96 Legacy - EJ22 engine dies???

My 96 Legacy has this peculiar problem in that the engine just cuts outs. This doesn't happen on short trips but usually after a long drive and then when I get caught in traffic.

All I do to get going is put the car in neutral (It's an auto) and restart the car and continue on. Sometimes after this, the engine will start to die then pick up and I then drive without a problem. Once in traffic the engine died 3 or 4 times within minutes but then seemed ok when I get back on the freeway.

 

Has anyone else had this problem or anybody with ideas on what could be going on? I have cleaned the MAF sensor and checked connections on other sensors. Took the car to a Suby dealer but no codes were thrown up.

Go on youtube and watch the videos for a bad/dirty idle air control valve. Does that match your symptoms? I think that would throw a code, however (not sure):

Go on youtube and watch the videos for a bad/dirty idle air control valve. Does that match your symptoms? I think that would throw a code, however (not sure):

 

It won't on an older car like that. The iac is simply an output. No diagnostic input feed or rationality in the pcm.

 

IACVs are infamous for going ballistic really. Everyonce in a while mine will rev the car to 3 grand while im coasting in neutral (5mt) and has a tough time decreasing the rpm after that till the next heat cycle.

 

The other two things you could potentially be looking at.. and im leaning towards this because of you say it happens after a while of driving; either a torque converter that isnt coming out of lockup and essentially forcing the car to stall -or- an issue with a coil pack. Ive seen more than one intermittently drop spark when they get hot. They tend to be tortured pretty bad sitting on top of the manifold and it wouldnt be a far stretch to imagine thats the case.