SilverSeraphim

Ok! My car is finally fixed. After I put the spark plugs in and drove around with them for a bit I read my codes and all the misfire codes were gone. The only code left was code P0172 Bank 1 Too Rich. I finally took it in to Subaru and they put a new O2 sensor in. Immediately my car stopped hard idling and drives perfectly now. =]

Ok. New plugs are in. We tested the wires and they didn't need to be replaced so I'm going to return those. Also, we changed the oil. The problem is much better now, but it definately still there. I can drive mostly normally now, but it still starts to misfire if I'm driving hard. There is also still oil leaking around the plugs/boots. The guys at Autozone said the same thing as you Downbound, and I actually have an extra valve cover gasket. I just don't know how to put it in. Is that something I can do or do I need to take it to a shop for that?

Yeah, I'm not gonna try anything like that til I get this misfire sorted out. =]

Which board is the CEL on? Someone told me I might be able to solder a new one on. Since it's just the little bulb thing that's clipped off (with a pliers or wire cutter).

Thanks for all the input guys. I really appreciate it. grossgary - Yeah, it was at the very bottom of the dipstick, so I went ahead and filled it back up. montana105 - Where can I get the right tools to do a compression test? Should I rent that from Autozone or what? Should that be the first step, or should I put in the new plugs and wires first? cookie - My friend said that same thing and said that he'd help me check those while putting in the new plugs and wires. =] Mikevan10 - Good idea, I'll check the contacts for the coil pack when putting on the new wires. I'll clean up that oil at the same time. FYI: My Check Engine Light does NOT work. Before I bought this car used, someone (previous owner or dealer) clipped the light/diode/LED/whatever it is off of the board so I don't know when it's tossing errors except to stop at Autozone and ask them to pull errors (which is free luckily). Subaru wanted over $500 to put in a new board and I said no way. Thanks for all the advice guys. It's making a huge difference and is really helpful. Please let me know if there's anything else I should know or be doing. I'll keep you posted as things turn out. I'll be working with my buddy Thursday afternoon to put in the new plugs and wires, so we'll see what we find out.

Ok, I got major issues now. I decided on a whim to check my oil and it was WAY too low. So I refilled it and started looking for a leak. And I think I found it. I was pulling out the wires and the boot at the end of the wire going to the #1 plug was covered in oil. Now I'm no expert, but I'm positive that oil is NOT supposed to be there. I think it's more likely that THAT is my problem, than that all four spark plugs are bad. This is turning into a huge mess. I think before this is over I'm going to have to take my engine apart. =[ Any thoughts?

How much does window tinting generally cost? I've been wanting to look into it for a while and just didn't get around to it. =P

Ok, well I'll see if I can find time to get those new plugs and wires in tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it turns out, thanks for all the help. =]

Alright, well I'm gonna try putting in the new plugs and wires. They aren't that expensive and at least it will help me figure out what the problem is. Then I'll clear the codes and see if it tosses those errors again. If it does, I'll try another coil pack. Hopefully it won't come to replacing the fuel injectors, but I've got a bad feeling about that O2 sensor. =[ An O2 sensor error can be a side effect of my exhaust being too rich due to the misfires right?

So do you think I am better off to replace the plugs, but keep the wires that are already in there? I don't know if they are Subaru wires or not, is there a marking on them that can identify them as Subaru or not? *sigh* I suppose I better get an ohmmeter and test the old wires rather than put in these ones then. What about the plugs I got? You think Bosch Platinum plugs will be ok or should I just take my car in to Subaru and let them work on it. I hate to give up in the middle of this, cause Subaru doesn't exactly do work for cheap, but it seems I might have to. If my EJ25 is really that sensitive, I don't wanna F it up. I guess I'll go ahead and make an appointment. I think this is a bigger problem than I am going to be able to fix. As for your other question. I have had a new clutch put in 2 weeks ago, but this problem was happening before that. Over th past month it's been increasing in regularity. About 6 months ago it would happen once in a blue moon, then go away for a month. About 2 months ago it would happen a few times a week. Now it happens everyday. It doesn't seem to be any better or worse whether it is raining or not, and as far as I know my charging system is fine. I haven't had any trouble with my battery or alternator, but honestly I haven't exactly been watching for it either. - Silver

I got Duralas wires from Autozone, and they say "Vehicle specific design for reliable performance" so I think I'm good. =] I'm sorry, "coil pack"? I haven't heard that term before. Could you explain what that is?

I have a 2002 Impreza 2.5RS and it's currently tossing misfire codes for all 4 cylinders as well as a O2 sensor code, but that could just be due to the misfires. Lately it's been acting like this: If I drive like a girl, shift at 3-4000 rpms and generally don't put any stress on the car, it acts ok. But as soon as I try to actually drive, revving up higher and hard acceleration, it starts losing power after 5-10 minutes. It begins to hard idle and to get going from a stopped position I have to rev up past 3000 rpms so that I don't stall. While driving in say 4th gear, I can slowly push the pedal down more and more without much noticable acceleration gain, though it does start to chug (sometimes so hard that the tachometer visibly bounces). When I finally get the pedal to the floor, something goes right and I can accelerate, but the acceleration I get is about what I should get from having hte pedal HALF way down, not ALL the way down. I just bought new spark plugs and wires, and I'm going to put them in this week. I already tried getting a bottle of Fuel Injector Cleaner that you mix with your gas, and that didn't seem to help at all. If these new plugs and wires don't fix my misfires, it's got to be either that O2 sensor or the injectors right? Any insight, or ideas would be helpful. =] Thanks. - Silver