Stang70Fastback Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I just realized this would be a better subforum to post this in since everyone here has older cars. It's the same post I made in the NA forum: Short synopsis: Car has 225k miles. 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited. This winter I was waiting outside when the engine started surging - almost stalling then kicking back up, and it got worse and then stalled in a minute. Started it up and it did it again, and then it was fine. Next day, pulled out of a gas station, went to turn the wheel and found the engine had stalled. Seemed to only happen when idling - in fact, that was the issue. Anyway over the past two or three months its gotten worse to the point where now the car is constantly screwed up - constantly surging/stalling. Driving it it feels sick - like a half power, and it will occasionally stall completely. Issue gets worse if you let it sit idling for a minute or two. No CEL has come on in three months of stalling and countless times of ALMOST stalling and seeming misfires while driving. Here's a video I took of the issue (at night) but if you watch the first two minutes you can hear the problem quite clearly. Any suggestions as to what it could be? Skip to 2:00 and just watch that for a minute to get a good idea of what's going on. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG3F5Yzt7YU&fmt=18]YouTube - Car Troubles[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonklein611 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Could be dirty MAF. What mods are done to this car? Check your throttle cable tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Things I have checked (and it's stock, btw...): - MAF (swapped intact tract with another) - Throttle Body Tension stuff - Used OBD to read stats on Throttle Position Sensor (doesn't fluctuate so that's not it.) - Replaced air filter. - Front O2 sensor recently replaced (last summer) - Obviously not a bad quality gas issue. My friend said it sounds like it's starved for fuel. He said I might try swapping the injectors with some spares he has, and maybe the fuel pump as well (he has one of those too, lol.) I was considering that maybe the CAT was clogged, or that it was the Idle Air Control Valve. That's as far as I've gotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonklein611 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 What about the fuel filter, when was that last replaced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Next step would be to clean the IAC. Throw some chlorine free brake cleaner in it and see if it solves the issue. Before you take it off, mark the position of the sensor. There may be marks there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 I honestly am not sure when the fuel filter was replaced, lol. I think, however, it was replaced last summer when i brought the car in for a low end stuttering issue. Did SeaFoam the car a month or two ago as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Seafoam in the oil, or in the gas? If you seafoamed the crankcase, your motor is probably on its way out. They say to put it in your oil and do a flush, but all Seafoam in the oil does is break down the oil and potenially cause damage to the rings/bearings. I've talked to 2 lifelong mechanics that agree 100%. +1 for the idle air control... Had to replace 2 of those on another car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Sounds like it is only running on 3 cylinders. BTW while looking for ideas for a carputer in my car, I came across your setup in a different forum today... Like what you did with the cup holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 No I seafoamed the car by way of the air bypass hose or whatever it was as per the Subaru instructions. So it was the air system that I did it through. Seemed to fix a stuttering problem I was having where at very low RPM the engine would... stutter... but did not solve this problem. And jeebus, I thought I was murdering my car doing that, lol, it really did not like liquid in the air intake, lol. And thanks... 987687... lol, what a goofy forum name Yeah next car I'll actually integrate it into the dash, this was just kind of like a half-way job because I did not feel like spending too much effort on this car. I hope to get rid of it soon... possibly by summer's end which is why I'm trying to avoid paying a stealership to diagnose/fix this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eekay Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Although it sounds a lot different that what I went through, you might want to take a peek at your EGR and make sure the valve is opening properly and such. Fairly simple to take apart and if anything, it'll ensure its working properly... Just a thought. My 9.3 cups EJ22 makes me feel like my **** is 2.8 decimeters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Where is the EGR located on the engine? I'm a complete n00b at this stuff if that hasn't already become apparent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Where is the EGR located on the engine? I'm a complete n00b at this stuff if that hasn't already become apparent. the weird looking thing on the back driver's pipe of the intake manafold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 If you're talking about the think that pops open whenever you rev the engine (round and you can see the part inside pushing out) then yes it works, lol. I've watched that and wondered what it was. It only opens when you rev it hard. If you just kind of slowly rev the engine it doesn't. Should it always open, or is that normal? And should it be open when the car is idling? /more n00biness.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 My car is special and doesn't have one So I have no idea when it is supposed to open... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeyMcShanker Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I believe it should be open at idle, and closed at full throttle... Don't quote me on that it's just what makes sense to me, I'd assume they'd NOT want exhaust gases in your intake when you need the power, and dump it in when you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I believe it should be open at idle, and closed at full throttle... Don't quote me on that it's just what makes sense to me, I'd assume they'd NOT want exhaust gases in your intake when you need the power, and dump it in when you don't. Funny you say that, because I'd assume the opposite. At idle it wouldn't be able to run with exhaust gases, but at full throttle it would not matter so much. It isn't about power, it is about emissions. So now that we have 2 logical contradicting answers, can someone with a working EGR please confirm one or the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 When I grab the throttle body and quickly rev the engine, it pops open for a bit and then closes again. I don't believe it even stays open while the engine is revving. That's from memory though, so I might not be remembering correctly... or it might be broked, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Ok, so both KnifeyMcShanker and I were right and wrong for different reasons...I looked up how EGR works, and it is neither supposed to be open at WOT or idle. At idle it won't run well with exhaust because the engine is very sensitive to anyhting being wrong at idle, and at WOT you want full power. So it is open somewhere inbetween. here is what I read to figure this out Since yours is closed at idle, and openes with some throtle, I assume it is working fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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