Hi all, I have a small problem. I let my car sit for 4 months and then had to smog it. I added a bottle of that "Garuanteed to Pass" B.S. to a full tank just in case and all was fine. Now, three days later, I have a CEL. Is there a chance that this might be related?

 

"Garuanteed to Pass" thats awesome...

 

Wtf is "guaranteed to pass?"

 

it is an additive you can guy at auto parts stores that i guess helps reduce emissions or whatever so you can pass smog checks.

reminds me of an old friend who needed to smog his old camaro, he did it by filling up the tank with something he called "dry gas" or whatever, basically bought a crap load of small bottles and poured it into a near empty gas tank.

anyway, CEL could be for ANYTHING. so go and get the code pulled and used that to start with. guessing it was the additive is just grasping straws really.

 

Yeah, it's the first CEL I've had, but I'll have the code pulled.

 

Ironic huh?

 

forgot to tighten the gas cap?

 

So I checked the gas cap, and no success. Then I drive to 'Yota Service. They come back after 45 minutes and tell me the gas cap was loose. I tightened it not 20 minutes prior. Oh well, thanks all. Maybe this will someone?

 

well.. unless you clear the codes manually, it'll take a little time for the ecu to see that your gas cap was ok again..

i mean.. it took what.. 3 days before the CEL came on from it?

 

Ok, update, and I feel way less ignorant. So the light comes on about a week later. Dang! I go check the gas cap, sure enough it's loose. I try tightening it with no success. I turn, it clicks, I turn the other way to see how tight it is and it comes right off. After a "little" while of this dance I realize that the gasket on the cap itself is what ultimately keeps tension so the lid will not come loose when the car is driven. I call around, and, as it turns out the tC gas cap is quite the hot commodity in the desert of Nevada. I find, purchase and put on. I drive over to Autozone and use the free scan tool to clear the code. The light has been off ever since :D.

I hope this helps someone out there.

 

It takes a long time for that code to clear after you tighten the cap. I just do it with a diagnostic tool, but you can remove the battery cable to clear it as well.

The leash on the gas cap will eventually get all bound up and will actualy work the cap loose again. Break the leash off of it and it wont happen as much :D