Bad intermediate engine issues, Bucking, no power please help :(

I got my legacy just 6 months ago and i done all the usual maintenance you do when buying a second hand car, Fluids, filters, pcv etc

 

It also needed a new water pump and radiator (split near the return), the previous owner assured me it had not been overheated and i believe him as i drove it home well over 2 hours without it overheating or losing much water.

 

Anyway just this last month it's been giving me some issues, it all started with a crank no start condition, quickly traced the issue down to be the cam shaft position sensor and all was good again for about a week when a new issue started,

 

It will suddenly without warning lose 90% of it's power and the engine will buck around like a bull on acceleration and the vibration gets worse on idle, Everytime it has happened i have turned off the engine and checked for spark which was fine and after having the engine off it will start and run smoothly again, this will happen every other day at any speed.

 

I'm not getting any CEl codes and so far i have replaced the knock sensor(had a crack and was original part) fuel filter, plugs (NGK BKR6E-11) & leads, tried a different coil pack & Igniter and i have plenty of fuel every time this happens

 

I'm at a total loss and now my friends car has started doing the same

 

I've searched google but i don't know what to look for or what keywords to use.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you!

year?

model?

engine?

trans?

miles?

color?

year?

1995

 

model?

Liberty/Legacy

 

engine?

EJ22

 

trans?

4EAT

 

miles?

280k

 

color?

RED..

Sorry, I thought most of that would of been obvious as I'm posting in a 2nd gen legacy board? I may be wrong but they all had EJ22's ?

my 95 wagon has ej22. my 96 GT sedan has ej25. much difference. 95 also has its own set of quirks that 96 doesnt.

 

as for the issue you have, i havent experienced anything like that, so wouldnt have a good answer for you. when it is freaking ut, are you seeing any codes or dummy lights come on the dash?

my 95 wagon has ej22. my 96 GT sedan has ej25. much difference. 95 also has its own set of quirks that 96 doesnt.

 

as for the issue you have, i havent experienced anything like that, so wouldnt have a good answer for you. when it is freaking ut, are you seeing any codes or dummy lights come on the dash?

 

 

My bad, I guess my ignorance led me to believe they were all the same.

 

Sorry johnegg

 

No lights, no CEL, just feels like it's running on 2 cylinders thats the only way i can describe it :/

Hello;

I would start with the fuel pump, sock, and underhood filter first. Steven.

does the ''check engine'' light come on with all the other dash lights

when you turn the key to on, just before you start it?

 

if no,

have the codes read.

you bulb is bad or missing.

 

in the US the 95 is an obd2 set up.

which needs a code reader.

also, here you can have the codes read at most all parts store for free.

does the ''check engine'' light come on with all the other dash lights

when you turn the key to on, just before you start it?

 

if no,

have the codes read.

you bulb is bad or missing.

 

in the US the 95 is an obd2 set up.

which needs a code reader.

also, here you can have the codes read at most all parts store for free.

 

No CEL codes, it does come on before starting and goes away when running. Connected the connecters under the dash and get a steady flashing light so no codes...

Connected the connecters under the dash and get a steady flashing light so no codes...

if the car is obd2 like the 95 legos in the US,

you cannot flash the codes with the connectors.

you have to use a code reader.

 

if however it is obd1, then you know more than i do since i have never worked on one.

 

if there are no codes

then i would look at the fuel pump as mentioned.

it makes since.

if the car is obd2 like the 95 legos in the US,

you cannot flash the codes with the connectors.

you have to use a code reader.

 

if however it is obd1, then you know more than i do since i have never worked on one.

 

if there are no codes

then i would look at the fuel pump as mentioned.

it makes since.

 

It's definitely obd1 / ssm1

 

I've had a friends scan tool connected to it once and it only supported an obd1 connection and we could not retrieve any codes through this method in the past but i have had success with flashing the light to get a code for a bad cam sensor.

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I'll look into the fuel pump and report back soon.

I had a fuel injector connector pop off once, caused a similar issue. Pull em and clean the connections clip em back down. Also look for carbon tracks in the ends of the spark plug boots in the motor. They will pass a normal spark test outside of the engine but ground out when stuffed back in.

This sounds similar to a problem I'm having with my 94 Legacy (2.2 L non-turbo). At seemingly random intervals my car's engine will start missing and sometimes cut out completely. When the car is moving, I can usually return to normal operation by downshifting and pressing the accelerator (popping the clutch). If the engine dies after I have stopped, it is sometimes very hard to restart.

 

My efforts to fix the issue so far:

Replace spark plugs and wires (needed to happen anyway) - no effect;

Replace fuel filter and air filter - fewer hard starts and general better performance, but the problem persists.

 

I welcome any sage advice on this issue.

My putative next steps:

Clean MAF

Replace fuel pump

Replace fuel injectors

I had a problem like this 2 years ago. It ended up being the fuel injectors. Check the resistance on all the injectors. Iirc it's around 11.5 ohm. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. My car ran, but would have the same weird stuff happenning. My resistance went from 11.6 ohm on 1 injector, to 100 on another, and infinite on another.

Jeff

Update:

Cleaned MAF sensor

Replaced PCV valve

Cleaned throttle body

All resistances on the coil pack and injectors check out

Injectors click merrily even when the problem manifests itself at idle

Problem persists.

 

I'm going to try replacing the fuel pump and see if that fixes the issue. Sage advice is still welcome.

Paulzy, any progress with your Subaru?

Well i ended up replacing my fuel pump(Second hand free from a friend) + filter & put some injector cleaner through, so far so good...

 

Also done the same for my friends car, unfortunately that hasn't fixed the problem for him, Maybe his injectors are failing bad?

you can troubleshoot the injectors by measuring the resistance accross the injector's terminals and then by listening to them through a stethascope (replace the diaphram with an allen key to ad-hoc an automotive stethascope; or just listen through a screwdriver handle)

Installed a new fuel pump today. As often as not, the engine now catches itself before cutting out, but the problem seems to remain (atleast at idle.) I will try driving the car tomorrow and see what happens. I'm pretty stumped though.