GTI 20v

See Rick, here's where you need the scan tool. Pulling the fuse is great but it doesn't tell you what's wrong in the first place.

-Nick

iluvstocks2k

You might need 4+ trips......Patience is a virtue

OhioRacer

3 trips, 4 trips, 8 trips WTF??? In the meantime, if there IS something wrong with the engine, I am driving the thing so I can get my 3,4,8, 47 damn trips in to have the system reset itself while the motor is doing damage to itself. Yes, I'm avoiding VTEC until it goes out. Which pisses me off even more. Oh well, I suppose I'm the dumb ass who left the gas cap loose .

Ubetit

Pull the fuse. If something else is triggering the light it will come on again. And yes the gas caps for these cars suck. Here's a thread I started https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=77847

If i don't take my time putting the cap on it almost immediately starts clicking. If you slowly move through that phase it will stop clicking and start to tighten again. You can then crank down on it until it clicks again. Mine was spilling gas and causing the CEL to come on.

OhioRacer

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ubetit
[B]Pull the fuse.

Prolene

As Ubetit suggested, reset the cel light to determine if the gas cap was the problem, otherwise you might be risking engine damage continuing to try to reset the light via driving, as you suggested. Engine protection mode might help prevent major damage if there is a major problem, though.

I also don't think gas mileage should suffer significantly on account of a loose gas cap; there might be something else going on with your car.

xviper

There is nothing wrong with the gas cap on this car. You just have to learn to make it "click" lots whenever you put it back on. That's not to say your gas cap might be the rare defective one.
Lots of people have already told you: PULL THE FUSE!!! If there is truly something else wrong with the car, you'll know right away when the light comes back on. By NOT pulling the fuse and driving around waiting for the light to go off, you are really risking doing some damage should there be something wrong with the car. You would have been far better off to have taken the car to the dealer at the first sign of the CEL since you decided from the get go to NOT pull the fuse. This driving around waiting to see is utter nonsense but then, it's your car.

brianb

seems to me that there may actually be a problem with the gas caps. reading thru the previous thread about this i noticed that the problem seemed to occur on '02MY s2ks.

while i do make my cap click more than the recommended 3 times, i have never had this problem with my '01. just an observation.

has this ever happened to anyone with a '00 or '01?

OhioRacer

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
[B]Pull the ECU backup fuse for 30 secs.

xviper

I'm glad it worked for you. Hopefully, it won't come back on. BTW, no need to get a scare. Always remember, if you pull a fuse while the car is OFF and put it back in, you can do no harm (except maybe lose your radio settings). The fuses are all listed on the little chart on the kick panel beside your left knee. The one you pulled is labelled "Back up ECM" and should be the third "slot" down. The top slot for you is empty because we have the "daytime running light" fuse in there. The one you pulled first is for your dome and trunk light - no biggie.