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88 Loyale hesitating on any slight uphill climb


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My Loyale, which I finally put on the road less than a month ago, has been going through a million issues, which I fix according to the priority of the problem. But it IS on the road!!!  

 

Current problem is reaching urgent.  As I try to recall from the '92 I had, it feels similar.   I believe I may either have fuel filter blockage, or injectors plugged.  

 

It now will hesitate fairly severely going up any type of incline, which I can push it through with more gas, but it kinda feels like a plugged fuel filter. Am doing that today or tomorrow, adding injector cleaner, and will see after that if it is resolved or not... 

Edited by LovemyGLWGN
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Change the fuel filter, that should take care of the uphill chugging. 

Also, I don't know if you have given it a tune up since you bought it, but new spark plugs and wires will make a big difference if yours are old and ratty looking. Change the air filter too. 

Performing these simple and obvious general maintenance tasks will increase your performance and gas mileage.

Make sure you buy NGK spark plugs and OEM wires. The motor was designed around the spark plug and wires, so use the proper parts. And yes, they will cost more than the cheapest thing you could possibly buy.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My Subaru is down, and nobody knows what to do to get it back to getting fuel. It started with a hesitant fuel problem, which came down to the fuel pump/pressure regulator located at the passenger real wheel. I ordered the fuel pressure regulator, and when it came in, had a wrong part.  The one I needed has the pressure regulator built into the fuel pump.  Returned part, and ordered the other one, but it wouldn't hook up, with the wiring harness. The mechanic bypassed clip, hookede it up, but the most it would do is to run briefly, then shut off, repeatedly. My wagon has now been parked, down, for a month nearly, and no clues in sight as to what to do.  Can I put an electronic fuel pump in place, or what can be bypassed, or what is this part that is missing? Help!

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You have a mechanic on the job and u are in here asking questions ?

 

Can you put the mechanic on the line ?

 

On mpfi subes, I think at the fuel pump at rear is a damper thing that could look like a pressure reg, but reg is at the end of a fuel rail - on mpfi - spfi have a pressure reg at the manifold ? Think I had one there on my import stuff. When it is only just running, you need a pressure reading taken to get an idea if it is still a fuel problem.

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If it is SPFI, disconnect the fuel line which comes from the outlet on the Fuel filter (Under the hood, on the driver side) that main feeder line runs to the base of the throttle body. Stick a Fuel Pressure Tester on it right there, and see what you have for pressure.

 

Is it possible, someone put the Main and Return lines on backwards when they changed the fuel filter? This will cause an almost no start situation. Also, when you turn the Key to "On" you should hear the humming of the Fuel pump priming the system. You you don't hear anything, or feel it vibrating, check or bypass the FP relay.

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You have a mechanic on the job and u are in here asking questions ?

 

Can you put the mechanic on the line ?

 

On mpfi subes, I think at the fuel pump at rear is a damper thing that could look like a pressure reg, but reg is at the end of a fuel rail - on mpfi - spfi have a pressure reg at the manifold ? Think I had one there on my import stuff. When it is only just running, you need a pressure reading taken to get an idea if it is still a fuel problem.

You have a mechanic on the job and u are in here asking questions ?

 

Can you put the mechanic on the line ?

 

No, he is lost as to what to try.  I told him I would come here and get ideas, and then ask him if he has tried...   (all of your suggestions).. it is possible the lines are switched as to flow, hadn't thought of that, and that is/ can be common... Thanks for thoughts!

 

He can try simple follow-ups and is generally a fair mechanic for most things, but I think I will trailer the car to another person who is an hour from here, but who would be testing pressure and flow and more... and have the equipment in his shop to do it, too. 

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For SPFI - There is the fuel pump at the back.  There is a damper thing in the line, it is not a regulator.  It won't stop the car from running.

 

Swapped lines would, I expect, cause no start, from the sound of it. 

 

Apply reverse polarity to the fuel pump will make it run backwards, and won't start.  That one, I discovered unintentionally, but I know it for certain, as I tested it. 

 

Fuel pressure gauge good for at least 30PSI at the filter, good test.  Better Teed in.

 

I've never had to do anything with the pressure regulator, it would have to be in / on the throttle body.

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I once bought a Loyale with a bad FP relay.  It was sold because the mechanics couldn't figure out what the problem was.  It took me months to figure it out, as it was intermittent. 

 

Plug the green connectors together under the hood, and turn on the ignition.  If the relay is OK, the fuel pump will cycle and will be very obvious.  Try a hard wire direct from the battery to the pump to see if this makes it run.   If so, crawl under the dash and change the relay.

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I once bought a Loyale with a bad FP relay.  It was sold because the mechanics couldn't figure out what the problem was.  It took me months to figure it out, as it was intermittent. 

 

Plug the green connectors together under the hood, and turn on the ignition.  If the relay is OK, the fuel pump will cycle and will be very obvious.  Try a hard wire direct from the battery to the pump to see if this makes it run.   If so, crawl under the dash and change the relay.

Thanks!  Will test these possibilities before I end up trailering it to another town.  The other guy, who is more thorough, is 1 full hour away from me, and that is without pulling a trailered car!  I know I had a gas leak, on the pump pressure regulator, by the rear passenger wheel, but I am trying to sort out what may have changed in this wagon, once that was installed... The mechanic who has it now is telling me there are 5 pressure regulators on this, and so, I know he is misinformed somewhere. Wish I had a schematic of this fuel system!

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There are PDF downloads of the entire Factory Service Manual, which will have everything you could imagine it in. I can't find a link at the moment, but someone might post it up.

 

Pretty much all the little round things, which are being called Regulators, are straight thru, with no restrictions. The round part stays filled with fuel (Probably so there isn't a hiccup with fuel delivery)

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Yes, assuming everything is original, there are pressure dampers every where. They are not regulators. There is one built right on an original fuel pump. I've had them rot out and leak. I came up with a mod to remove them and use an extra line Mounted one from a parts car.

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Yes, assuming everything is original, there are pressure dampers every where. They are not regulators. There is one built right on an original fuel pump. I've had them rot out and leak. I came up with a mod to remove them and use an extra line Mounted one from a parts car.

That is exactly what happened:  it rotted out and began to leak fuel, and it was built onto the original fuel pump. It may be the mod you used that I may end up needed...  

thanks.. I'll go see them tonight maybe, and start presenting what I've learned here.  THANKS

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  • 3 months later...

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