Subaru Repair: Check engine light, emissions systems, layman terms

Question
I have a 97 outback and the check engine light is on, car runs great..can I reset it myself?

Answer
John,

The check engine light on your Subaru can come on for many reasons,  mostly with regards to the vehicles emissions systems.  The first thing you should check is if the gas cap is tight, if it is please read on.  Yes you can have the light turned off with either a generic scan tool found at most parts houses, or in some cases if you disconnect the battery long enough the monitors will reset and the check engine light will go off.  But I have a question for you,  why not spend a little money having the vehicle properly diagnosed and than making a determination from there that you want or don't want to repair it?  It may be something inexpensive that is causing the environment or your Subaru a lot of harm.  This is not to perturb you, only educate, as no one else is trying to explain what the light really means in layman terms.  The purpose of the check engine light on a 1996 and newer vehicle is to alert the driver of a potential problem with an emissions system component, emissions system monitor, a condition that has been met, or a engine sensor or solenoid problem. In most cases you may not notice an immediate effect in performance or fuel economy but over time all this can change and damage can occur.