Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 I wound up getting a blow out last Wed on the highway and needed to put the donut on. My tires won't arrive till today so in the meatime I drove to my fathers and parked the car and drove his truck. I left it there on Friday and he pulled it in the garage there on Sat. No Issues I went to go pick it up and return his truck this morning and and the car wouldn't start out of nowhere. This has NEVER happened before but I tried and it would crank and crank and crank and nothing. It wasn't the battery there was tons of juice and the garage was 40 degrees. It was on 1/2 a tank of gas used so it isn't the gas. I turned the key back and tried it again, my father was standing right there and nothing was happening. I let it crank lie 50 times and it started to catch little by little.....FINALLY it turned over as I was (and i know this sounds dumb) pumping the gas peddle. It was very loud and knocking upon startup and it was like the car has no idea what it was doing. I revved the engine and it eventually came in line and idles normal within 30seconds. I backed out the car and it ran fine just as normal, all the way to work. I parked and shut her off and then tried to turn it on again and it fired right up. No CEL no smoke...nothing. Thoughts?
Vimy101 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 ^ You eventually flooded the engine. OEM manuals frequently state that depressing the accelerator a third of the way can help for cold weather starts. However, this can flood the engine in which case you hold the pedal to the floor (just like the procedure with a carburetor equipped engine) signalling the ECU to use a flooded engine start up cycle.
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 I don't think that is the case though because it wouldn't start in the first place... Unless the engine was already flooded from Saturday. I didn't start pushing the gas until like the 25th crank or so on the second starting attempt. So how could I have flooded it? I hope you are right and this was a one time thing but man it was kinda scary and a real pain in the butt. My car has been totally stock for months now with thousands of miles and very cold days and it has never happened before.
Voytech Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Your dad flooded it. He didn't let the engine clear up after the start. He only moved it a couple feet into the garage right?
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 That is correct. He started it put in drive and turned the wheel idled it into the gargage maybe 15 feet away total. Then he killed it and left it till this morning
mwiener2 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 there was a squirrel inthe exhaust pipe causeing too much back pressure. He finally left after all the noise bothered him too much My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons
Vimy101 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 That is correct. He started it put in drive and turned the wheel idled it into the gargage maybe 15 feet away total. Then he killed it and left it till this morning Flooded. If it ever happens again, put the pedal to the floor and hold it there until the engine catches.
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 Phew....I really hope you guys are right. I have had enough problems with this car and I don't need any more. So far this has been the worst car experience of my car owning career. Ford, Chevy, Pontiac * 2, Acura were all pretty much fine....this car seems to have a new issue every 2 weeks. I really pray this is a "normal" occurance and nothing is wrong.
f1anatic Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 How can you flood an engine with drive-by-wire throttle and so much electronics ? You guys make it seem that someone fondled with the throttle pedal and flooded the carburetor. I surely can be wrong...but to me sounds like Sci Fi
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 Well that is what I was thinking at first....you can't flood this type of engine anymore but I am trusting they know what they are talking about lol
iyalla Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 I personally don't think the engine was flooded. Sounds more like a fuel pressure leak down issue or clogged fuel filter. I would borrow the truck and run the same test again without the part where your Dad moves it. But what do I know this is my first Suby
Voytech Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Drive by wire has nothing to do with the situation described above. Basically as you surely know, when you start up a cold engine, it idles at much higher rpms and dumps a lot of gas into the cylinders. When you kill the engine right after you started it (cold), it floods. I've had that happen to me in my old car. My neighbor had that happen to her (identical situation as the OP's) in her altima. The mixture of gas and air is too rich to ignite. So when you floor it as you're cranking, it introduces more air and clears up the extra gas in there.
Vimy101 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Phew....I really hope you guys are right. I have had enough problems with this car and I don't need any more. So far this has been the worst car experience of my car owning career. Ford, Chevy, Pontiac * 2, Acura were all pretty much fine....this car seems to have a new issue every 2 weeks. I really pray this is a "normal" occurance and nothing is wrong. It is normal. I've even had problems with cold starts after shutting the car down after idling for 10 or 15 minutes. My former J30t with the venerable and bullet proof VG30DE was especially prone to the short duty cycle restart like the one you described of the quick move into the garage.
Vimy101 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 How can you flood an engine with drive-by-wire throttle and so much electronics ? You guys make it seem that someone fondled with the throttle pedal and flooded the carburetor. I surely can be wrong...but to me sounds like Sci Fi Too much gas in the cylinders. Doesn't matter if it's DBW.
mele63 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Phew....I really hope you guys are right. I have had enough problems with this car and I don't need any more. So far this has been the worst car experience of my car owning career. Ford, Chevy, Pontiac * 2, Acura were all pretty much fine....this car seems to have a new issue every 2 weeks. I really pray this is a "normal" occurance and nothing is wrong. Matt, you've gone through two 5EATS? :eek: Aren't these trannys like $6K? What does this mean? Did you have them rebuilt, replaced (new or used)? Did you ever mod the 5EAT (valve body, ect)? Were there any warning signs? Did they start sliping, ect. or just blow without warning?
