I *think* the gas cap is busted and check engine light is on

[fawad]

Hi,
I have a 2003 Camry LE 2.4L with 133k kms on it.
Once again I put in gas in the car and the check engine light came on. But this time the gas cap is acting weird, after the first click, I can easily turn it counter clockwise and open it, so I think it might need to be replaced.

Toyota sells it for $33+tax and Napa has an after market for $18, anyone have any ideas about these?

We dont have any stores in Canada that read the computer error codes for free, I am pretty sure it is the gas cap though.

Thanks for your help.

[fawad]

I replaced the gas cap from Canadian Tire, the light went away but the gas cap was impossible to remove.
Before I could return the gas cap, on the long drive back from Montreal, about 1/2 hour after putting in 50L of gas and a little Fuel Injector Anti Freeze from Motomaster (and getting a coffee from Tim Horton's) the check engine light came on again.

Last week I had the oil changed and the spark plugs changed. I also got the power steering flushed. I put on a new gas cap from napa now but the light is still on.

I am thinking of buying a code reader from ebay since I will pay the same amount everytime this light turns on. Anyone have any suggestions on which one to buy?

Thanks.

[fawad]

I disconnected the battery and the check engine light was gone, but here is something really interesting I found.

After reconnecting the battery, it seemed that the car would idle really really low, and then would actually turn off. The car shut off twice, but did not have any problem restarting. Any idea if the battery is the problem?

I was thinking of getting the battery checked out at Canadian Tire. The battery has not given me any problem, it is a 2003 car purchased in Oct 2002 and the battery is original. Anyone know what is the warranty on the factory installed battery?

i called Toyota Dealer, a new battery is $139.99 with 84 months warranty, which is 7 years. Canadian Tire sells one for $95 with old battery trade and the warranty is 72 months. Does the warranty really mean much?

Thanks.

[PRINCESS PEACH]

do not buy batteries from dealership, its just too expensive. buy it at your local autoparts store.