Weirdest Notification for Check Engine Light

1

1st Mazda CX-5

So my 2019 CX-5 with less than 2,500 Miles had the weirdest check engine light and warning sign.

The Check Engine Light came on and the Vehicle Status screen showed the following warning,

"Engine System Malfunction. Have the vehicle check by a dealer immediately"

We took it to the dealer and ends up being the fuel cap. The dealer checked for smoke and other emission tests but I just find it weird that such Stark notification is given for fuel cap!!!

Anyone else have faced a similar issue?
 
Last edited:
Yes fuel cap can cause messed up fuel pressure readings from drawn in air.. make a habit of clicking it a few times as you turn it.
 
Just make sure the cap clicks a few times when you tighten it. Solid CEL doesn't require immediate attention. Blinking is usually something serious and vehicle should not be driven.
 
Will be checking it more carefully now.

But here in NJ we don't pump our own gas so didn't think it would be the fuel cap.

I'm just more amazed at the fact that the warning is not detailed or specific.
 
1st Mazda CX-5 said:
Will be checking it more carefully now.

But here in NJ we don't pump our own gas so didn't think it would be the fuel cap.

I'm just more amazed at the fact that the warning is not detailed or specific.
Click to expand...

It's very specific, and very plain English detailed (more so than anything else in the manual). You have to reference the code in the workshop manual. There are many things that can trip the same code that the gas cap falls under, all fuel system/vacuum related
 
A number of things will cause a CEL, with a loose gas cap being common in many cars. As part of the emissions systems of modern cars, the fuel system is meant to be sealed to prevent fumes from venting to the atmosphere. It*s also common that, since there can be any number of issues from minor to serious, all you get is the CEL, with the actual error code being stored onboard. If you google what to do when you get a check engine light, at the top of almost all lists is check the gas cap is tight.
 
1st Mazda CX-5 said:
Will be checking it more carefully now.

But here in NJ we don't pump our own gas so didn't think it would be the fuel cap.

I'm just more amazed at the fact that the warning is not detailed or specific.
Click to expand...

I thought Jersey changed that law a few years ago allowing you to pump your own gas.
 
nothing prevents you from checking the gas cap even if you dont fill fuel on your own.
As others said, always make sure it clicks few times and is tight.
There is also a sticker near the cap with a warning msg.
 
My mother-in-laws 2018 gave the same warning at 11k miles. Got us to a service center right away lol! In her case the PCM needed to be updated as a sensor was reading too lean after the catalytic converter. All that was needed was new software thankfully.
 
CX5Nut said:
Nope...still against the law here to pump your own!
Click to expand...

I would love the option to pump my own gas. I seem to attract the not-so-attentive attendants spilling gas down the side of my car and failing to secure my gas cap.
 
I think the point is getting lost..

My 11 year old Acura indicates that the "fuel cap" is loose where as the modern 2019 car displays an all encompassing warning.

The car didn't show any code, just the warning I posted seems like an overkill of a warning system.

The point isn't that I could or couldn't have checked the fuel cap, the way the warning was displayed it made it seem like it was something serious.
 
1st Mazda CX-5 said:
I think the point is getting lost..

My 11 year old Acura indicates that the "fuel cap" is loose where as the modern 2019 car displays an all encompassing warning.

The car didn't show any code, just the warning I posted seems like an overkill of a warning system.

The point isn't that I could or couldn't have checked the fuel cap, the way the warning was displayed it made it seem like it was something serious.
Click to expand...

Your 11 year old Acura is one of the few cars that have the gas cap as a specific warning. Most other cars made in the past, currently, and likely in the near future, just show the CEL.
 
The hyper-active warning is good for the car co.s as it gets many people to take their car into the local profit center.
 
A modern car will chuck out hundreds of warnings so the standard warning is better. Tightening the fuel cap isn*t rocket science.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Pitter
    • Sad
Check Engine Light And Other Warnings (2020 CX-5)
Replies
5
Views
3K
concept
concept
That Don Guy
Check Engine light on, but no code (2019 CX-5)
Replies
12
Views
2K
HyFlyer
HyFlyer
L
CX-5 Check engine light with code P144C
2
Replies
20
Views
4K
LeSheep
L

Latest posts

Back