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 The first tranny just blew apart at simple stage II stock turbo. The 2nd tranny was on the 18g and it basically starting slippin up in 5th gear and progressivly got worse and worse and worse over the next month until I had no 5th gear left. It would pull like a horse in all gears then just free rev in 5th up to redline on the highway. Subaru told me the clutch pack was dead and I needed a new trans.....I am still not convinced that is the case but nothing I can do about it I was lucky enough both times to find a low mileage wreck local to me and had them installed. First one was 3k miles and cost $1200 ($1800 installed not at subaru) the second was 27k miles and was $1500 ($2700 installed at subaru). Overall I have spent about 6k after tax and all the fluids on broken transmissions. I had a modded car so there is nothing I can say or do about not being covered. They immediatly just shut down my warrenty both times.... With that said I also have other minor things going wrong. My center cabin light won't go on and it isn't the bulb. Eventually it starts working for 2 days then dies agian. I have some sort of flowing water in my firewall that is swooshing around and not draining. And a host of other things but my 36k is over and I would have to pay out my arse to get this simple stuff fixed. Subaru will not be getting my business ever again I will tell you that. I don't even run the car hard. I granny drive it all the time. I don't think the car has seen over 3500 RPM in 2 months. I am so scared the thing is going to break I don't even enjoy it anymore
Voytech Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 That's sad to hear. While your trannies were broken, have you considered swapping in a manual one?
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 Not really. There is a ton to change, more then you would think and would cost 7k to do the job. Also it would kill resale as it would be a hacked up LGT. (not that there is any left in my car anyway lol) The reason I bought the auto was for all the traffic I am in and this is my only car and the GF can't drive stick in an emergency. So I wouldn't really put a stick in anyway
Vimy101 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 The first tranny just blew apart at simple stage II stock turbo. The 2nd tranny was on the 18g and it basically starting slippin up in 5th gear and progressivly got worse and worse and worse over the next month until I had no 5th gear left. It would pull like a horse in all gears then just free rev in 5th up to redline on the highway. Subaru told me the clutch pack was dead and I needed a new trans.....I am still not convinced that is the case but nothing I can do about it I was lucky enough both times to find a low mileage wreck local to me and had them installed. First one was 3k miles and cost $1200 ($1800 installed not at subaru) the second was 27k miles and was $1500 ($2700 installed at subaru). Overall I have spent about 6k after tax and all the fluids on broken transmissions. I had a modded car so there is nothing I can say or do about not being covered. They immediatly just shut down my warrenty both times.... With that said I also have other minor things going wrong. My center cabin light won't go on and it isn't the bulb. Eventually it starts working for 2 days then dies agian. I have some sort of flowing water in my firewall that is swooshing around and not draining. And a host of other things but my 36k is over and I would have to pay out my arse to get this simple stuff fixed. Subaru will not be getting my business ever again I will tell you that. I don't even run the car hard. I granny drive it all the time. I don't think the car has seen over 3500 RPM in 2 months. I am so scared the thing is going to break I don't even enjoy it anymore I believe the Subaru uses Jatco auto trannys as do many other OEMs and they have a pretty good reputation. Why would you continue to drive your car until the tranny was completely inert? Did you ever check the fluid level? How did you end up with two vastly differnt prices for the tranny installs? The "following water" is most likely air in your heater core.
mele63 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 This is sad. I may have to invest is a junkyard 5EAT just for peace of mind. Just curious, did you ever give any thought to IPT, especially since you're both in NJ?
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 One was installed by a Trans shop that I got the wreck from, the other was shipped and installed by Subaru who charged much much more. The fluid was fine as it was changed during the 1st trans issue at 6k miles. The car only had 35k on it when the second one died. I brought it in about a week after I started feeling 5th slip. By the time of my appt with subaru it was dead. So it wasn't a really long time I kept driving it. Also I have no other car so I can't just not drive it. These trannies are failing left and right. You just don't see the posts about them as people don't want to put it on a board. I know about 10 guys on here that theirs have blown in the past year or so. It is a crap auto and can't hold even stage II power for very long. For those that think it can or even the VB upgrade will save them they are living a lie haha. I don't think the quality of the parts is what people make them to be in this car. You can crap on chevy all you want for ugly plasticy cars but their engines and autos are bulletproof. It is a tradeoff and I will be going back to american vey shortly. Maybe the AWD CTS ill have to see
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 This is sad. I may have to invest is a junkyard 5EAT just for peace of mind. Just curious, did you ever give any thought to IPT, especially since you're both in NJ? No the IPT is mostly smoke and mirrors for $800. The ONLY thing it is going to do is make the shift slightly crisper redicing a tiny bit of heat. The stock shifting isn't so bad though that the heat transfer would be that drasticlly different, especially under normal driving around town. As I said before I never flogged my car and it still died. The IPT is fine if you want to have the peace of mind but all it really is is an expensive shift kit. It increases pressure in the valve body but it doesn't make the tranny any more bulletproof inside. Don't get me wrong I still like the car. I think it looks sweet and it does its job in bad weather. I was just wrong to think that this car could hold up to the power like my 1997 Z28 auto with 400 hp. No problems there ever!
reason22 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Back to the original topic. No CEL? Do any of the experts on here know if a flooded engine should or should not result in a CEL? I'd think if it was rich enough to flood, some sensor or other would fault out...but I barely know anything. Maybe on cold-start the ECU is a little more forgiving with sensor readings...
Mblock66 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 No there was no CEL for the cranking issue...well as of yet. When it finally cranked over I drove it 4 miles to my office and now it sits in the parking lot. I will see if it starts right up after work.....
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.