I'm not familiar with this code. I did a bit of research and didn't find much. Of the two or so other cases I found pertaining to this code both were fixed with O2 sensors though it did mention gasoline quality being a possible cause as well as constantly running a low gas tank (never fully filling up the tank) being a possible cause.

 

Update!!!
Now that they've changed the oxygen sensors (both) and REPLACED the Mass Air Flow sensor and the CEL CAME BACK ON, the technician is unsure that the sensors are causing the problem. During the last trip to the dealer for diagnostics, we were fortunate enough that the Subaru Regional Technical Representative happened to be at the dealership and was able to consult with the Technician. They are going to review the diagnostics to hopefully reveal what is really wrong with the car.

Anyone that is having difficulty with P2096 and is not getting resolution, PLEASE reply to this posting!!

I will keep you posted, lol!

PS: The Short Term Fuel Trim (B1-S2) value is now -3.12% after the Mass Air Flow sensor was replaced. A negative is supposed to indicate rich fuel while the error code (P2096) indicates too lean!!!

 

I have had my 2011 outback since it was new and have had this code twice since December. I will continue reading the post and see if it was resolved.

 

As far as quality of fuel, we consistently us Marathon gas, which I do not consider to be a poor quality of gas, and we do always fill the tank each time. This problem started days after purchasing the vehicle which was used as a lease vehicle prior to our purchase.

 

I doubt single digit excursions from zero aren't uncommon in even a 3-4 year old car. Doesn't mean it may not lead to where the problem is. I bet that code is similar to P0420 in that many things could cause it; exhaust leaks, vacuum leaks, maybe a partially clogged injector?, mouse chewed on rear sensor wire.... etc. Kinda curious the dealership can't pin it down better....

good luck

 

I recently had both a P2096 and P2098 for bank 1 and 2 lean. But just before receiving these codes I installed two high flow Magnaflow 444504 California emissions catalytic converters to replace the gutted ones I had that were not California emissions cats to begin with. New OEM front AFs show that the mix is too rich and I have a steady LTFT of -9% on both banks, both before and after the new cats were installed. Never once had either of these codes before the new cats were installed.

I've since disabled the codes.

 

2012 Outback 2.5 got the solid CE light with 2 consecutive P2096 stored just 700 miles after the warranty ended. The CE light came on during the car start and stayed. Also shows solid VDC/stability light with flashing Cruise Control + Brake. The car drives OK and nothing abnormal is seen under the hood. I didn't inspect the gas cap closely, but it was re-closed while filling the gas tank later, yet the CE light remains now for a few days.

Autozone defines P2096 for Subarus as Post catalyst fuel trim too lean bank 1. Probable causes:
aa1. Lean air/fuel ratio - Low fuel pressure
aa2. Cylinder misfire
aa3. Plugged converter
aa4. Failed post HO2S (Heated oxygen sensor)

The unusual contributing factors could have been:
- Long idling (1-2 hours) earlier on that day with a low gas remaining in the tank. However, there were a few trips, engine stops - starts before the CE came on. Refilled the gas tank after the CE light came on..
- Rats making a nest a few months ago (gone a few months ago and was was driving OK since then).
- Raining earlier on that day, but it's been dry now for a few days.

I'm between the jobs and can't easily pay a dealer for diags. Any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. [David.Basinger, did you get any new info?]

 

Got the P2096 code. Have about 69,000 miles. This is the second time I have got the code but that was well over a year ago. I attributed that one to bad gas and had no issues since then. I had new spark plugs put in at 60,000 miles and have all regular scheduled maintenance completed by the dealer.


Gas mileage has dropped as winter arrived plus put new tires on, but no other performance issues. So bad gas again? Cold weather snap? O2 sensors.... hopefully not the catalytic converter.

 

2009 Outback XL Turbo
SI Drive
~55K miles

Using High octane (with ethanol), purchase from local Grocery Store (Giant Eagle) fuel station called "GetGo"

P2096 CEL - continuous intermittent for 2.5 years

Over last year Dealer has replaced:

MAF
O2/Fuel Sensor (at engine)
Intake manifold assembly (assumed vac um leak)
Valve before Turbo (assumed vac um leak - detected with application of a liquid?)
Air cleaner

Was into dealer 5-6 times last year, and they held it once for over 30 days. An "expert" U.S. roving engineer flew in from Subaru and "fixed it" -- he discovered the leak in the valve housing at the turbo intake...

...CEL was back on within 30 days.

dealer gave up, but I have persisted as the management and staff have gone through some changes... so I thought it wouldn't be a complete act of naive optimism to peruse a fix again.

Now they want me to leave with them again so another (newer and improved) Subaru Engineer can look at it. The mechanic at the Dealer is pretty good, and he has thrown his hands up as everything checks out. I keep a scan gauge in the car to reset the code 1-2 times a month.

Why the "f" doesn't Subaru monitor these forums and use there global database from all the dealer service records to address this? Is it so mysterious the nobody can figure it out or its it so expensive to fix and so common that Subaru does not want to make the solution known? -- Neither seem plausible.

Why is this the dreaded code? And why are there no definitive posts on this forum as to a resolution of procedure to fix it?

