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my 1990 legacy sedan automatic suffered a few stall outs while driving to local mcdonalds yesterday. last night I had to drive the car 3hrs on highway to home. it stalled out once at a traffic light and tried to stall out several times while driving, usually when slowing down or speeding up. the solution was to desperately mash and unmash the gas peddle to avoid the stall, till engine would run smoothly again. today I started it up and let it idle but it would stall out from time to time, usually within a few minutes. i'm thinking bad gas, bad fuel pump, bad fuel filter. my cruise also works barely once in a while though i assume this is not rerlated. what are your thoughts? thanks jim
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rumble thanks : )

i did change the fuel filter on sunday, yesterday, even after change car stumbled during a 2 mile drive, so i let it idle in my driveway for 2 hours and i think it stalled once. i drove car today for 3 hours with one major stumble and one small stumble and maybe a few i was not sure about. this was much better than the other day. the fuel in the old filter was chocolate in color and murky. http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-2460-1475425812_thumb.jpg

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one thing i forgot to mention was my car flashes 16 times ( i think 16) every time i start it. it is a car i got only earlier this year from orig owner older woman. one thing is this car does not seem to have both green diagnostic plugs. i can only find one : ( but even though it has always flashed at start up, it ran fine till last week, but i have only been driving it regularly for 2-3 months.

 

video about changing cam pos sensor

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just swapped out cps and took for test drive, car started stumbling about 3 mins into ride, luckily i was only taking a small loop near work.

i have battery disconnected, will do so for 30 mins, and then test drive again.

i have a mps coming but may try tps swap cause i have a spare.

 

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-2460-1475612082.jpg

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do you condone this method?

found here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/118540-idle-air-control-valve-cleaning-problem/

 

Posted 05 May 2011 - 11:09 PM

If you do wish to clean the IAC, this is the procedure from the FSM

1. Start and warm up engine until radiator fan operates

2. Hold throttle open so engine runs at 2,000 RPM

3. Disconnect bypass hose from IAC

4. Slowly pour one 16 oz can of cleaner (Sea Foam is good) into bypass air hole

5. Leave the engine to run for 5 minutes

 

When you do this expect lots of white smoke from the exhaust. When you're done don't forget to re-attach the bypass hose to the IAC.

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If your car is NA, I would take it off and clean it with SeaFoam or carb cleaner and tooth brush or other implements to scrub it off the best you can to get the build-up out. There are how-to's for cleaning Subaru IACV's on Youtube. The method above is best for periodical maintenance.
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glad you commented, i'd so much rather do it this way : ) i'll keep you guys posted.

so pour it slowly into this hose?? seems not right as this would bypass iacv??

and keep engine rpm around 2000-2500 ??

 

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-2460-1475616566.jpg

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ok, iacv hose was not as hard as i thought, and i was able to get it off intake tube with not much effort : ) i poured a bottle of seafoam thru it with engine rpm around 3000. i have car running now and will test drive it in a bit. instead of washers, i used a folded zip tie to raise my idle.
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oh yeah, forgot to mention, i pulled out new fuel filter and gas was nice and clean. old was doing its job nicely, probably for years. i was concerned tank was rusty but don't think it is : )

 

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-2460-1475620917.jpg

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well, just tested drove it, and problem seems them same. driving with easy peddle seems to help. after more aggressive peddle, symtoms seem to worsen, stalling while driving, feathering peddle a bunch of times to keep it running and to get back to running smoothly. when i am driving at it goes bad, my green power light comes on and stays on until things smooth out.

 

anyone think it could be a bad TPS, as my non suby coworker seems to think it might be.

 

that said, maybe i do need to do a thorough iacv cleaning as suggested above.

 

thanks jim

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my car for some reason only has one green plug but has both black plugs, under dash, so i have not checked codes cause i was under the impression that i needed both green plugs?

 

a few things, we pulled the vacuum line from fuel regulator and vacuum seemed very low and car did not react, at idle.

 

tomorrow i will put a fuel pressure guage to see if i have 36 psi coming from the fuel pump.

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well, i can't take it back yet, that the seafoam procedure did not fix my problem, but last night when my buddies were criticizing me using you guys to diagnose my car's problem, and they came out to me car and pulled a few vacuum hoses and expressed concern about my fuel pressure, among another things, we then took a short test drive together and the car barely acted up. today i drove to the gas station and a bit more, maybe 3 miles total, and no acting up. i have a 3 hrs drive on friday, that will be the real test.

 

one thing that my car developed shortly after i got it was torgue bind and i replaced the solenoid and some of the fluid, but now in reverse it seems to be coming back. i will drain fluid and replace, though i know doing this at the drain plug only lets one replace only about 30% of the fluid this way. thoughts about recurring torgue bind.

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guys, i connected my 2 black diagnostic plugs and got a code, drum roll please, 23. which is mass air flow sensor, which i bought on ebay and it arrived today, what a coincidinky : )

 

guess i will sway out my current maf for the one i rcvd today.

 

see video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPWEQSuU6_I

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i swapped out the maf for the one i rcvd from ebay today, but car ran worse and CEL came on and stayed on. i rechecked black plugs connected and still got code 23. i swapped the ebay maf back to my original one cause my car ran better with it. with ebay maf car would surge till it settle at an idle rpm but when i tried to give it gas it would rev up hesitantly but then engine would die.

 

i also drained about 3 quarts of dex/merc trans fluid from my trans and put one gallon in BUT it seems i am still low. either i never put enough in or the trans is burning some? binding is obvious but i hope it is just due to being a qt or 2 qt low. buddy is bringing me some more tomorow. hope nothing is permanently messed up in my trans.

 

thanks guys for listening : )

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