grimaceNMike Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I am having a new issue with grimace. Within the last three days a new symptom has come up with my car, and I have read on this forum few times "if it's not broke don't fix it", so now I need help figuring out what to fix. I got my car for free from a friend in 2010, it ran okay but I didn't know much about Subarus four years ago, the previous owner told me that I didn't need to worry about the check engine light because the car was going to die in the next six months anyways. I drove it around as my daily driver for about two years without any real issues and I even started to rely on my car. About two years ago I decided to check into what the CEL was about, three longs and two shorts : oxygen sensor. I bought a new sensor and went under the car to put it on, when I went under the car I found a nub that once was my oxygen sensor.. My guess is someone forgot to plug it back into the ecu and it wrapped around the axle and it snapped off. By the signs of corrosion my guess would be that this had happened years before I found it. I replaced it, and reset my ecu. The CEL went away for a few miles but came back, when I connect the green test connectors under my dash the CEL goes away completely, when I disconnect them it comes back with the same oxygen sensor circuit open. But driving has been fine for a year at least, till three days ago when I started it after work. The engine turned over and quickly jumped to 2200rpms then dropped down to 200-300rpms, then back up to 1200. It kept bouncing up and down so I gave it some gas and it calmed down, I put it in gear and started my trek home. At every red light it tried to stall when it began to idle, I had to give it gas to keep it from an idle but then all of a sudden the rpms would jump up an extra 2grand and lurch the car forward, so I had to hold the brake with my left foot, I was two footed driving all the way home. The next morning it ran fine for 10-15 minutes until it started to stutter on the road @30mph. I pulled over and turned the car off, then back on and it drove another couple miles without issue. It doesn't seem to matter if the car is warm or not. I feel a back pressure building when accelerating and the engine sounds like it's missing. I've checked all of the vacuum lines I can find, i sprayed everything that breathes with maf cleaner and no surge of power, no hiss of leaks, spark plugs are a month old, NGK plugs and wires. I replaced the intake manifold gaskets, cam seals, oil pump o ring, and crank seal last month and the car had been running good since then. This morning I tried unplugging the maf connector while the car was running fine and it stalled immediately so I assume it's not that. My next guess is the catalytic converter.. With the oxygen sensor missing I think the car was running rich for years and I might have cooked my cat. It always heat ticks for at least 5 min after I turn the car off, seems super hot, and it's all white on the outside, ashy white. Can a clogged cat cause these intermittent issues?? Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Don't think it is a clogged cat. I have experienced that first hand, and all it does is prevent exhaust air flow, so rpm won't go much above 2500 rpm. Car would idle and accelerate fine to 2500 rpm, then like hitting a wall, would not let the car go faster. Plenty of people here know a lot more then me, but from reading, I would suspect a MAF problem. Other members here will bail you out. Just wait for their responses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimaceNMike Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 I'm gonna get a maf from the junkyard and a new fuel filter from the store. Any other ideas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Maybe not your issue, but it's an easy thing to check, on the bottom of the air intake line are some hoses, two of which lead to the valve covers. It's easy for one or more of these hoses to come off during work without being noticed. Then it allows air to bypass the MAF and could cause strange idling/running issues. On my '94 the plastic T on the intake that those hoses hook too had cracked off so I JB Welded it back together. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 could be 2 issues but, it kinda seems like one of them could be throttle position sensor? I wouldn't rule out the IACV being gummed-up. (the hose idea above is good) A vacuum gauge test could be something to pursue. It seems like youv'e had the timing covers off so, i assume you've check for a slipped cam/crank pulley? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimaceNMike Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) thanks everyone for the feedback! Texas for the win! Gunked up IAC valve. yay grimace! Edited October 20, 2014 by grimaceNMike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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