99obw Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 Last night I changed the front O2 sensor on the 99 outback. I had a little trouble getting it loose so I ran the car to warm up the pipe without bothering to reconnect the wires. I expected a MIL and got one. I left the battery disconnected overnight but still had a MIL this morning. Do I need to clear the code with a OBDII scanner, or do I have a problem with the new sensor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted November 19, 2003 Author Share Posted November 19, 2003 When I ran the car this morning the light was still on. I then shut the car off after running it for about 15 minutes and left for work. I just called my wife at work and she said the light never came on during her 45 minute drive. I am confused. Do they always act this way? Is something actually wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobaroo Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 With OBD II, simply disconnecting the battery isn't enough. The computer stores the code in memory even if the power is interrupted. The computer actually has to see that the problem is no longer there during several running cycles before it turns the light off. Of course, you could always clear the code instantly with a scan tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 OBD2 sometimes will act that way. The codes won't clear with a simple battery disconnect. They need to be cleared with a scan tool. In your case the computer probably needed some time to see that the signal is good again, and it turned the light out itself. turning the car on/off again did that. From some reason O2 sensor codes are weird......I can run my car without an O2 sensor for a while, get no code, then all of a sudden it pops one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted November 19, 2003 Author Share Posted November 19, 2003 False alarm, and I learned something. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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