 

Why is this the dreaded code? And why are there no definitive posts on this forum as to a resolution of procedure to fix it?

Which O2 sensor was replaced?


Do you have access to a scan tool that can record live scan data that you can log and then post here?


Are you willing to do some testing yourself and do you have a volt meter?


Do you short fill the gas tank and switch brands frequently?

 

I was getting P2097 on my '05 Legacy 2.5i. I replaced the front A/F sensor (o2). Light has been off for almost 2 months now.
@CitizenPete What area are you in? I'm in Altoona, and I'm very familiar with GetGo. I've never had any issues using their gas. I wouldn't call it "top shelf," but it's better than the garbage Sheetz rips us off for. I avoid Sheetz gas at all costs.

 

BTW, any suggestions for the dealer doing the test may be helpful. I will certainly pass and constructive ideas or expertise in solving this along.

 

OK, So it's been about two months since the last attempt to fix the P2096. I wanted to wait for a while because one fix lasted a month before it cropped up again.

I shared the information from @cdc on the voltage being off and the dealer replaced the rear O2 sensor since the voltage was off. To date the code has not appeared so that was probably it.

Thanks cdc.

I contacted the previous Service Manager (who has quit and moved off to another dealer) to let him know, and he was surprised to hear that.

 

I have a 2012 outback 130xxx miles (owned since new) and have been seeing intermittent P2096 codes. At first, the code would come off and on about every other day for about a week, after researching and speaking with the dealership I suspected I could replace both oxygen sensors to play it safe. After replacing both sensors, I was happy to see the fault had cleared and everything seemed to be resolved. Unfortunately the light came back on 3 days later now...Looking for the next step, after reading all of these posts I'm hesitant to bring it to the dealer and let them throw expensive parts at it since it seems Subaru themselves don't even have a true understanding of this issue. I always run 91 gas in this car. Anybody find any new answers or things to look at on this?

 

try replacing the PCV valve ($20)..

 

I have a 2010 Forester X (~80,000 miles), and have been dealing with this code (P2096) as well. The code was first thrown about a year ago, I used a code reader, did some research in online forums, and decided its likely a fluke (bad gas or some other random factor), so I cleared it and all seemed to be good.

The code came back last week (with blinking cruise control light), so I cleared it again, and began having issues with a rough idle and almost or actually stalling when coming to a stop. I read that it may take the car's computer some time to "learn" how to idle properly after the code was cleared, so I followed an idle relearn procedure (basically letting the car idle for 20 mins, turning off, the idling for 10 mins), which didn't seem to work. A couple days later, there were no idle issues, so I was hopeful that maybe it was fine now.

My wife just let me know that the CEL and blinking cruise control came back on today. I'm planning to bring it to a shop that I trust is knowledgeable, let them know some of the possibilities I've read in the forums (particularly this thread), and go from there. I'm hesitant to bring it to a Subaru dealer since it seems they likely won't be able to properly diagnose it, and it'll just end up being really expensive and not getting fixed. I'll post any updates.

 

UPDATE

Not sure if anyone will actually see this thread anymore, but nevertheless, here's an update...

The auto shop used one of their scan tools to test various sensors, and told me that the fuel tank pump sensor is bad (as in not working at all I believe). The part is $300, plus labor, so over $400 to fix. If replacing this sensor fixes the issue, I most likely won't post anything further.

 

I was wondering if you had the P2096 code come on again. Mine comes on every few months and I usually just clear the code but know I will need to do something eventually. I bought the car used and it's out of warranty now, so I really don't want to spend thousands of dollars if Subaru hardly knows what is going on.

2012 Outback

 

I just started getting this code as well after I had the 160000km service done, which included pulleys and the water pump. Not sure if the two are related, but I have a small hole in the exhaust near the muffler (well downstream of any of the sensors) and the exhaust heat shields rattle like nuts in a tin can.

 

I have a 2010 outback premium with 2.5 and cvt trans ,just bought it and am having the p2096 code come up along with the cruise stopping and the brake light flashing .
Has anyone come up with a fix for this yet .

 

My 2010 just had this code pop up. I'm having the dealer check it out when I take it in to have the faulty airbag recall fixed. I'm hoping its' not an outrageously expensive fix. From the threads online it seems that nobody really knows a fix for this issue.

 

Just bought a used '12 Outback with 86K; drove it from FL to ME with no issues. Left my gas cap off after filling the car and a can for the boat. Got the quadrad of CEL, Brake, ABS and Cruise. Had my mechanic clear it; all 4 lights were back on in a week. Took it back to the mechanic and he suggested that the sensor level set in the ECM may be set to a range that is too narrow. Has anyone out there re-programed the ECM to cure this problem? Looks like a dealer only repair option to me. Thanks for any ideas.

 

@Mainenole It's not a problem with the programming. Your mechanic doesn't know where to look to find the issue.

Did you put a Subaru gas cap on the car to replace the one left off, or did you still have the cap?

Air, fuel and fire all timed properly make a happy boxer. When something is awry, you get errors.

What grade fuel and brand did you use before the P2096?
Is it full of oil?
How old is the battery?
8 year old car, it may need some attention to the grounds. Main cable and the satellite grounds.

