2011 Subaru Forester Check Engine Light

Asked by jessicaeileen11 Aug 10, 2016 at 12:26 PM about the 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5 X Limited

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My gas cap was loose on my 2011 Subaru forester, which I didn't realize
until the check engine, ABV and blinking cruise control light all came on two
days ago in the morning. I tightened the gas cap, but the lights are still
there. I have driven it five times since I tightened the gas cap, filled up the
tank to the top and have almost half a tank of gas left since filling it (I
commute a lot). Is there any harm in disconnecting the batter for a couple
seconds to see if it resets the code? I have seen mixed opinions about this
idea, but I am at a loss. I plan on going to get the code read this afternoon
if it is not off when I leave work. Should the light have turned off by now if it
was the gas cap? Is the code just saved in the memory of the engine and
that's why the lights haven't gone off yet?

5 Answers

103,205

Have you retrieved the code? It may or may not be related to your gas cap. Take it to a parts shop, they'll read the code for free, you can google it or post it here if they don't know what it is. Not all "gas cap" DTCs are attributable to the gas cap, but some other component of the EVAP system.

159,075

Go to a local auto parts store and have them read the codes and reset them. Write the codes down just in case there is an issue. Post them here if necessary. This is usually a free service.

2 people found this helpful.
48,700

Get a nice cheap scanner as you'll use it often over the next years. Disconnecting the battery for a few hours may do the trick, btw, but often a scanner is needed to erase any CEL locked in memory. I like the baby ACTRON for $40, for example.

Thank you both for you answers and help! As I was pulling in to the shop unplanned on getting the code read at, the light turned off, so all's well that ends well!

103,205

The code will still be stored in the computer, with or without the check engine light being on. I'd still get it read. Most CELs clear after one cycle, which is running the engine up to temperature and then off. However some safety related codes won't turn off and some codes require more than one cycle to clear. That might have been your case with the loose gas cap.

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