Gas cap light
 

Get in the car after work yesterday and as soon as I started her I got the "Check Gas Cap" light. Now I had a 1/4 tank of gas in the car so the cap hadn't been touched in close to a week.

Anyway, I get out and remove it and tighten it again. The manual states that when driving it for a while over 45 mph it should turn off. No luck. I decide to fill her up and see if that changes things. Nope. Let it sit overnight and this morning the light is back on again.

I call the dealer and they said they had time to look at it. When I get in they told me there was a $105 "diagnostic fee" if there wasn't a problem with the car.

I had them look at it anyway. Well they come back and said everything checked out. "Must be a glitch in the system" they said. No leaks in the system and the cap looked good. They reset everything, but they still charged me $30 as opposed to the $105.

Any thoughts? This happened to me one other time last year, and when I took it in for service they couldn't find anything wrong and just reset it. They didn't charge me that time.

How wierd they charged you for it this time. I've had this problem in my old truck (Honda Ridgeline) and all I did was remove the cap and put it back on and several miles later it was gone. Did you make sure you heard the clicks after each time you removed and placed the gas cap back on?

Yes, absolutely. Clicked it 5-6 times.

I had a problem with my MDX. The check engine light came on and everything checked out OK, even the gas cap but the light wouldn't turn off. Turned out to be a bad gas cap. It wasn't sealing properly and was replaced under warranty as it's considered part of the emissions system. You may want to try another gas cap.

LL

Good point and a possibility...

I did that recently. It was a very cold morning and I rushed screwing on the cap incorrectly. (Could not wait to get to those heated seats I bitch about in Florida).

Check Gas Cap light was on. I was running several errands, short runs. It was on the 5th engine start cycle it reset itself.

My old Isuzu was like that, but it was random, usually 3 cycles, sometimes more than 5. Perhaps the ventilation sensors in the fuel tank need to be triggered to reset?

my came on a while back and I make sure I hear the cap "clicking", I drove for a few days and the light went off on its own.

No dealer visit or anything required.

TIGHTEN CAP Message from Owner's Manual
 

If your fuel cap is loose or missing, a
‘‘TIGHTEN CAP’’ message appears
on the multi-information display after
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position, after you start the
engine or while you are driving. Turn
the ignition switch off and confirm
the fuel cap is installed. If it is,
loosen the cap, then retighten until it
clicks at least once.

The CHECK FUEL CAP message,
displayed after you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position or
start the engine, should go off after
tightening the fuel cap, turning the
ignition switch off and on, then
driving over 12 mph (US) or 20
km/h (Canada) for at least 10
minutes. Due to different driving
conditions, it may take a few drive
trips to make the message go off.

The CHECK FUEL CAP message
displayed while driving should go off
after tightening the fuel cap, turning
the ignition switch off and on, then
driving over 30 mph (US) or 48
km/h (Canada) for at least 45
seconds. Due to different driving
conditions, it may take a few drive
trips to make the message go off.

If the system still detects a loose or
missing fuel cap, the malfunction
indicator lamp (MIL) comes on. If a
loose or missing fuel cap was not the
cause of the CHECK FUEL CAP
message coming on, the MIL will
also come on. When the MIL comes
on, the message goes off.

Turn the engine off, and check or
retighten the fuel cap until it clicks at
least once. The MIL goes out after
several days of normal driving once
the cap is tightened or replaced. If it
does not go out, have your dealer
inspect the vehicle.

Our RL has a "check gas cap" indicator? i've forgotten mine before and driven and not gotten any kind of indicator. I've never had it off for more than like a mile.... Wonder if mine doesn't work.