CEL question on a 2004 Outback Sedan LTD with 65K miles.

[RaP]

After about 60-70 miles my CEL goes on and the cruise control button
light blinks on/off continously whether or not the button is pressed.
The cruise control is also disable as far as I can tell. With a hand-
held code reader I reset and all is back to normal until another 60 to
70 miles. What is wrong. The car is a 2004 Outback Sedan LTD with
65K miles. Thanks.

 

[Dano58]

After about 60-70 miles my CEL goes on and the cruise control button
light blinks on/off continously whether or not the button is pressed.
The cruise control is also disable as far as I can tell.  With a hand-
held code reader I reset and all is back to normal until another 60 to
70 miles.  What is wrong.  The car is a 2004 Outback Sedan LTD with
65K miles.  Thanks.

Well, if you have a reader, then you should be able to tell us the
code. Or better yet, you can Google the code
to see how to fix it! ;-)

Based on what you've posted, I would say there is a problem with your
cruise control.

Dan D
'99 Impreza 2.5 RS (son's)
Central NJ USA

 

[Uncle Ben]

After about 60-70 miles my CEL goes on and the cruise control button
light blinks on/off continously whether or not the button is pressed.
The cruise control is also disable as far as I can tell.  With a hand-
held code reader I reset and all is back to normal until another 60 to
70 miles.  What is wrong.  The car is a 2004 Outback Sedan LTD with
65K miles.  Thanks.

It happens often on this newsgroujp that someone reports that the
Malfunction Indicator Lamp comes on (that's the CEL), and they ask
what is wrong with my car.

It is as if when one goes to the doctor and doctor says we have a
confirmed diagnosis of youjr problem. And what does the patient do?
He goes home and asks his friends what is wrong with him.

Why didn't he ask the doctor?

Why don't we report the code given to us by the scanner? That's what
it is for: to tell us what is wrong with the car.

If one doesn't have a scanner,then OK, go to your neighborhood store
-- like AutoZone for example -- and let them read the code for you.

Once you have the code, you can interpret it online by Goggling the
code. Or if further help is needed, ask here, REPORTING THE CODE.

Uncle Ben

 

[Todd H.]

After about 60-70 miles my CEL goes on and the cruise control button
light blinks on/off continously whether or not the button is pressed.
The cruise control is also disable as far as I can tell. With a hand-
held code reader

Um... what was the code that was set?

I reset and all is back to normal until another 60 to 70 miles.
What is wrong.

I'm an engineer, not a psychic. Need more data.

 

[RaP]

Um... what was the code that was set?  


I'm an engineer, not a psychic.    Need more data.

Thanks to all. The code is "420".

 

[Steve Daniels]

Thanks to all. The code is "420".

You need to change the water.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Thanks to all. The code is "420".

Hmmmm....I would have the codes cleared, then see if the 420 comes back.
That code is associated with the oxygen sensors/catalytic converter
system and, though not impossible, it seems a little early for your car
to have a bad/lazy O2 sensor. And it should be setting the CEL not the
cruise control light. Has this car previously had emissions or engine
work or any odd problems/repairs?

I dunno, seems hinky to me.


Carl

 

[Todd H.]

Thanks to all. The code is "420".

P0420 is Catalytic converter efficiency low IIRC, and has been
discussed quite a bit here lately. I'm fighting with that one
myself.

Have your catalytic converter looked at. If it looks reasonable, try
throwing a front O2 sensor at it, and the popular wisdom is that hte
issue is likely to go away.

Cat replacement is what mine needs I think -- mine apparently has a
hole in it (and I replaced the o2 less than a year ago).

 

[Martin Whybrow]

Hmmmm....I would have the codes cleared, then see if the 420 comes back.
That code is associated with the oxygen sensors/catalytic converter system
and, though not impossible, it seems a little early for your car to have a
bad/lazy O2 sensor. And it should be setting the CEL not the cruise
control light.

Gen IV Legacys flash the cruise control light, indicating that the cruise
control is disabled, when there's a fault that needs urgent attention, it's
documented somewhere in the manual; probably applies to other models of the
same era as well.
Martin

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Thanks to all. The code is "420".

it's trying to tell you to pull over and stoke one up!!!
(Sorry, couldn't resist...)