CarScan
P2188Powertrain

System too rich at idle (bank 1)

Where to start

A rich mixture SPECIFICALLY AT IDLE. A useful narrowing: under load everything is fine. Usually a leaking injector or a stuck purge valve — it feeds vapour into the engine when it should not. The sign is a smell of petrol from the exhaust at a warm idle.

A code is not a diagnosis. It says which check failed, not which part to replace. Clearing it without repair only means the car will report it again in a few trips.

How to put together a report a mechanic will actually read

How the code is built

Letter — the systemPowertrain: engine and transmission
Common or the maker's ownGeneric code, second group
Which part of the engineFuel and air metering
Number of the faultThe serial number inside that group — it does not say how serious the fault is

All codes in «Mixture: lean and rich»

How the app helps

CarScan reads this code from your car through an OBD-II adapter, shows whether it is active now or only stored, names the module that reported it, and puts it into a plain-text report for your mechanic.

See what the app does

Unfamiliar word? Open the glossary

What the letter and the four digits mean