l75eya Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Yeah, it's Sunday. Relax day. Day before the whole routine sets off for another spin, back to Friday, and then another set of relaxation. But I own a Subaru. And it's over a quarter of a century old. And it's parked on the Monday side of the street cleaning schedule. And tomorrow is Monday. And yesterday, my car wouldn't start. Well, it wouldn't re-start. It started, idled, was warming up, and then sputtered and died, and then it wouldn't start again. I'll deal with it tomorrow,I told myself. Thankfully I have another Subaru and it's only 22 years old. Well, tomorrow is today and it's raining and it's freezing out, and I'm sick and hacking up giant wads of what look like teenage mutant ninja turtle skin. And I'm laying on the couch very comfortable and warm. And I'm procrastinating and dragging my rump roast mindlessly scouring this awesome message board, and typing up this rambling ramble, but I know that I have to dress up warm here in a few, go outside, get soaked, and open that hood for the millionth time, and tinker on that flat 4 for the millionth time, and troubleshoot, and get stumped, and figure it out, and fix it, and drive another 700 or so trouble free miles till the next exciting surprise crops up. Daily driving a 27 year old car is an exercise in masochism. That's what it seems like sometimes anyways, but I know as soon as there's snow covering the ground, all will be forgiven and I'll have a huge smile on my face -if it starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Not sure if you still need help with this, but I'm going to move it to the old gen forum (assuming the issue is with your Loyale) where others can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 This was meant to be in the off topic forums. That's why it's so lazily written. Thanks for the kind intentions, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaudean Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 So what's up you get it going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Pretty sure it's a flakey fuel pump. Random stalls, then it will start again and idle for a few seconds before it stalls out again. Let it sit for a little while and it'll start and run normal again till it happens again randomly. I've noticed my idle change a lot. Sometimes it'll idle real low, sometimes it'll idle at 1800 rpms. All at the same idle setting. Makes me think the fuel pump is sometimes putting out weak pressure and sometimes good pressure. Sometimes not enough pressure to even run. I know it's not the carb, it's a new Weber, been on for id say 6 months. New fuel filter when it was installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerandt Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hey 175eya. Yeah that sucks. When a car becomes unreliable. Makes me nervous driving around. Paranoia sets in. Anyways what kind of trouble shooting have you done? When it quits have you shot a little starter fluid in the carb to confirm it is a fuel issue? I put a weber on my '87 wagon and added an in-line filter just before the carb so now it has two. The new filter you installed was it under the car by the pump? I did replace my pump a couple years ago after it left me stranded. Car just quit with no warning signs (mid winter?). Someone suggested it could be water freezing in the fuel. I ended up changing out the pump (Napa) and factory filter and she came back to life. Never really figured out what the actual problem was and that was before the weber was installed. Another note; my weber has a fuel cut-off solenoid does yours? Good luck with the trouble shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Kerandt, Losing the reliability does suck, don't know if I'm going to get stuck somewhere or not! I'm going to be using the car either today or tomorrow because there's a blizzard moving in, and it's too much fun to resist plus I'm stupid, so I'll be out there. Will grab a can of starter fluid and give that a shot if and when it stalls out. Somebody else has suggested the clear in line filter as well, which is a great idea and I'll probably pick one up and toss that in as well. I don't think mine has a fuel solenoid, the only electronics on it that I'm aware of is the choke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooner Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 EJ it. Ha I hate intermittent problems. I'll bet it's the fuel pump, get under there and hit it with something haha. I heard on NPR today about the fantastic blizzard that is going to hit the east coast tonight...that's exciting! Wish I could say it was snowing here in Cheyenne...but it was 65 today with no wind and almost 70 tomorrow. I'll take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Wow, surprisingly I haven't heard that on the board lately :-P The past two times (yesterday being the second time) I went to put fuel in the car, the filler pipe was presumably blocked, too. Wtf. Each time the gas nozzle would click off almost immediately and if I kept going gas would start overflowing. Each time I grabbed my breaker bar and whacked on the pipes in the wheel well and eventually I was able to add fuel. Related? Unrelated? Frozen moisture in the pipes? Vapor? I'm at a loss for that one too. Anyways I was out for hours having fun in the snow and had zero issues with the car. Happy about that but also confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Really wasn't much snow though, but it was fun! Still need to fix that dim headlight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaru Jack Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Hi 175, I'm having a similar issue on my car still running a Hitatchi, what got it started again was blowing compressed air through the fuel line to the fuel filter. It died again today, but I think I may have found the answer. Apparently the rubber fuel lines can have interior cracks and start to act like a one way valve and starve the engine, try replacing the rubber lines. I will as soon as I get some new tubing. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Loyale Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Dressed up properly with that new grill too. I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The past two times (yesterday being the second time) I went to put fuel in the car, the filler pipe was presumably blocked, too. Wtf. Each time the gas nozzle would click off almost immediately and if I kept going gas would start overflowing. Each time I grabbed my breaker bar and whacked on the pipes in the wheel well and eventually I was able to add fuel. Related? Unrelated? Frozen moisture in the pipes? Vapor? I'm at a loss for that one too. Rusted filler pipe allowing water into the fuel???