What you saw in the cluster (check engine on, cruise control blinking, VDC OFF light lit) are the results of a CEL code (a good old check engine on other cars). This is to tell you that the cruise control and VDC won't be running until the CEL has been taken care of (like when you cleared the codes by disconnecting the battery). ALL Subarus do this as soon as a CEL comes up. It's not necessarily related to the cruise control or the VDC.

Sputtering could be a lot of things, but you won't get to know it since you did not pull the codes off before disconnecting the battery.

There's a special handshake you can do on SH Foresters to pull the codes without a reader: sit in the car with the key at OFF, and the headlights OFF. Then do the following quickly:

Turn the key to the ON position (don't start the car);
Press 4 times the cluster trip button;
Turn on the headlights (parking lights/1st notch is fine);
Press 4 times the cluster trip button;
Turn off the headlights;
Press 4 times the cluster trip button.

You will then see any stored codes on the odometer screen. If you hit the trip button once the screen will go from the ECU codes to the TCU codes, then to the VDC codes, then back to the ECU codes. You can turn the car off after noting the codes, or you can start the car and drive away.

 

Goshi,

Thanks for the information.
The car is running normally again.
Hopefully the next time this happens I won't be stuck somewhwere and I'll be able to retreive those codes. I couldn't drive it like that to get someone with a code reader...

As a side note, a couple of years ago I took the car to a Subaru dealer for a recall to set the Emmision control, or something like that. Ever since then, after starting and pulling away, without the car fully warmed up, the car would hesitate and I often worry about it stalling when it's like that. Once warmed up, the car runs fine. I wish I could get the car set back to the original factory setting, before the recall, because my gas mileage doesn't seem as good now...

Does anybody think there's a way to get what ever they did during the recall undone, and do you think there' a possibility that the Emmision Control system has an intermittant problem (my current issue)

Thanks...

 

P0301, p0303

It's raining today and my Forester is sputtering again. The codes are P0301 and P0303.
The guy at Autozone said it is most likely a coil, or possibly spark plug wires...
The vehicle runs fine in drier weather. I dread having to go to a dealer to get this fixed..

 

EGR valve causing p0301 p0303 ?

I called a dealer and they said it would probably need another coil pack and this is a common problem.

I took it to my local mechanic, mentioned the coil pack, and instead they replaced the EGR valve, and charged me close to $400...

Could a faulty EGR valve be causing the p0301 p0303 codes? The valve doesn't look like it has electronis on it and this problem is certainly related to moisture..

Any thoughts? Condolences?

 

I called a dealer and they said it would probably need another coil pack and this is a common problem.

I took it to my local mechanic, mentioned the coil pack, and instead they replaced the EGR valve, and charged me close to $400...

Could a faulty EGR valve be causing the p0301 p0303 codes? The valve doesn't look like it has electronis on it and this problem is certainly related to moisture..

Any thoughts? Condolences?

The only way the egr would be involved is if the valve was stuck open during idle; but shouldn't cause misfire to 1 and 3. I would have focused on the coil myself. Real low fail on EGR's and I have never changed any on anything above the 2003 model years.

 

mine too

mine has the same issues, and Advanced Auto ran a scan and said that it could be a faulty coil. Glad to know that its going to cost me about $400

 

not the EGR

My problem comes back when it is very foggy and rainy. That mechanic who put the EGR valve in said the valve was stuck shut. At 55K miles, I don't think so.. I think he is full of BS, and ripped me off for $381...I should have let a dealer overcharge me instead...it would have been fixed right then...
Anyway I sprayed some silicon spray all over the coil, hoping that will keep the moisture out.