Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 To start this off I have a 1996 legacy L, AWD sedan, automatic trans. Today when I was driving to work my check engine light came on. First it flashed and then it just went solid. I pulled over and all the fluids where fine, the car actuly ran the same and shifted smoother. Noticably smoother. My question is what in the engine going out would cause it to shift smoother or what when it starts to malfunction will cause the car to shift harder. Ever since I have had it 1st, and 2nd would shift kinda hard, and when cold it would go into higher rpm's going from 1st to 2nd. One last clue is, while the check engine light was blinking my car did seem to maybe miss in one of the cylenders. I'm not totaly sure because I was kinda' freaked out and didn't want to excelerate much to check it. How ever that last for like 30 seconds then it ran smooth again. This all happend right as it was reaching normal running temp. and I had just got on the freeway. Last question which I will probably be able to find my self with the search feature is what do I need to buy to check the codes my self. I called around and it looks like it won't be free to get them checked by a machnic. Thanks for any help you can give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddog Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Pretty good chance that the car misfired. I would check to see what brand of plugs you have in there. My Bosch brand plugs I used to run would ALWAYS misfire when it was colder (engine was still warming up). I would throw NGK brand spark plugs in. To check the codes your self (you didn't put in your location) you can go to an Autozone, Shucks/Oreilys, napa, or just pretty much any auto parts store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Ok I updated my location. Would the check engine light go off after it cooled down, if it was just a mis-fire? Because I just went out and checked it and the light is still on even though it has cooled down and sat for several hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelwatts Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 obd 2 cars run drive cycles to determine all the conditions of operation. IE: fuel monitors, catalyst monitors, so on and so forth. what ever set your MIL has to be retested by the car twice and both times have to be good in order for the car to shut the light off itself. usually blinking indicates a pending code where in the ecu has detected a fault but hasn't completed the test that would state a definate failure. letting it cool off wont make the light go away. like baddog said, you can get most autoparts stores to check the light for free. they can read any generic "p" code. if it isn't a "P" code (like certain transmission codes) it means that it is pretty serious usually. it could be as simple as an evap leak due to a dryrotted hose or a misfire of sorts. either way getting the code is about all that you go off of. I'm a native of South Carolina. I am a dying breed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Cool thanks for the help. I will be back later with the code numbers. You guys are the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 the owners manual says that a flashing light is an indicator that the fault COULD damage the emissions system or cats. a misfire, or at least a sever or mulitple misfire COULD cause cat damage if it continued dumping unburnt fuel into the exhaust for a long time. at least that's what i remember reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Yup took it too a mechanic and he says it is a Misfire in cyclender 3. I am going to change the plugs, and reset the light, and see if that fix's it. He said if that doesn't do it then it probably is the injector. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 plugs and wires first. then move on to other possible causes. actually, considering how difficult it is to change the plugs, do the wires first. you can try moving the #3 plug wire to a different cylinder and wait to see if you get another misfire. or just replace both plugs and wires on account. the 2.5L engine is pretty picky about both plugs and wires, but more so on wires, i think. order subaru wires on line, ~$45. other wires have been know to cause problems right out of the box. http://www.subarupartsforyou.com http://www.subarugenuineparts.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddog Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 It's an L with a 2.2. Changing the plugs is cake. This isn't a 2.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Ya' the wires where replace about 6 months ago, with the plugs, the plugs how ever are bosch platum. How do I tell if the wires are subaru factory parts? I have the plugs and I am at work, now so I am going to change them and drive it home. If I get another code then the wires(since I don't have them right now. ) then the injector if all those fails I am just going to drop it off with my mechanic. lol Hope it doesn't get that far. Thanks for the tip on the wires, I didn't relize they could cause such problems. If they are not subaru factory parts I will change them just for good messure. Oh and my car isn't a GT, so I am fairly sure it has the 2.2. Oh and I am going to just unplug the battery when I change the plugs, to reset the light. That will do it right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Oh and I am going to just unplug the battery when I change the plugs, to reset the light. That will do it right? yep, that will do it. if it is a 2.2L engine, i would move the wire to a different cylinder and wait and see. i have used bosch platinum in my ej22 without any trouble. i think wires are more likely the cause. (and 2.2L plugs are easier to change.) was the weather wet when you got the CEL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 yes very wet. Well I actuly just finished putting in new plugs. Kinda' weird but they where ngk plugs. the paper work in my car that came with it said it had a tune up like 6 months ago and they used bosch platnum. ? I dunno the one in the number 3 cyclender I don't think was put in all the way. like maybe 1/2 ot 2/3rds a turn out. I am going to change the wires later, I just got this car and want to change all that stuff anyhow. Funny thing is my project for next weekend was to change the plugs and wire's, and then figure out how to get the fog lights out and replace the bulbs. Guess my car didn't want to wait 2 days. lol I will change the wire before I take it