Mat Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 I have a 91 Legacy, !800cc single point injection. It has an intermittent fault, every few days it just dies. Symptoms are: It starts to missfire, and then in a few seconds dies off completely. If you sit there trying to start it for half an hour, it will eventually start, sometimes it runs really rough and dies again, but not very often, most of the time it just runs like nothing was wrong. Have had it trailered to the garage twice whilst dead, both times it just drove off the trailer with no problem. Most of the time there isn't even a fault code, and when there is its most of them, both sensors, crank and cam, injectors, 1, 2, 3 and four, not bad for a single point injection, etc. When trying to start it, sometimes, but not always, the check engine warning light flashes along with a relay under the dash, and I can hear the petrol pump hesitate with the flash and relay. Once I am sure that whilst trying to start it I turned the ignition off, but the injector carried on operating ( buzzing coming from the hrottle body). I have had the wiring under the dash tidied, the ignition relay changed, and the mass air flow meter in the throttle body chaged. Any ideas? I don't want to get rid of it as it has no other problems. Here in NZ we have to get a warrant of fitness for cars every 6 months and I decided to have that done before spending any more money on it. The dam thing passed with no problems or recomendations as it has done since we came back from the UK nearly three years ago and claimed it back from my step son. I really want to get this sorted it has been in and out of the garage who cannot find anything wrong with it. They have it at the moment and the manager is driving it trying to get it to break down. No luck so far and they have had it for 2 days. HEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!! please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subie Gal Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 bad sensor? cam sensor? crank sensor? something silly like that? when the check engine code flashed, what did it read? did you have the code pulled? Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted May 7, 2005 Author Share Posted May 7, 2005 bad sensor?cam sensor? crank sensor? something silly like that? when the check engine code flashed, what did it read? did you have the code pulled? Jamie I have had the codes pulled after every breakdown. sometimes no code, twice almost every possible fault code. Thats why I had the wiring done under the dash, my stepson had had an alarm with imobilisor fitted, and then taken out before he gave it back. The fitter left the wiring a mess, but we had no problems for over 2 years. Unfortunately it has broken down twice after the wiring was sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Unfortunately, diagnosing something like this is rather difficult. I'm not sure where I'd start with things. Have you pulled the plugs to see what they look like? It sounds electrical. What about coil pack or the ignitor....or possibly even the ECU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 I did'nt know there had been a 1.8 SPFI Legacy. Not much help, but my feeling is your problem has to do with the alarm being taken out in a sloppy fashion. Could it be that the "Test mode" connectors have been connected together when things were "tidied up" under the dash ? If Legacy 777 thinks this is a possible cause of what's happening, he would be the best person to help you find out if this is the case. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Not sure if the test connecters being connected would cause your problems, but it's possible about the alarm wiring being ripped out poorly might be causing your problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 I'll second that the sloppy ripping out of the alarm system (particularly the imobiliser) is a likely fault. As for there having been a 1.8 SPFI Legacy, I'm betting that being in New Zeland may have something to do with it. . . Everywhere but the US/Canada they generally go with smaller engines to save on fuel. (well, that's my guess anyway). Oh and is this an actual Legacy, or the Liberty that they sell the car as down there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted May 8, 2005 Author Share Posted May 8, 2005 Thanks everyone. It is in the workshop at the moment after it broke down three times in 4 Kms slightly worse than the previous once a week or so. It whent into the workshop dead on the back of a wagon and drove off it. They are now driving it around on errands and to go home so hopefully it will break down for them and they can diagnose it. I will post more here when I know it. I am not so sure about the alarm, it was fine for over 2 years after the alarm was removed and has only recently started with this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Posted May 31, 2005 Author Share Posted May 31, 2005 Thanks everyone for your help. The car was in the garage for three weeks with them using it as their daily runaround. The garage found no fault as it didn't break down for them. I got it back and it broke down the next day on my way to work. Ain't it always the way? But it was still dead when the garage got out to it. They traced all the faults back to the ecu, or its power supply. Plugging a second hand ecu in appears to have solved all problems. It hasn't broken down, or even misfired for almost a week now. Yeehaa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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