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Subaru Legacy/Outback "Check Engine" Light Problems

406 messages,  Last post on Mar 07, 2013 at 11:38 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Wagon

Messages Page 16 of 41

#149 of 406 Check Engine Light Throwing P1502 Code by katielady22

Dec 15, 2009 (10:46 am)

Hi all,
  
I posted this in another thread, but I've got an update and wondered what some of you thought.
  
About 3 weeks ago, my "Check Engine" light came on in my 1997 Subaru Legacy. The day after the light came on, my temperature gauge in the car started slowly climbing, as if the car was overheating after 20 mins of driving. I turned on the heat and the temperature gauge went back to normal. I took it to have the code read, and it threw the P1502 code, which is for a radiator fan function problem. However, the temp. sensor and both the fans are functioning properly. I've checked the fluids, I don't seem to be having any leakage, and I just had the car tested for hydrocarbons in the cooling system and it came back clean.
  
The car is fine on long drives and on the freeway but starts to overheat when I’m idling or in stop-and-go traffic. I was concerned that this might be a head gasket issue, but all the posts I've read about HGs have the car overheating at higher temps. Any thoughts? A friend suggested a flush, so I'm going to try that next. I'm loathe to take it in and rack up $$$ while someone digs around trying to figure out what the issue is.
 
Thanks!

#150 of 406 Re: P0328/P0420 [kks5] by doggrandma

Dec 15, 2009 (3:17 pm)

Replying to: kks5 (Sep 16, 2009 3:26 pm)
Do you live in an area where you have to buy fuel with ethanol? When I stopped using that and went back to "real" gas, our cars are performing much better and getting better gas mileage.
 
Wonder when this ethanol boondoggle will end. Probably not until all our engines are destroyed.

#151 of 406 Re: P0328/P0420 [doggrandma] by xwesx

Dec 15, 2009 (4:56 pm)

Replying to: doggrandma (Dec 15, 2009 3:17 pm)
It's a shame, really. What a waste of corn.

#152 of 406 Re: CEL...2005 Outback XT [cindy47] by bobny57

Dec 26, 2009 (8:52 am)

Replying to: cindy47 (Nov 25, 2009 9:14 am)
Thank you Cindy for the warning about the turbo. My experience after six years and 36,000 miles has been extremely positive and I'm going to hold my subie until it reaches at least 100,000 miles.

#153 of 406 2001 Outback Check Engine Light by birdlandfan45

Dec 27, 2009 (7:46 pm)

This forum has been very enlightening. I have no issue with paying for maintenance but these repeated trips with no resolution and the "deer-in-the-headlights" expressions are getting old. The catalytic convertor was replaced at 105,000 along with the two related sensors. The CEL typically comes back on within three weeks of service. Dealership has checked the codes and reset things 5 or 6 times only to have the CEL illuminate again and again and again. It's been a good car other than this annoying issue.

#154 of 406 Re: P0328/P0420 [doggrandma] by morin2

Dec 28, 2009 (3:01 pm)

Replying to: doggrandma (Dec 15, 2009 3:17 pm)
If you've found one of the few places in the US selling real gas, please post the info on www.pure-gas.org. WI has a fair number of stations selling real gas, followed by 10 stations in AL and 9 in SC. Most states have none, a few have 1 or 2 stations. If the pump is not labelled, you cannot assume that its ethanol-free. Many states do not require pump labelling and you don't know what you're getting unless you test it yourself.

#155 of 406 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 xt turbo check engine light is on after having remo by 4bobby

Dec 28, 2009 (5:23 pm)

2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 xt turbo- check engine light is on and the cruise control light is flashing. Just had a remote starter installed for Christmas-could that have caused this problem? Thanks!!

#156 of 406 Re: P0328/P0420 [morin2] by doggrandma

Dec 28, 2009 (9:14 pm)

Replying to: morin2 (Dec 28, 2009 3:01 pm)
There are so many stations that sell real gas here in Oklahoma, that I could not begin to list all of them, and in College Station, TX, you can't buy gas with ethanol!
 
We have the benefit of living in oil country! Or as they say here "earl".
 
However, in Dallas, you can't find ethanol-free (real!) gas. Supposedly it's due to the air quality, but that is so bogus! Ethanol causes more pollution than real gas does. This has been a con job from the beginning.

#157 of 406 Re: P0328/P0420 [doggrandma] by morin2

Dec 28, 2009 (9:36 pm)

Replying to: doggrandma (Dec 28, 2009 9:14 pm)
Well, now I'm jealous! I can't even get pure gas at a marina here for my boat. There are only 2 stations selling the good stuff in MD and they are 3.5 hours away. If the EPA allows 15% ethanol this summer, I'll be forced to sell my boat to someone who can afford to replace motors more often than I can.
 
Ethanol reduces fuel economy, so the same amount of gas gets burned - there's no decrease in emissions. Further, there is so much demand for corn that its being planted everywhere - including where it should not and heavily fertilized. The fertilizer runs off into our waters, leading to the Chesapeake Bay, already choking on nitrogen. So the feds throw money at removing nitrogen from the Bay, and throw money in the form of subsidies to the ethanol producers, who buy the corn and drive up the prices and hire more lobbyists causing more corn to be planted & more runoff - its ridiculous. Those of us not growing corn or producing ethanol are the big losers.

#158 of 406 check engine light+blinking/dimming lights by kevin97

Dec 29, 2009 (9:20 am)

Check engine light came on (97 Outback 2.5, 201000miles) . I checked oil and trans fluid levels, both were good. As I drive the headlights, actually ALL the lights blink or dim at lower RPM's when I hit the brakes. The lights return to full brightness after a few seconds. I'm not a vehicle tech but I'm thinking alternator or maybe the battery ????
Any thoughts are welcome.

Messages Page 16 of 41

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