home, that way if it throws the light again, I will be able to have it checked and see, but I plan to replace them when I get home ether way. It will help rule out the injector though. One last question. If it was the injector do you think the light would just come right back on when restarted after I reset the check engine light by unplugging the battery?, or would that be an intermitten kinda' thing? Also what are OEM plug wires for these cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 i doubt it is the injector. these engines don't have those problems very often. the cel will re-set it self after drive cycles of no misfiring. pretty much regardless of the cause. there may be a couple of codes that HAVE to be re-set manually, but i don't think so. but usually if the CEL is caused by a faulty snesor, the sensor does not get better so the cel does not reset. but with a mis-fire, especially one caused by wet weather, as soon as the conditions improve and enough drive cycles have passed, the light will re-set. try this: get a mister spray bottle and fill it with water. and at night, spray around your plug wires and the coil. if you see any sparkles or lightning you need to replace the part causing it. either the wires or the coil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 well turns out the subaru dealership is closed on the weekends. I will have to figure it all out monday or tuesday. Do you know what brand wires Subaru packadges in their oem box's? I have a feeling they don't manufature their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddog Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 You can just pick up a set from autozone or napa. Will work just fine. OEM ones will probably be kinda spendy I would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 I can get NGK wires would those be the OEM part? Looks like they range from cheap to spendy, what do I get if I pay for the premium wires? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddog Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I would go with mid-grade. But any NGK wires would be fine really. You don't have to have OEM wires. Premium wires are hit and miss really it's a debate especially in a daily driven car. Go with a mid grade set. ~$30-40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 2.2L wires are 35$ online. go to your local dealer , if you have one and tell them you are going to order the wires online unless they will sell to you for the same price. i ordered parts from www.subarugenuineparts.com and had them in 4 days. you can also look at www.subarupartsforyou.com they aren't more $$ of equal quality and they are what the engineers call for. they may be more than the cheapest wires out there. the trick to ordering parts on line is to get all you will need at one time so you only pay one shipping fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 well I can't really order online, since I am going on a trip tuesday. I don't want to wrestle my truck through the canyon, down 199(redwood Highway). So I will give the dealership a call and try to bargain them down. Side note I took my truck to work today, and it is a beast to drive. Never realized it till I got this car. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Well I think the plugs and wires did it. got more horse power, better idle, better gas miladge and I put 500 + miles on it and no problems. Thanks so much everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnayke Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Well its back. Changed the coil. No luck. changed one of the injectors still no go. I get misfires in 2 and 3. Which is weird because they are on oposite corners of the motar. They don't share a side, those two cyclenders don't share on the coil either. ? It was a used coil so I got another to change out. If it happens again I am going to change out the #3 injector. the number two got changed out the other day. basicly he reset the codes and ran it around but only the #2 came back up so he only changed that one out. today I got the check engine light again. Both #2 and #3 showed up again. Sometimes it can go 1000's of miles with out a misfire. sometimes it does it more then once in 15. Its not water related. sad day for me. I don't really know why I am posting this even. seems like a total mystary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyposeur Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Did you or your mechanic check the resistance of the primary and secondary coils on the coil pack? Make sure that they are in spec with the FSM. Also, before I would go swapping in new injectors I would check the resistance on them. Do you have the old ones still? Are your valve covers leaking at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemingway Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I used Bosch plugs on my Subie once and had all kinds of firing issues. Went back to NGK's and no issues at all. Since then I've used NGK's exclusively and they have performed flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisty Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 i have NG iridiums in mine. im pretty sure they were overkill and not necessary. pull the sensor out that is directly above the timing sprocket and check it for dings and nicks. my timing sprocket slipped forward just enough to hit that sensor a few thousand times, giving it "incorrect" timing and a #3 misfire that wasnt actually there. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Freakness/Update%2015/Switchingtohammerandadjustablecresc.jpg this thing has tabs on it that arent all that hardened last sunday i was mowing the lawn and i hit what sounded like a big rock. it went flying off to the side, but my son came over freaking out because it was my old sprocket that i had replaced, it flew all the way past my subaru, missing it by about 2 feet at the windshield level. i was all "wow, that would have sucked if it hit smokey!" he said "or one of your kids..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snederhiser Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Hello; I also use Ngk spark plugs, and use dielectric grease on the boots. This keeps the spark from shorting and causing a misfire. Be sure to test the coil with an ohmeter and that it is within specs. Make sure the coil is squeaky clean, no carbon deposits. Also check the TR unit, this fires the coil. Steven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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