Csachs80 Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I have 98 Brighten, Legacy wagon with 175K. It has ceased to run... The spark is intermintent then nonexistant and the engine will not start until it rests a while and then only on 2 or 3 cylinders. We have access to a donor vehicle and have replaced the cam sensor then the crank sensor then the coil all with no effect. The vehicle has had good maintenance since I bought it new. The timing belt is current. I recently replaced the gas filler tube and check valve module. It has had plugs and wires within the last 50K that worked fine. I replaced the knock sensor as per a code warning. I should mention that the car sat unstarted, for 10 days in rainy weather. I then moved it to another spot in the driveway without a problem. My son took it to work the next day and then the engine quit after running on partial cylinders for a minute. I am hoping this sounds like a easy fix to some of you are familiar with the marque. Also I would likde to thank you for helping someone who just registered on this forum to get help. Thanks, Charlie in Pittsburgh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Try swapping out the igniter from your donor car. I believe it's a little black gizmo located center, up top right by the windshield in the engine bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Second the ignitor. If you know the problem is spark related that's the only thing you haven't changed, and that's what controls spark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 Yep - your ignitor is toast. Seen it happen due to water intrusion. I have no idea why Subaru doesn't mount these in the cabin . On the EJ swap I just did we had one fail from water - mounted the replacement in the cabin and all is well. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csachs80 Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 I just went to the shop to look for the ignitor. What looks like mine is a small black cube mounted on the passenger side shock tower with a short vacume line leading to another close-by unit. The cube has a three wire connector attached. There is no other module like item on the firewall that is ignition related. We didn't get the opportunity to swap the ignitor today but will in a day or 2. Fortunately the car will not be needed for at least a month. I just wanted to confirm if I found the ignitor or not. If it doesn't work out, even though it sounds like a very common failing, we will go the jumped tooth belt route. As a back up theory, my son says that the car running poorly for a minute in start up mode and then shutting down could be caused by the computer taking over and shutting off the spark because the out of position crank sensor. I will report back to those involved. Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 I don't think you found the igniter, wrong part. The igniter isn't on the firewall, just close to it. Unless I'm thinking wrong it's dead center right behind the throttle body and has more than 3 wires - like 5. No vacuum hoses to the igniter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csachs80 Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 We can't read codes in this condition. Check Eng has been on for a couple of months. It ran fine until this incident. In fact my son was taking the car to scan it when.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csachs80 Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 No spark by grounding plug. Did it. Stored codes: Evap and Misfire. Resisting nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 You're looking for this little black thing on the left. Only about 2" x 2" x 1/4". Dead center of the engine bay mounted to the dogbone mount bracket on the firewall. Put a timing light on it and seen if it strobes? I put a timing light on mine when it was running and got no strobe. Must have had a bad connection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csachs80 Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 Thanks all, I don't have access to the car since it is garaged some distance from me. We are prepared to attack the problem armed with the information you have provided. I will report back to you with the results. Also thanks for being patient with me and for resisting the urge to scold me and for not exibiting pomposity toward me (Gloyale this part doesn't pertain to you). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 i've seen cylinder misfires caused by aftermarket ignition wires cause a car to be nearly undrivable and hard to start. even seen it from brand new wires. if they aren't Subaru wires I'd swap another set on to check. these EJ engines are notorious unforgiving with plugs and wires for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 I see that everywhere so there must be some truth to it, but my 96 is running strong on the CarQuest plug wires that came on it when I bought it. Never have had any trouble with misfires except the one time I got the plug wells full of water while washing the engine down. And at that, all 4 were nearly full of water, only one was misfiring. Maybe I got the lucky set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Oh no fairtax not at all, you're not any luckier than the other tens of thousands of folks running with aftermarkets on EJ engines. don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that every single aftermarket set of wires installed will cause issues, that's silly. Aftermarkets have %XX success rate, whatever it is, it's less than the nearly %100 of OEM subaru's for the EJ motor series. Older gen subarus will run on speaker wire i think :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 If you have access to a used ignitor - plug it in and try it. It's worth the 5 minutes it will take to do that check. It's more likely to be something simple like an ignitor failure which is not common but is not unheard of either. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csachs80 Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 That's it. Jr. got around to swapping out the ignitor. Runs Fine. Now I must find one on line. I did a search at an online dealer, Auto parts Warehouse, and the part is not know under the name Ignitor. Tried module, no luck. I'll stop at the Suby dealer on my way home and if the part is not too expensine I'll get it there. Sorry I strung this out so long. I have a wife in a wheelchair from a recent fall at work and I,m busier than ever. On the Airheads BMW list we also enjoy solving problems and help owners avoid dealer repairs. Yes, we have cyberbullyies there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Ignitor (Ignition Control Module) is $175+ at the online places I checked (Rock Auto and Subaru Online Dealer). Dealer list price is $255. Many here suggest getting one from an auto salvage yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Igniter assembly 22438AA041 alternate: 22438AA042 '93, October — '94, June 22438AA043 alternate: 22438AA044 '94, July — '95, June '94, November — '96, June '95, December — '97, July '96, July — '98, May https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/oe_parts_cat.html >electrical >ignition system >ignihter $186 plus shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Go find one (or three) in a U-pull-it junkyard. I think the place I go to charges like $15 for an ignition module. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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