idle issue still unresolved!!

**c-lo** · #1: 03-30-2006, 05:01 PM

From what I've just been told from my service rep, my car (which idles at 700rpm) is functioning normal. States that when the car is warm it'll run anywhere from 650-700RPM.

So I says to him: "so why does my car shutter when it idles? I can sit in my car and feel the car shutter! I can stand outside my car when it's idleing and put my hand on the car and feel it shutter!!"

He had no response.

I'm Fuc#$%^ pissed

**PeterJMC** · #2: 03-30-2006, 05:36 PM

How bad is the shudder? I've read that a little bit of it is normal, I forget which post it was. I get it every now and then on my car.

**PGT** · #3: 03-30-2006, 05:42 PM

wrong forum n00b!!!!

**mwiener2** · #4: 03-30-2006, 06:35 PM

A boxer engine has a "rough" idle. It's not the engine running rough, it's the compaction of harmonics that build up into a vibration that is very noticeable. Even Porsche's do it. It's normal. Stop crying.

**pillboy** · #5: 03-30-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

A boxer engine has a "rough" idle.

I thought I read somewhere this layout was supposed to be smoother than a traditional in-line 4-cylinder? It is much smoother than my 2.2 liter Toyota with balance shaft...it shakes like a $20 whore needing a "fix". I am really happy the the idle quality on both of our 2.5's, NA and turbo. Now I have read that the sound of the boxer is different...it has been called both "agricultural" and "sewing machine-like" by the auto rags.

**Deer Killer** · #6: 03-30-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pillboy

I thought I read somewhere this layout was supposed to be smoother than a traditional in-line 4-cylinder? It is much smoother than my 2.2 liter Toyota with balance shaft...it shakes like a $20 whore needing a "fix". I am really happy the the idle quality on both of our 2.5's, NA and turbo. Now I have read that the sound of the boxer is different...it has been called both "agricultural" and "sewing machine-like" by the auto rags.

It is, just that badly idling produces unfamiliar vibrations. Not that this isn't "normal".. I don't know about "acceptable". If you datalog that car, at idle it's running everything in closed loop, and the timing/etc are jumping all over the place.. As usual, ECU issue.

Let me reiterate for like the 34235 time, a group of engineers between denso and subaru need to be fired.

**Bretm1** · #7: 03-30-2006, 07:27 PM

I think perhaps rather than the engine being smoother,you may have heard that the engine is lower thus helping the center of gravity.

It used to be that a rough idle was due to low vacuum,high compresion, aggressive cam, v8 engines.

It used to actually be cool. As mentioned above it is a boxer. I would like to get 200 posts. Thank you

**Scooter** · #8: 03-30-2006, 08:39 PM

Can't remember who said it, but I remember seeing someone post here that another cause of our less-than-perfectly-smooth idle is that we've got an unequal length header. (I assumed they were talking about the exhaust header?) The subsequent suggestion was that an aftermarket equal-length header would smooth things out. This is my first Subaru, and I felt the idle to be a little disconcerting at first, but I've since been convinced that yes, it is NORMAL.

**PGT** · #9: 03-30-2006, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwiener2

A boxer engine has a "rough" idle. It's not the engine running rough, it's the compaction of harmonics that build up into a vibration that is very noticeable. Even Porsche's do it. It's normal. Stop crying.

That's a dick thing to say.

I stood there with Carlo while two qualified techs at another dealer listened to his car and agreed something was amiss. He's had recurring misfires, tracked down to a 'loose wire' on the coilpack.

**mwiener2** · #**10:** 03-31-2006, 12:15 AM

well then that's a real problem

**c-lo** · #**11:** 03-31-2006, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patagonian GT

That's a dick thing to say.

I stood there with Carlo while two qualified techs at another dealer listened to his car and agreed something was amiss. He's had recurring misfires, tracked down to a 'loose wire' on the coilpack.

beat me to it. guess I should've brought that up to begin with. otherwise, the car runs fine. No more "misfire codes from a loose wire

" so I guess they truly fixed something. HOWEVER, this rough idle was an issue a month ago when the car went in .

I understand waht you are saying mweiner, but once this idle issue was pointed out to me by the 2 techs, I realized that this is something a little more involved.

car is going to another shop. Fu@# those guys.

**Scooter** · #**12:** 03-31-2006, 06:57 AM

My apologies then, too, for jumping to conclusions. But yeah, you neglected to mention wire misfire thing originally which might have helped us keep from embarrassing ourselves. Good luck with the next shop!

**c-lo** · #**13:** 03-31-2006, 07:02 AM

^ honestly, I don't even think the misfire (#4) had anything to do with it. if it did than the "master tech" who worked on my car aint' no master tech since he didn't finish the job.

I'm starting to wonder if I even got my oil changed yesterday. Whole point of me going in was to fix the idle. Oil change was secondary. Oh well.

**rao** · #**14:** 03-31-2006, 07:06 AM

Does it do it with the AC off?

**Legacy05** · #**15:** 03-31-2006, 07:29 AM

When I had my second fuel injector go bad, my car was idling really rough, when I took it in. They didn't see anything out of the norm (they hook it up to diagnostic equipment and took it for a spin) a week later my check engine light came on for cylinder misfire. Turns out the injector did go bad

again ... they two that went bad failed internally. My car has been good now for over 10k miles.