LittleStealthSS

OK, so I know this has been talked about before, but I've not been able to find the info...


I was going to work yesterday, and the "Check Gas Cap" notice came across the DIC, and I cleared it.

I forgot about it, and on the way home, it came up again. After I cleared it, about 5 minutes later the CEL came on. I pulled over, shut the car off, and took the cap off and put it back on.

Started the car and the CEL was still on, but the "check gas cap" hasn't come back.

How do I get that to clear, or is this something that the dealer needs to address???

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

sethallen

take it to the dealer, or to autozone to have the code read

CTORANGESC

Did you fill up your car with gas with the car running?

LittleStealthSS

I have never left my car running when filling the car up.

BUT... I will say taht I did put gas in the car yesterday morning before the "check gas cap" came up.


I'll have the code looked at.

sethallen

you could have put bad gas in maybe

Dark-Fx

I've done that several times when it was real cold and windy out. No ill effects. I've never seen check gas cap or thrown a CEL from it.

LittleStealthSS

That's crossed my mind as well, but in all the time I've gone to this station, I've never had this happen.

We'll see. I need to put gas in today when I get home, so we'll see if it does it again.

Mstumpy06

you can take it to the dealer or it will just clear itself after so many times of you starting the car without the problem being there. it was not due to bad gas, just the fact that the gas cap was not seated correctly when you put the cap back on.

LittleStealthSS

Well, I've put gas in again ( not the same place ), and 25 miles after I got gas, the "check gas cap" came back.

The CEL has not gone back off as of yet either. I've put about 250 miles on it since Friday as well.

It's going in for OFL here in the next few days... I'll let them figure it out. Just sucks the warranty is gonzo.

BlwnGP

probably a bad seal on the gas cap. They will rpobably replace the gas cap, clear the code, and the problem will go away.

A "bad gas cap" message will not be triggered by putting bad gas in the car...FWIW.

Halfcent

This is a simple matter.

First, when the message appears on your DIC, twice, stop just clearing it and go make sure your cap is on.

Second, because either your cap was not on all the way, or the cap is bad, it caused a CEL. As soon as that happens, the fault code is stored. The CEL may go away on it's own if the computer no longer senses the fault, but the code is STILL stored in the computer. So even if the CEL goes away, you STILL have to go get the code read and cleared out of the memory.

If the CEL is a bad gas cap, no biggy, you get a new one, and for free under warranty. If it's something else, it would be good to know what it is, dontcha think?

Go get it scanned.

hardtocope

i had a CEL come on the other day but then i went and took my gas cap off and put it back on and then after two car start ups it went away and hasn't been on since.. Is it a big deal if you don't get the code cleared?

LittleStealthSS

Yeah, Believe me... I did check the cap. Each time it's come up.

The car IS going in for OFL this week ( that is if I can get out of work before 6PM for once ) and they will be looking at it then. And the car is WAY WAY WAY out of warranty, so this is coming out of my p[ocket. That's why I asked in the 1st place, so that it wasn't just the tip of the ice-berg and wanted to know that this is a "normal" thing that happens.

1st time ANY car I've had has needed a new gas cap, and I've owned ALOT of cars in the 29 years I've been driving.

Thanks everyone. Feel free to lock this topic, MOD. I've got my answer.

Witt

Brian, pick up a new gas cap at the auto parts store or at the dealer. If you don't make it to the dealer but you find a cap, I'll clear the code for ya next time I see you. Code is probably for a small EVAP leak.

hardtocope

do you have to clear the code if the cel is gone?

Witt

No, it just stays in the car's memory as information. If the light is out, it just shows on a scanner as "mature". You won't fail a state smog check for a mature DTC, only if the code was current.

LittleStealthSS

Thanks man,

I have it going to the dealer on Thursday. They said they might be able to work something out since the car is barely a year old, regardless of miles.... we'll see. PLUS they're doing the OFL that night too.


Work is f-n crazy right now..... I'm here for at least another 2+ hrs.....

New service guy @ teh dealer was shocked when I said I had the car 17 months and have 49K miles on it.

Witt

You lost me at the "OFL" part.

And what dealer?

LittleStealthSS

OFL = Oil, Filter, Lube

Dealer = Kenny Ross ( irwin )

Halfcent

Witt already answered you, but its not at a big deal. Next time you go in for an oil change, have them clear it. Next time you go to Autozone, have them clear it. Next time you see a buddy with a scanner, have them clear it.

Only reason I recommend you get it cleared is if you have another problem and set the CEL off again. Now you have two codes. Which one caused it this time? You don't know, because you didn't get the old code out of there first.

That's a simplification, but its legit.

LittleStealthSS

OK.... well... here we go again.

I got the new gas cap last night & they did the Diagnostic... some EVAP code.....

55 bucks for all that, and everything WAS fine...

Well, now here I am 70 miles later and the "check gas cap" came back up, and BAM... the CEL lit as well..


So I have to take it BACK in today..... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Had a co-worker have the same thing on their Suby ( Legacy ) and they had to have the head gasket replaced. It was leaking internally ( Granted, she had alot more miles than me. ), and it was $1300 to fix.

Not very thrilled. I know that is not to say mine IS that same problem, but I just got that in my head now...

hardtocope

I had a cel a few weeks ago but it went away. So today I had my friend plug in his scanner in my car to try and read the code but it said vehicle passed, no pending codes or something like that.

LittleStealthSS

Well, my car is at the dealer tonight, sitting there for them to look over the CEL issue. The Check Gas Cap code doesn't come up anymore, but the CEL is still on. So they're going to scan and make sure it's all gone and just needs cleared...

PLUS.. my other post about my door not opening.

jeremie

ok, the evap code youre getting is probably a small evap leak, i forget the p0 number, but im positive thats what it is. this can be caused by

A. a loose gas cap. whenever you fill up you need to turn the cap until it clicks 3 times or more. or

B. a small leak anywhere in the evap system. this could be a pin hole in the filler neck, a leaking seal around the fuel pump, ect. sometimes theyre almost unnoticible. your dealer should have a machine that will pump smoke through the evap system to find the leak. if they dont have it find a dealer who does.

i've never seen a head gasket cause this problem (on a general motors product).

try to find out what code was causing your check engine light to set and let us all know

LittleStealthSS

Yeah, in all the years I've been driving ( ALOT... nearly 20 behind the wheel now ), I've never had a check engine light come on, nor ever have to change a gas cap.

So... they already did the smoke test, and that's what they said.. teh gas cap.

The CEL is getting cleared today and as long as no other codes pop up, we're good.