fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Had a search on the site and read a few things but just want to see if this really is looking expensive or not!

Been away in Cyprus for a week, brilliantly left car at parents place in Rotherham... yes the place that has been on the telly under water the past week while i was experiencing 45 degrees in the shade.

Didn't actually end up under water but obviously had a lot tipped on it while it was sat outside for the week.

When i went to start her up the starter was very slow - dodgy battery thinks i.

Anyway,

had to go get some petrol before the garage shut so took it literally two miles up the road to esso.

On attempted re-start the first turn of the key produced a high pitched 'beep' (best description i can think of) but next attempt produced the same slow start (understandable given engine had only been run for a couple of minutes.)

Pulled up back outside the house with the idea of leaving her to idel a bit to charge up and all of a suddent the idle shot up to 2k and the engine emissions light came on.

revs then bounced between 1k and 1.5k before settleing just under the 1k

The light is still on after the long run home and a couple of stops so i guess the three strike rule to make it go away seems like it might be out and there really is a problem.

Given the fact the car was just stood and is currently driving fine (albeit with the warning light on) the only difference seems to be a 500rpm idle speed.

Any ideas before i give a kidney to subaru?

5t.

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

Check the fault codes if any (www.scoobypedia.co.uk on how to check them on a classic).

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Bah! Newage i'm afraid.

help welcome!

5t.

hades

The light won't reset after "3 strikes", more like 10-20 restarts from my experience. It's also not an emissions light, it's a "Check Engine Light", which is telliing you that something coming from one of the sensors is outside the expected range. This could be anything from a misfire on one of the cylinders, a dodgy connection to one of the snesors due to the damp, or a load of other things. The emissions test tends to be run over the course of several seconds at a steady-ish 2,500-3,000 ish rpm, i.e. the light will usually come on because of too high emissions only after a minute or two at steady motorway type speeds. Find someone who has an OBD-II code reader and they can plug something into the socket down by your right knee and tell you the code, go from there.

If the light doesn't flash again, and the car continues to run properly from now on, and the light goes out after a week or two, it was probably just the damp temporarily effecting a sensor output. However, if the car's never done it before, and as it behaved a bit oddly at the time, I'd recommend getting the code checked out.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

thanks hades. appreciate the answer.

Car going in for cam belt to subaru to protect the warrenty and didn't fancy them using the guess approach to fixing the problem and swapping lots of different sensors. will get someone to plug her in and check though.

cheers,

5t.

The rookie

iTrader: (1)

Most check engine issues require the car to run 3 succesful (passed) tests, obvioulsy on any given journey it may not be able to run the test, hence as fhades said it can take a lot more than 3 to get it to clear, but if its driving OK and the light isn't flashing there is usually little to worry about!

Simon

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

the relief.

thanks again chaps!

5t.