Loose gas cap - Check engine light?

[Porky]

Can a loose gas cap cause the Check Engine light to com eon?
My check engine light came on day before yesterday and then yesterday
I noticed that the gas cap was not closed properly (so it probably
wasn't seaing like it should) - eventually today the Check engine
light went off so I am wondering if the loose cap may be a connection?
02 Forester S, 55K miles
thanks

 

[ismlv]

Absolutely. That's actually one of the most common reasons I've heard of for the CEL to come on. You should always tighten the cap until you
hear a few "clicks". Also - if the CEL is on because of the gas cap being loose, it can take a few "on/off" cycles of the car before the
light goes out even after you've tightened the cap.

 

[Jim]

Absolutely, it happened to me this week. I live in NJ and all gasoline is
full service, so I have to keep a close eye on the attendant when filling.
Having the tank on right hand side makes it difficult to hear the 'click'.
When CEL light came on, I removed cap and tightened it and light was off
next morning when i started car.

 

[John Rethorst]

Can a loose gas cap cause the Check Engine light to com eon?

Yes.

 

[Guest]

Yes, it can, and probably was the reason the Check Engine light came on.

 

[LB]

Yes (just like everyone here said). It's clearly documented in the car
manual for my OBW 05