Check Engine Light Issue?

Alright, so I was driving around this morning when my check engine light came on and the cruise control light begin flashing on and off. A little background on the car, I got it over 6 months ago, have done all the maintenance as needed, it is a 2005 legacy gt wagon, it has an sti factory up pipe and I believe the downpipe is indiva catted bellmouth and an infamous tune. I'm just curious if this is something usual that someone might know what is going on, or am I going to need to take it to a deal for a diagnosis of the issue? Thanks in advance!

take it to a auto parts store they will scan it for free other then that can't help ya light could be many things

 

Sent from my mind using my fingers

To even begin helping you we need to know what the CEL is for. Go get the code and report back.

Alright, thanks. Took the car into the local dealer. I will be hearing back from them tomorrow, so we'll see what they say for the code.

Why did you go through all that hassle, any auto parts store would read the code for free in about 3 minutes. And tell you what's wrong, oh did I say for free.

 

They won't even hassle you if you don't buy anything.

 

Most of us could have told you how to fix it if we knew the code. Oh yea, again for FREE.

 

I even think there are two good Subaru shops in your town that were mentioned here the other day.

Every owner of a modified car should own one of these or the likes, IMO

 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947049000P?prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

Check to make sure the gas cap is tight.

Why did you go through all that hassle, any auto parts store would read the code for free in about 3 minutes. And tell you what's wrong, oh did I say for free.

 

They won't even hassle you if you don't buy anything.

 

Most of us could have told you how to fix it if we knew the code. Oh yea, again for FREE.

 

I even think there are two good Subaru shops in your town that were mentioned here the other day.

 

I know... I didn't want to fork out the money to take it to the dealership, and I stopped by the nearest autoshop and they said the couldn't for whatever reason. And I already had an appointment at carter subaru, so my dad just encouraged me to take it there... Won't do anything though until I learn what code it's throwing up.

Alright, so the dealership is telling me they ran their usual diagnostic test and it's "complex result" and they're not exacty sure what is wrong, so they are running a second test currently and said they need some more time. Could the tune being throwing it off or is something I should mention to them? I'm sure they would have noticed the aftermarket up and down pipe.

Im both alarmed for OP and amused.

I don't know if either of those are good things?

Yea that's what Subaru does. If your check engine light comes on, it disengages the cruse control. Freaked me out the first time it happend!

I don't think they are either.

 

I am NOT for modding your car, beating the crap out of it and then blaming Subaru when something goes wrong (not that you did but some owners do). I am aware that some dealerships will immediately point to mods and make some outlandish excuse as to why your DP and tune have damaged your wheel bearings for instance (they are called a STEALership for a reason). How do you find a balance? I guess I would much rather have seen you find out what was wrong with your car and make an informed decision. Now you are at the mercy of the STEALership.

 

Hope it turns out cheap!

Yeah, unfortunately I bought the car with the parts and tune already installed, so I'm really just going based of of what the previous owner said. Haven't driven it hard, other than playfully here and there. Car still boosted fine, I could hear the turbo wind up and such, so it shouldn't be that. I didn't really want to take it to the dealership, but being 18 and slammed with school, work, and other activities I was pretty short of time. In hindsight I certainly would have delt with it differently, I just hope the dealership isn't going to gouge me... Last I spoke they said they were running the second test and checking some certain sensors. Luckily my family has bought a few subarus from this dealership and serviced our cars their for quite awhile, so we know a few people there, I hope they're reasonable...

If the car has been running fine and then all of a sudden the CEL light comes on it is not the tune. The "tune" does not change, something mechanical or electrical has happened. I find it funny that no one with a stock car that throws a CEL asks if they should reflash the factory hex, but if there is a tune they always want to know if that is the problem. I would be very interested in what a complex result is. You should have got some code, i dunno how that would be complex. Tell us more..

Double post...

The car has been running fine for the last six months I've owned it. I wasn't saying the tune caused the physical problem, I was wondering if it may have bine causing any difficulty in simply diagnosing the problem. As for the complex issue, that is word for word what they told me, and that they were needed to do a second test to check some sensors. He said there was a 15 or so page readout after the diagnostic. I was also told that the mechanic said it was a tough one, whatever that means... I'll probably go up there and ask what sort of codes they are getting.

See if you can talk to the tech working on your car. Unfortunately 99% of the time you get stuck talking to the service writer. Service writers are salesman not technicians. Some have technical knowledge but a lot of them have little to none.

 

I work at a dealership and I've heard first hand the bulls**t service writers feed people. They literally make stuff up sometimes. If you want the real scoop talk to the tech. GL

Alright, well after talking to the dealership today. They ran their supposedly second diagnostic test and the front fuel sensor needs to be replaced. So I'm at $110 for the first test, and additional $110 for the second, which I talked down from $165, and now they are telling me $330 on top of the $220 to replace the sensor and I won't get my car back until monday, maybe tuesday... Has anyone had any experience with the front fuel sensor going bad?

Are they talking about the sensor that tells you when the fuel is full or empty? LoL? One of these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Subaru-OEM-Air-Fuel-Ratio-Sensor-A-F-2005-2007-Legacy-GT-EJ255-2-5L-NEW-/330622117770#vi-content

 

$165 for a diag. fee plus $330 for a sensor install kind of sucks. I am guessing they had to order the part. I wouls ask why it was so "hard" to figure out there was a bad sensor. It may have been, it just seems odd that something like that would stump the mechanic. Hope it all works out!

You should know that these cars have a self test mode and they would tell you all the codes that are wrong. You just need to connect two white connectors located to the right of the fuse compartment below the steering column, then open the ignition and while the needles on your cluster are sweeping hit the trip button. You'll get p and c codes

There are threads about it here. You would have saved yourself 200 bills

Nope, from the conversation I had with the service people, it's a sensor which is part of the exhaust system, it's called the front air fuel ratio sensor and checks the exhaust and tells the engine how much air to mix in and such, is what I was told. I was kind of baffled by the fact that the mechanics took so long to diagnose the issue as well and unfortunately it turned out to be a good ammount of money. But definitely a learning lesson, I'm 18 and trying to learn as much about the car as I can as I go, this one I just wasn't sure and wanted to be safe. Thanks ranger for the info, will definitely be helpful in the future!

I am constantly amazed by how willing people are to pay dealerships outrageous money to tell them stuff that any decent local mechanic could have, for a fraction of the price. Just because they're a dealership doesn't mean they know dick about your car. All it means is that Subaru lets them sell their cars.

 

My advice: find a local shop with a good reputation and start a relationship there. $300+ for an oxygen sensor is sickening; $110 per "diagnostic test" is even more so.

 

Hopefully the trouble code wasn't an unresponsive sensor or something so straightforward. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, it could have been a lean code or something that actually required investigation

 

/rant

Front A/F ratio sensor = front O2 sensor.