If these are good then it's time to check fuel pressure and flow, look for vacuum leaks, check the activity of the rear O2 sensor in conjunction with the front AF sensor and clean the throttle body and PCV valve.

 

Have a 2011 Outback 2.5. 165kmiles.
The CEL kept coming on and turning off. Been living with it for like a month. I've changed o2 sensors yesterday, and it was good for 20 minutes then the CEL came back on.
Need to change air filter. And spray MAF cleaner. Not sure where to go after that if it's still showing up.

 

Did you put a Denso sensor in?

Bosch doesn't work in these cars, they're too slow to react.

 

I'm going to follow along on this as well, as well as contribute as I move along with my car. 2012 Outback 2.5 Limited CVT, bought it with 141k miles 6 months ago and now has 160k miles. It had this code when I bought it, but it ran and drove (and still does) great. After the first couple thousand miles, I bought new A/F and oxygen sensors. CEL stayed off for the last 5 months, although fuel economy dropped 10% with the new sensors (Denso). Whatever, I figured it's not a big deal since I'm still averaging 26 mpg or so. Now the CEL is back and is somewhat intermittent. Still runs fine, although it occasionally sound/feels like the engine gets loaded up a little at idle like someone else mentioned (fairly rare, and usually gets better if I turn off heated seats, ac - somewhat typical in my experience with cars with smaller engines). At this point, I know it either has to be one of a few things:

Catalytic converter - not sure this makes much sense since it says post cat O2 sensor lean, not sure how a bad cat would make it lean. I guess right now wouldn't be the worst time to sell a car for scrap to get a new one if I had to, but no real way to diagnose that from the sounds of this thread.


Fuel system (filter, some sensor, maybe bench test injectors? not sure) - I would also think this would be giving me a code for pre-cat O2 sensors which is arguably the more important one for the computer knowing if the car is running right based on my understanding.

I've tried running different brands and grades of gas with no difference.

 

i would like to contribute.
2010 Outback 2.5L CVT, Ontario Canada, 258k KM, everything stock.

P2096 showed up around 200k KM, on and off for a few years, car sometime drop RPM at stops ( almost like stalling), decided to fix this over the last couple years span.

1. Replaced post cat A/F sensor with Denso - CEL came back.
2. Local mechanic re-tighten the intake hose from air box to intake manifold (i.e. vacuum leak) - CEL came back.
3. Cleaned the MAF sensor with the MAF cleaning solution - CEL came back.
4. Local mechanic took a 2nd look at it, stating the rear O2 sensor keeps reading "Rich" condition and this may cause the engine to run lean, no sensor reading provided. - going to replace the post cat O2 sensor, will update.

 

i would like to contribute.
2010 Outback 2.5L CVT, Ontario Canada, 258k KM, everything stock.

P2096 showed up around 200k KM, on and off for a few years, car sometime drop RPM at stops ( almost like stalling), decided to fix this over the last couple years span.

1. Replaced post cat A/F sensor with Denso - CEL came back.
2. Local mechanic re-tighten the intake hose from air box to intake manifold (i.e. vacuum leak) - CEL came back.
3. Cleaned the MAF sensor with the MAF cleaning solution - CEL came back.
4. Local mechanic took a 2nd look at it, stating the rear O2 sensor keeps reading "Rich" condition and this may cause the engine to run lean, no sensor reading provided. - going to replace the post cat O2 sensor, will update.

UPDATE
Replaced the rear O2 sensor, more than 2000 km later CEL has not came back, fuel efficiency has been great! I think I have fixed the problem.

If anyone is looking for the sensor PNs, here you go
Post Cat A/F: Denso 234-9097
Post Cat O2: Denso 234-4445
I was told not to buy any other sensor except Denso.

 

Adding onto this thread... Having the same problem as SMAI and Hbarnwheeler with flashing brake/cruise lights and solid ABS and TCS, as well as the "engine load at idle" symptom another user posted. I've always gotten 22-24 mpg at the most. Seems kinda sluggish especially in the hot weather but I've only owned motorcycles, so it might be normal for an Outback 🤷‍♂️ EDIT: For the record I love my Outback, lol

I've replaced the rear O2 sensor with no luck (DENSO), and the dealership is saying the whole Catalytic converter has got to go. (However, they also told the previous owner that it had a blown head gasket when it doesn't hence why I'm troubleshooting) They repaired the connection between the catalytic converter and engine a few years ago for the previous owner when she reported the same CEL code, I don't know if it fixed it for her or not as all I have is her old service records she kept in the car.

I've always used HEB fuel and keep on top of maintenance as much as I can. The plugs are new enough but the battery might be weak or have a dead cell or two, not sure. I'm going to try and see if I can get it thoroughly tested more than just "Uhhh yeah it starts and the lights on my doohickey are green" and update y'all on what I find.

Anyone else have any success?

 

The front AF Sensor determines the fueling. Most likely, sans a vacuum leak, exhaust leak around the manifold, or bad grounding and battery, is the front AF sensor.

And I use HEB fuel, 93, in the supercharged VDC in the winter and it loves it.