SWMBO's MY10 SH CEL

Ratbag

Ratbag

Administrator
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
7,473
Location
Bayside, Melbourne, Vic
Car Year
MY06, MY10
Car Model
Forester SG & SH
Transmission
5MT/DR & 4EAT Sports
Gidday Folks

The SH has thrown a CEL - VDC light on; CEL light on; Cruise light on and flashing.

Tried an ECU reset per Kevin's instructions. No dice ... :(.

Goes to Ross tomorrow so that he can read the code/s.

I really must buy an ODBII scanner like the Scangauge II ...
 
You're welcome to borrow mine RB, it's just been rattling around in my glovebox since I bought it for a one-hit error reset.
 
^ Thanks, Dave.

It's the trip to Sydney in a car that's chucking a CEL that's a bit problematic ... :iconwink:.
 
Had all of those lights on as a result of a spark plug issue! I believe you might even find that low brake fluid level will chuck a CEL.
Sydney? Not with you there.
But speaking of places - I work in Hallam if that's any closer.
 
^ Hahaha, Dave.

Now you know the horrible truth! I've only lived in Victoria for 32 years, but that's less than half my life, so I didn't grow up here. This has ramifications ... :iconwink: :lol:.

Anyway, thanks again for the kind offer. I will certainly keep it in mind for the future.
 
Ultraguage/ scangauge much the same. My ultraguage only picked up one cel code p0546 but the proper obd11 scan tool picked up another 4 codes behind it. Food for thought RB.
 
Not suggesting that. Simply stating that both brands of obd11 readers are better than nothing but if a code does come up, RB can go to his mechanic when passing by and see if there are any further codes behind that don't get displayed.
 
^ Ross also tells me that from time to time, CY.

It is very sensible that a professional workshop tool is a tad better than a $150 one ... :iconwink:.

Useful as it would be to have one of one's own. Almost obligatory with modern cars.
 
As well as Scanguage I also have "Torque" for Android and a Bluetooth OBD II adapter. My son gave me the adapter (from China I think) and the Torque app for my (Samsung) phone costs bugger-all. Seems to work OK and would be a cheaper solution than Scanguage etc.
 
Thanks, Kevin. Will look into it when I get a tablet that works properly ... :poke:.

Thanks also to all for your offers of help and thoughts on the subject.

The facts:

Car threw a CEL code when SWMBO was driving it.

I got there. Turned the ignition on - CEL showed; turned it off and on again - CEL vanished.

She drove down the road about 100 m and it came back on again.

We swapped cars, and I drove home.

Cleaned around the fuel filler cap seal.

Reset the ECU following Kevin's procedure (see sticky ... ). Ross told me this morning NOT to do this, as it clears away the code history!

The engine was idling roughly, as it had been since I swapped with SWMBO yesterday. Also not running as smoothly as usual. I gave it a few good squirts in Sports mode ...

Went to Ross this morning. Filled up on the way (about 5 kms from servo to Ross). CEL still on. Parked in his car park.

Drove it around to where he could scan it. CEL still on.

He plugged in his pro Scangauge tool. CEL vanished, with no history at all!

When he re-started the car, the battery failed ...
$145 for a new Bosch battery, fitted.
No charge for the scan. He told me that he will always scan the cars for me, anytime, without charging $70-100 stealership prices - he pronounced this word "dealership", but I knew what he meant ... :iconwink:.

We agreed that a portable scan tool was as necessary for modern cars as a shifting spanner was in the olden days, but could not replace a workshop tool.

He asked if I ever put Ethanol fuel in it. Answer "No". He said that there is nothing wrong with ethanol, just that it mixes chemically with the water in the garage fuel tank, and that water has all sorts of garbage in it that clogs up fuel filters, injectors, etc ... .
He said that Shell has stopped selling ethanol fuels for this reason.

As for the CEL. Perhaps it was a combination of dirty fuel blocking something momentarily; a cactus battery; random misfires occurring as a combination of the two?

Why no codes or history on the scan tool (pro Scangauge)? Who knows? Baffled Ross too.

I can report that since filling the car and fitting the new battery, the engine is running and idling far smoother than it was yesterday and this morning.

Pumping the tyres up from 29 psi to 36 psi hasn't hurt anything, either ... :poke: :iconwink:.
 
Last edited:
Ratbag said:
Reset the ECU following Kevin's procedure (see sticky ... ). Ross told me this morning NOT to do this, as it clears away the code history!.
Click to expand...

Well, that is exactly what it is supposed to do after all :iconwink:


Interesting re ethanol - I've never used it.

Some CELs do "disappear" after a certain number of start cycles.
 
:lol:

Thanks Kevin, I will mention that to Ross. It might not be common to all cars.

It does make sense for the ECU to be able to correct itself if it has a code triggered that is not persistent - e.g. a bit of dirt in the fuel system that clears itself after causing the engine to misfire a few times, or a loose fuel filler cap, and such like.
 
Ran my MY03 on E10 for years and still do occasionally along with mainly 91 and 95. No major problems apart from higher consumption.
Interestingly in Brazil, where fuel ranges from straight petrol to 100% ethanol, road tests of cars quote consumption and power with both types.
Consumption is much much greater, ie twice, with ethanol but developed power is also greater using ethanol.
Comes at a high cost though but ethanol fuel is much cheaper than straight petrol blends.
 
Gidday Kevin

Kevin said:
As well as Scanguage I also have "Torque" for Android and a Bluetooth OBD II adapter. My son gave me the adapter (from China I think) and the Torque app for my (Samsung) phone costs bugger-all. Seems to work OK and would be a cheaper solution than Scanguage etc.
Click to expand...

I am assuming that our MY06 is ODBII compliant, and I need and OBDII + CAN reader for use on it and our MY10 (which I think is CAN). Good of Subaru not to mention these minor details anywhere ...

I am considering this reader from Banggood for AUD$8.66 plus AUD$1.61 airmail postage:

https://www.banggood.com/ELM327-V1_...-Auto-Diagnostic-Scanner-Android-p-75125.html

Here is one torn apart:

https://www.edn.com/design/automotive/4420104/Teardown--OBD-II-Bluetooth-adapter

and the Torque Pro s/w that you recommended here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque&hl=en

for AUD$4.95.

Just a little bit cheaper than any form of hardware device such as Scangauge II or Ultragauge.

Will this work with my GPS unit? Just a thought.

Your thoughts on all this? TIA.
 
^ There wasn't one ...

Ross and I were a bit baffled by this. Thinking about it, I reckon that it was a temporary code thrown by a combination of a dying battery, perhaps a dirty fuel filler cap seal, and possibly some minor dirt in the fuel that caused it to throw a hissy fit for a bit.

As Kevin mentioned, some codes clear themselves after a certain number of restarts. There was also only 6 L of fuel left in the tanks when I filled it. Ross asked me if the fuel gauge was accurate - it isn't - and he said that even this can cause the ECU to throw a code! There are apparently two senders in the SH - one in each tank. Don't know if this is the same with the series II SG or not.

He will check the ECU again next Tuesday when it goes in to have the oil and filter changed. I do not trust that Brighton Holden put the right viscosity or type of oil in it when they last serviced it. Basically they may well have used 0W-20, or not even used a FS oil. Either way, I just don't trust that they did what they said properly!

It will have a RYCO filter and Shell Helix Ultra FS 5W-40 after Tuesday ... :), and my worry nerve will have one less thing to worry about!
 
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