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Looks solid. Didn't fall apart the two times I rapped it with the breaker bar. I'll take a closer look though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Do the Subaru's have the "roll-over anti-siphon valve" in the fill tube? I don't recall anything as to whether they do or not. I have had issues with those on other vehicles, especially in colder times of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godsmulligan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I had a problem like that. Ended up having to jump the wires in that little blue or black box under the dash by the hood release. Somehow after I jumped it, it worked again. Still not sure what was wrong with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I had a problem like that. Ended up having to jump the wires in that little blue or black box under the dash by the hood release. Somehow after I jumped it, it worked again. Still not sure what was wrong with it. You bypassed your fuel pump control unit. OK, but leaves Auto choke unpowered and leaves fuel pump pumping even when engine stopped in crash, rollover etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godsmulligan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 You bypassed your fuel pump control unit. OK, but leaves Auto choke unpowered and leaves fuel pump pumping even when engine stopped in crash, rollover etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godsmulligan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 You bypassed your fuel pump control unit. OK, but leaves Auto choke unpowered and leaves fuel pump pumping even when engine stopped in crash, rollover etc. I didn't run a jumper. I just jumped it. After I got the car running, I disconnected the hot wire I was using and the car kept running. Not exactly sure how it worked, but it did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mechanical_misfit Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I've been through a lot of this lately as well. christmas eve the engine in my truck seized up, so The Desert Fox, my `84 DL has been my main transport. I'm lucky that I can carpool some days, but others its a 62 mile round trip. First it was the lack of heat that was getting to me. I ended up patching multiple holes in the floor, what was left of the rockers, and door bottoms. Then had to fill all the voids with expanding foam to try to keep the heat in. It was just this weekend that I realized i had put a few self taping screws through the cars harness to the rear. I had one tiny nick in a bunch of wires, that had been corroded from the hole in the rocker. This caused a miss diagnosed bad fuel pump, that i had to replace while laying in the snow last week. So yesterday, i spent some time fixing wires and adding my steel to the floor and more spray foam to the voids. I've also now got a failing rear diff mount, and dont know where to get a replacement. I really wish I could just retire the old Fox to sand dune and summer duty, but it keeps my commute interesting if anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 You bypassed your fuel pump control unit. OK, but leaves Auto choke unpowered and leaves fuel pump pumping even when engine stopped in crash, rollover etc. he might not have totally bypassed the control unit ..maybe bridged the power in to power out to get power to both auto choke and fuel pump , only effectively bypassing the safety aspect. C'mon, how often is it gonna roll or be in another type of accident ?? Seriously though, an alternative to the genuine box is an item used in propane conversions, an electrical safety switch box cheaply available in Australia anyway about A$40 that runs off a coil signal, has a prime timer for five seconds or so for starting, then needs coil signal to continue supply, has about a 10A or more delivery ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Car started running bad/stalling again yesterday. Went about 100 miles running fine. Noticed when it started running shoddy that the idle dropped (if it would idle at all) to around 200 rpms, and the temp climbed up pretty high as I imagine a lean condition would make it do. Probably going to order a replacement pump soon. Anybody got a good suggestion to run with the Weber? I just did 75 highway miles too and it was running fine. Weirdest thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Still intermittent rough running. Got a chance to check out the clear fuel filter while the car was chugging and barely (Barely) idling. Clear fuel filter looked like it was getting constant fuel supply. Fuel level in it wasn't changing. Makes me wonder if a new fuel pump will be tossing money to nothing.Not finding any vac leaks..Only lead I have to go on is a weak alternator that sometimes has trouble maintaining good voltage at idle....Anybody on the east coast want to buy an 87 GL? I'm getting tired of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 New fuel pump is in. I noticed that my clear fuel filter is full while running, instead of 3/4 full with the old pump.Still having trouble, though. The car does not want to idle. It will rev fine, and run around town in gear with my foot in the pedal fine.If I hold her around 2k, you can hear it just randomly missing.I'm thinking the missing is just too much to overcome at idle and that's why it stalls, but won't stall while running higher rpm.Though in the past it did just die on me a few times...Going to put new plugs in next, check out the condition of the old ones. Check the timing out too. Can't think of much else.Hard starting lately, once started it runs pretty smooth with my foot on the gas. As it warms up though it starts running more roughly. Hoping it's not a head gasket.How can I check? Aside from the bubbles in the radiator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Cleaned out the primary and secondary idle jets on the Weber. Car ran great. Went for a drive, back to running rough. Cleaned out the primary, again. Didn't see anything (either time) but poked a thin wire through the orifices and blew air through them. Ran okay but still some missing. Didn't bother taking it for another drive because I had a feeling it was just going to start running rough again. Clear filter shows no debris. I'm at a loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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