Recently bought my 3rd Abarth, my first 595 Comp. great fun but I seem to keep getting the check engine light a few miles after I start each morning. The error code is P209716, something about the fuel trim being too rich in bank 1. Spoke to 2 mechanics and have been advised not to use supermarket fuel, to use 98ron and see how it goes. Does anyone else have any experience of the check engine light coming on when using standard fuel? I’m able to reset with a code reader, so it’s not a huge issue but would just like some more piece of mind.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks! Don’t believe so, only just bought the car and I don’t think there have been any modifications. I was hoping it’d just be a dodgy sensor but both mechanics have said the fuel I’m using is poor. I’ve been driving to Italy the past week and have only put in the premium fuels but I’m still getting the light

 The abarth only has one bank being a four pot. Sound like your lambda sensors. If your car has a sports cat (200 cell) and the software has not been tweaked to disable the post Kat sensor it is possible that it’s pulling this code. A rich error code will not be connected to injectors unless they are sticking which would be evident though smell. You need to plug an independent lambda sensor in the downpipe to ascertain you air fuel ratio.
If you ECU is not mapped ie opperates in closed loop which uses the pre cat sensor to adjust fueling put it in the post cat lambda position as this will tell you what the precat sensor is doing. Then unplug the precat lambda sensor and see what changes if anything .
It nothing changes you car will be mapped in open loop which only reads from a preset value written to the ecu. If this is the case it could be a badly mapped car.

Tim.

Thanks Tim, I’ll give this a go!