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Shaky on acceleration and poor gas mileage


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I just bought a 95 Subaru Legacy L AWD Wagon with only 110k miles. I have been going through fixing things like the HVAC lights, replacing all the brakes, etc, but I've come across a couple issues that I can't diagnose. On acceleration only, the car shakes terribly, and at first I thought it might be the alignment or wheels out of balance, but I had those checked and it still continues. Then I thought it was the engine/transmission mounts, but I realized that I'm getting very low gas mileage (16.8 mpg) and I thought it must be something else.. Any thoughts?
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I would clean the:

 

Mass Air Flow Sensor (With MAF Cleaner)

Throttle Body Plate (With Carb Cleaner)

Idle Air Control Valve (With Carb Cleaner)

Check Plugs and Plug Wires

Check Air Filter

 

I would start with these first and see if it helps clean it up

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I would clean the:

 

Mass Air Flow Sensor (With MAF Cleaner)

Throttle Body Plate (With Carb Cleaner)

Idle Air Control Valve (With Carb Cleaner)

Check Plugs and Plug Wires

Check Air Filter

 

I would start with these first and see if it helps clean it up

 

Definitely do this because it can only help, but its the shaking that worries me. Under what circumstances does the car shake exactly?

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Automatic or manual? If it's a manual might need to have the clutch replaced.

 

I know in my moms old 99 Mazda 626 (PIECE OF SH!T) when the clutch was on its way out not only would it slip very slightly it would shudder no matter what gear you were in.

 

I noticed you are in Sherwood. If you need any help checking things out let me know.

 

Also I may have mis-read some of what you were saying. The engine isn't stalling/shaking? It's the car that is shaking?

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Yay finally another west sider on the forums lol all the ptown people are east siders.

 

I have to agree with what everyone else has said. No one said wheel bearings though...jack you car up and shake the wheel side to side, you should have no play.

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I have an automatic, and I am very familiar with the feeling of a slipping clutch, as I have replaced many in my day. I also had the wheel bearings checked out with the alignment, and it was fine. The shaking definitely seems to be coming from the drivetrain. Feels like its the engine mounts and/or the CV's.
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  • I Donated
I would clean the:

 

Mass Air Flow Sensor (With MAF Cleaner)

Throttle Body Plate (With Carb Cleaner)

Idle Air Control Valve (With Carb Cleaner)

Check Plugs and Plug Wires

Check Air Filter

 

I would start with these first and see if it helps clean it up

 

.....lol

 

^agreed

 

Also, if you drive agressivly then 17mpg isn't unreasonable. I've always got about 19 in my Legacy.

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

COME AND TAKE IT

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated
Check the drive shaft. I have heard of them wearing out can causing a hard vibration

 

I missed this post. Agree with this as well. Not quite the driveshaft though. Check the u-joints on the driveshaft.

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

COME AND TAKE IT

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • 2 weeks later...
So.. sorry to leave you guys hanging, but I just got it back from a Subaru only mechanic. The shaky acceleration was from the CV's. Apparently someone had put cheap aftermarket ones on in place of the real thing. The other problem with low gas mileage, they think, is a product of several things at play. The CV's, wrong sized cheap aftermarket ignition wires, and leaky valve covers. I'm going to give it a little tune-up and replace what I mentioned prior to see if that does the trick. I'm also going to replace the timing belt because I have no idea how old it is...
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  • 1 year later...
A couple years ago I sat on a bus next to a subaru mechanic and asked him what I should do to maintain my subaru and he said change the transmission fluid soon and often or it will shake on acceleration and once it starts it won't go away.
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