So I got in my STi yesterday morning and the CEL came on right after I started it up (steady, never flashed). Idle was a little rough but otherwise seemed to be okay. I drove it a few miles and noticed that it did not want to hit boost at all (not that I was trying, but getting up hills seemed be kind of a struggle). Is this considered limp mode or just standard "CEL Mode"? I managed to get the car to AutoZone and have the code read and the OBDII tool spit out the above error. AZ refused to let me borrow the tool so I went next door to O'Reilly's and they were happy to let me borrow the tool. I cleared the code, restarted the car and the CEL went off. I gently drove the car to the gas station to fill up. When I got back in to start the car after filling up, the engine acted like it didn't want to start. I had to hold the key in the start position for 4-5 seconds before it came to life. No CEL but I'm wondering if this wasn't the TPS resetting? It seemed to run fine afterwards. With this code, the first place to look is the gas cap, obviously. Since it had been nearly 250 miles since I filled up last, conventional wisdom would say it wasn't caused by a loose gas cap otherwise it would've come on a long time ago. Plus, I'm kind of OCD when it comes to the gas cap. I always turn it several clicks and make sure it's in place. Of course I double-checked and it seemed tight like always. So what's next? I understand there's some kind of purge solenoid that can stick and cause this code. Forgive my ignorance, but am I correct in assuming the solenoid has nothing to with the intake/turbo and is part of the evap system instead? Just to be on the safe side I went ahead and had the car towed up to Troncalli because of the excellent experience I had with their collision department. I dropped the car off and they called me 2hrs later saying they were finished with it. I spoke with them today and they say they can't find anything wrong with it. They also went on to say that I shouldn't have cleared the code because now they have nothing to go on. I did give them the printout from AZ with the code. Service said they test drove it and it's running fine. I asked twice if they performed a physical leak test but the fellow seemed to be dodging the question. The car is still there, but I have to get it tomorrow and return the loaner. So now I'm concerned that all they did was hook up, saw there were no codes, and then called it good. There's nothing to substantiate this other than hearsay and circumstantial evidence. I really want to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as what I should do? The car is under warranty since it's got 6k miles on it and is a 2014, but that won't do me any good if I can't actually get the problem diagnosed properly and/or fixed. What's worse is I JUST ordered a Cobb AP so now I'm scared to install the damn thing when I get the car back. I don't know enough about the intricacies of the systems in this car to know whether or not this particular "leak", if there is one, could potentially damage my engine. I'm hoping somebody with more knowledge will chime in. Side note: I asked Troncalli about the Cobb AP and the tech did not even hesitate while adamantly saying "That will void your warranty on everything." I know that's not 100% true but it's a good indicator they're not mod friendly at all. P.S. - Sorry for the text wall.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. You just got it back did t you? Where were you hit? My first thought is some part of the evaporative system was damaged in the wreck. I would drive it until either the CEL is triggered again or you can actually smell fuel and try to isolate the source. I would wait for others that are more knowledgeable to chime in, but I do not believe that anything that would trigger this CEL would damage your engine.
Thanks man; it was a front-end collision. See this pic: http://i.imgur.com/N7rfI0K.jpg That was my thinking, I don't think that anything to do with evap system would damage the engine unless there was an extremely lean condition due to a vacuum leak. Just grasping, but yeah...
I'd wait to mod until you are absolutely sure you no longer need your warranty. Don't forget they read these forums too.
Large leak detected.Usually this is from a gas cap off or something probably stuck open.my car always takes a few more seconds to start right after I clear a code.More than likely if there were no codes then they probably said all is good.Always leave the code so they can get any needed info from the freeze frame data.I cannot think of how an evap leak could hurt a car but their might be a way.Not sure about Subarus but a lot of cars are now running evap test when the car has is parked and not when its being driven.That might explain why the light came on right away.Just some thoughts.
When you clear the code it resets the ECU. After you reset the ecu it has to relearn values.....you can search for the proper procedure to start your car after you reset your ecu but from what I remember, you turn the ignition to the on position (do not crank) and let it sit for a few minutes or until you hear all the relays click. Then try to start and it should fire up.
Thanks for the help guys. I got the car back and everything is fine; they ran a physical evap test and everything checked out. Betting it was the solenoid.