Service Engine Soon Light..... :(
 

Hi All,

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem! I've had my Roadster for almost 6 weeks. After getting gas for the first time, 9 days later, my "Service Engine Soon" light comes on. I read the owners manual and it said the first thing to check is the gas cap to make sure it's tight. I checked it and made sure it was on there correctly and it said that the light should go off after a few trips; well it didn't. So I took her to the dealership on a Friday afternoon and after sitting there 2 hours, they said they couldn't get the car cooled down enough to run the diagnostics test on it. So I had to leave my "Bella" there until Monday! They called and told me that they ran the diagnostics and it failed the first time; tightened the gas cap, ran the diagnostics, it passed, waited awhile, ran a diagnostics again and it passed again. So, they said that the gas cap wasn't on correctly....sorry, but I know I had that gas cap on right! And I had my husband check it too! So, I get gas again this past Wednesday, making sure that the dang gas cap is on there! And lo and behold, on Friday, the "Service Engine Soon" comes on AGAIN!!!!!!!! I'm getting pretty aggravated right now! :shakes head: So, taking my "Bella" back AGAIN after work on Thursday, giving her time to "cool off" for the night so they can do whatever needs to be done. Has anyone had this happen to them?

Thanks!
Georgia-Peach

Seems like the cap isn't sealing properly. Make sure you're putting pressure on the cap and give it 2-3 clicks to ensure a proper seal.

First of all, thank you for replying..... :) I am doing that and made sure I did that the last gas fill....because I didn't want this to happen again..... :( Do you think it might be a defective gas cap? Or a very, very sensitive sensor?

If there is a problem it is probably a bad cap. They shouldn't be expensive to replace -- get in touch with one of the forum sponsoring dealers and they can get you a good price if you do need to replace it.

Thanks for the reply....and heck....it's definitely still under warranty, so I shouldn't have to pay for a new gas cap, no matter how cheap it is, right?

You're right. Just something to keep in mind if your dealership gives you the run around.

Georgia Peach,
It will take a few drive cycles to make the CEL to go out. I would get a second opinion on the Service Engine Soon Light. Just for giggles, run it over to an AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts and have them pull the codes on it. Its a free service, and will only take a few minutes.

Personally, I have had issues with dealerships. If you could, post up the trouble code and see if we can give you a hand on resolving this.

BTW, what part of Georgia are you in? We are based just west of Atlanta out I-20.

I had this problem with my 09 Touring. The plastic piece that holds the cap to the car got caught under my cap and caused a crease in the outside sealer ring. My check engine light would come on all the time. The light would shut off after a drive cycle, or after I disconnected the battery to erase the code. My cap would also work its was loose on its own. If it keeps happening make the dealer replace the cap. There is nothing worse driving a new car with the engine light on over a stupid gas cap.

Well, the last time this happened, it was on a Tuesday and took it to the dealer on Friday and had been driving to and from work everyday, so I figured I gave it enough time to turn off and this time, it happened this past Friday and today is Wednesday and the light is still on..... :(

This is what the ticket said that they gave me.... "Code P0456 current in ECM for very small EVAP leak. Performed EVAP test and found fuel cap not secured properly. Tightened fuel cap and performed test two more times and passed both times".

I don't understand the part about the fuel cap not secured properly....I swear it was! And I want them to show me how else I'm supposed to secure the darn thing!

And I have always taken my vehicles to have them serviced where I bought them; never had an issue....but I'm just not getting good vibes lately.... :(

We're in Warner Robins, GA; about 90 miles South of Atlanta..... :) My husband got stationed here in 1999 and when he retired in 2007, we just stayed..... :) Love it here except right now; it's HOT! LOL

I can see that happening with plastic thing, but I honestly don't remember that happening to me, but who knows....I'm not totally stupid that I don't know how to put a gas cap on securely....LOL.....I honestly believe it's a defective cap! But I'm not a mechanic.....LOL.....I'll be sure to let y'all know what they say this time.

Georgia-Peach, you are not alone with this aggravating problem with this dang gas cap. Mine too had happened twice ! Gone to dealership last week and same code as yours. That stupid Nissan gas cap is not designed right IMO. There have been 2 previous long posts here in this forum discussing this. Seems to me that closing this freaking gas cap is more fiddly than it should be. You apparently have to engage it in a certain manner to screw it in right. I had even tried 10 to 15 clicks but it didnt do the trick.

The cap has 2 notches which must align correctly first. Then push & turn. Don't turn until it aligns. Some caps can just be defective and don't seal properly. If it happens again, have the dealer replace the cap. They will most likely do this rather than have you came back again. Invest in an OBD reader, it comes in handy for this type of thing.

Well, I dropped my "Bella" off last night.....I'll let y'all know how it went. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has had this problem! And you're right, closing a gas cap should not be this difficult! It's getting to where I'm scared to put gas in the car.....LOL

I did not know about the 2 notches needing to be aligned! I'm hoping they just replace the cap today; if not, then I'm going to have someone there show me exactly how I'm supposed to close this darn gas cap "properly". Ummm....what's an OBD reader?

Update: A gas cap is being ordered! Should be in Tuesday or Wednesday. They said they've had a few cars that this has happened to; wonder why they didn't just order one last time it happened? Anyway, hope this will fix the issue. Thanks to everyone who posted.... :)

Georgia-Peach