Fast Cars & Horses

Check engine light on after I filled with gas last night. It happened on my 2006 C6 Z06 for the first time. I've had it happen on my C5 and I could reset the code manually, but not on the C6.

I tried the normal stuff, starting the car a few times, and made sure the gas cap was on correctly. Now I guess I'm headed to Autozone so they can check the code and clear it. I'd like to buy a scanning tool so if this happens again, I can do it myself. What do you recommend? And also any recommendations on how to stop this from happening? Should I replace the gas cap? Thanks!

Cherokee Nation

I got a MaxScan (Autel) from Amazon and it has live data and a lot of options.

Fast Cars & Horses

Thank you! The code said too rich on bank 2, put a new gas cap on to be safe, code was deleted and it seems fine. Having my own scanner will save me trips to Autozone.

gsflyer2011

The code you had nothing to do with the gas cap, it would have said evap system if it was. So you wasted some money. You cannot throw on parts when you get a code hoping it will fix it. In addition sometimes codes happen as a glitch, you clear it, if never comes back you had a glitch, if it does you have a legitimate problem that needs to be properly diagnosed. And for that you need the shop manual. If not do inclined, and you have to take it to some place for it to be diagnosed, this way at least you know the effected area so the dealers cannot bs you and try charge you for something else, which is known to happen. That happened to me and they were red faced when i knew that they were bs ing. It increases your knowledge and the awareness.

owc6

Also, if you are an On Star subscriber, they can run the codes for you.

Fast Cars & Horses

I think you are right that it was a glitch. The car ran fine the 25 miles home and once deleted, the code has not returned. I have a very trustworthy mechanic that would tell me the way it is, but I'm trying to learn to do a few things on my own, and a shop manual would be a great start. Thanks!

Cherokee Nation

I've left my gas cap off for 2 weeks more then once just for testing our systems and never got a Engine light or a code?

owc6

You, sir are a freak of nature! (this is meant in the kindest possible way).

Most of us can't screw the cap in the wrong way (turn clockwise until the threads engage, then pull on the cap to finish closing and make sure that three clicks are done before stopping) without getting a CEL the next ignition cycle.

BlindSpot

All the good info that comes from CELs and often misunderstood, wasted, or some run right to the gas cap. It's just too easy and not very costly to acquire a scan tool for P-codes.

Another bad practice is to just throw new parts, at random, in the general direction of the code.

And it is unfortunate with any modern car that there is such a gigantic leap in diagnostic tool cost to read the other three code sets - B, C, U codes.

torquetube

It's unfortunate that with any modern car there needs to be a tool at all, especially ones with a display screen. The DIC could simply report the codes like the C5.

Or, say, hold down the recirc button and the trunk release and the nav/radio screen becomes a Tech 2.

BlindSpot

And to exacerbate that, every manufacturer has created its own proprietary system to do the exact same thing. None are available/affordable to the public. Enthusiasts seek to acquire these tools, but even so, they get outdated.

Case in point, I've owned Jaguars on the Ford platform. I've spent a fortune on Ford's WDS, then the newer IDS, even that is now updated and Jaguar has left Ford.

Same thing with GM, I've headed down the Tech2 path but already outdated. I used to be into Mopar too, but thankfully for my wallet, not in recent years.

Someday, prob 20 years from now, these relics are going to become unrepairable.