CEL just turned on?
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Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 48
From: LA
Car Info: 2004 Platinum Silver Impreza WRX
CEL just turned on?
I was just driving down wilshire when my CEL lit up...what to do to turn it off? My car is an 04', bone stock...no engine mods whatsoever. Should I take it to a dealership?
Input would be appreciated. Thanks!
Input would be appreciated. Thanks!
VIP Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,646
From: NYC
Car Info: 02 WRX WRB
If it's an 04 definitely take it to a dealer and have them scan it and make any necesssary repairs. There is no way to know what the problem is without having the code read.
In other states you could also go to an Autozone and have them scan it for free, but they no longer do this in CA. If you want you can also ask for help in your local forum, many members have scanners and can read the code for you. However since your car is still new and stock the dealer is your best option.
Whatever you do, do not attempt to reset the ECU and clear the code by disconnecting the battery as this will erase the code from memory and make it impossible to read to determine what happened. Resetting does not fix anything. Also if the problem still exists the CEL will return after a reset anyway.
In other states you could also go to an Autozone and have them scan it for free, but they no longer do this in CA. If you want you can also ask for help in your local forum, many members have scanners and can read the code for you. However since your car is still new and stock the dealer is your best option.
Whatever you do, do not attempt to reset the ECU and clear the code by disconnecting the battery as this will erase the code from memory and make it impossible to read to determine what happened. Resetting does not fix anything. Also if the problem still exists the CEL will return after a reset anyway.
Last edited by Mulder; Jan 23, 2004 at 04:03 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 307
From: Burbank, California
Car Info: 05 CGM FXT STi
if the problem doesnt repeat itself, the CEL will turn off in a few days. I had a misfire in cylinder 1 with a bone stock 03, it came on for 3 days and went off...it never came back. yes, any autozone will scan it and tell you whats wrong, but of course the dealership is the wisest choice...I just hate the hassle of dropping it off and leaving it and dealing with the usual dealership B.S.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 833
From: At the store trading the box of tissue in on some brawny!
Car Info: Platinum 02 WRX, Progress springs,JIC Bullet exhaust , STI shifter, Accessecu, Rota Sub Zero
Many first time CELs are due to improperly tightened fuel cap!
Make sure it gets cranked on there.
if you want you may remove you negative battery cable wait 15 minutes and hook it up again to see if you still get it then do go to the dealer if it shows up again.
But the gas cap is for real, even says so on the cap.
Make sure it gets cranked on there.
if you want you may remove you negative battery cable wait 15 minutes and hook it up again to see if you still get it then do go to the dealer if it shows up again.
But the gas cap is for real, even says so on the cap.
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If your car is bone stock like you said. you should have no excuse what so ever to not go to a dealer to get this checked out. since you havent moded anything yet something could be wrong which the dealer would have to fix since its still under warranty.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,499
From: town / kaneohe
Car Info: gc w/ neons and a wrx that needs neons
since its bone stock and brand spankin new take it back to the dealer and get that checked. even if the CEL goes away the computer retains the information that made the cel come on in the first place.
i thought my CEL was just a loose gas cap, but it turned out to be a broken sparkplug, and a whole lot of mess that made me keep bringing it back to the dealership.
i ended up getting my ECU replaced. now to think if i just shrugged it off, my car would have probably gotten a lot worse.
hopefully it is just something small and not major like my car. which is also a bonestock 04
i thought my CEL was just a loose gas cap, but it turned out to be a broken sparkplug, and a whole lot of mess that made me keep bringing it back to the dealership.
i ended up getting my ECU replaced. now to think if i just shrugged it off, my car would have probably gotten a lot worse.
hopefully it is just something small and not major like my car. which is also a bonestock 04
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