on, it seems highly unlikely that
the car would have traveled over 10K miles of bumps and ruts without
it triggering a CEL if I had done so. Added to the fact that the cam
sensor is readily accessible on the top of the engine, and you begin
to see where I'm going with this. (Novel way to drum up service
business, and an easy fix, too!)

FWIW, emissions testing involves putting a probe in the exhaust, a
magnetic pickup near a plug wire, and running the engine up to a
certain RPM while monitoring the exhaust gas, nothing more, and
absolutely nothing that would cause a CEL to magically appear.

But then I have a nasty, suspicious mind . . .

Check any accessible electrical connections (Cam sensor, crank sensor,
knock sensor, O2 sensor, TPS, temperature senders, etc) to be sure
they are good, disconnect the battery for a couple minutes to clear
the CEL, and see if that doesn't help. If the CEL persists, it is just
possible that something failed simultaneously to the emissions test
being performed. Possible, but unlikely :-P

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

Get a OBC reader, or have the code read, and then ask your favorite
Subaru mechanic what the chances are that they can fix the problem. I
had an evaporator emissions control fault that my mechanic said I would
have to have the dealer diagnose with a smoke machine. Of course, once
your car has failed the emissions test, then you have to get the thing
fixed as quickly as possible during whatever grace period you're
allowed. Or, did the car pass and the light came on afterwards? There
should have been some failure report if the light had come on during the
test.

Good luck,

Bill


> Hi dfeary!
> On 15 Aug 2006 06:19:45 -0700, dfeary@verizon.net wrote:
>
>> my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
>> check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
>> I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
>> Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
>> to be an expensive service trip?
>> Thanks
>

dfeary@verizon.net wrote:

> my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
> check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
> I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
> Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
> to be an expensive service trip?
> Thanks
>
In some states, they somtimes check other stuff visually, and MAYBE the
gas cap was removed to inspect the size of the opening in the neck of
the filler tube. If done with the engine running, it can trigger an Evap
system code. Personally, I's probably look around a little, click the
gas cap around a dozen times, disconnect the neg. battery term. ,step on
the brake pedal, reconn, the batt. after 30 minutes or so, and see if
the CEL comes back on fairly immediately. If not, just drive the car and
forget it. If it it does return - get the code read.

I dunno


Carl


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

dfeary@verizon.net wrote:
> my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
> check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
> I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
> Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
> to be an expensive service trip?
> Thanks

Thanks to all who responded - - - the CEL magically disappeared exactly
24 hours after it came on !! I'm really still no wiser...

And to answer Bill's question - the vehicle passed the inspection,
despite the CEL being on.

test, ignore. (sorry)
<dfeary@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:1155732613.610411.80900@i42g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> dfeary@verizon.net wrote:
> > my 2001 Outback went through DC DMV vehicle test yesterday, and the
> > check engine light was off when it went in and on when it came out -
> > I'm assuming that it has something to do with the emissions testing?
> > Anyone know whether it is likely to go off on its own, or is this going
> > to be an expensive service trip?
> > Thanks
>
> Thanks to all who responded - - - the CEL magically disappeared exactly
> 24 hours after it came on !! I'm really still no wiser...
>
> And to answer Bill's question - the vehicle passed the inspection,
> despite the CEL being on.
>