sasquatch

so...........the problem is gone. Yesterday after pulling the codes and getting the purge solenoid and injector #4 I just made the connections were on properly. Afterward it was still running very rough and this morning on my way to work it was bad. Getting in it after work? She ran great. I am relieved that this would seem to indicate the problem isn't too serious. Sticky injector? What do you think?

240K on my 90 Legacy, just starting weeping a little.

sorry I didn't mention it before, but yes, the CEL has been on periodically since all this started. The wires are not OEM but again, since the wires were installed the car WAS running fine for a time before the problem resurfaced.

I finally pulled the codes today and got a 17--Fuel Injector #4 and a 35--Purge control solenoid valve Think I've found my problem?

When they go bad, what kind of symptoms might you expect? Anyone have one for a '90 Legacy?

Thank you for being the only person to reply. The plug wires are only a couple weeks old and as far as a hotter plug, I do have the recommended plugs in the vehicle, but what plugs do you recommend? Which are "hotter"? I swear after all the tinkering yesterday the car is running a little better though I don't know why and I'm not convinced that one cylinder isn't fubar'd. Until I see white smoke tho' I'm going to keep trying. Does cam sensor failure cause similar symptoms?

I got home today, pulled the plugs, gaped them, shined up the contact points and put them back in...it didn't work this time. The plugs actually look normal....hmph. I had heard that the cam sensor can cause a similar symptom so I took it and the crank sensor out, removed the grime on them and reinstalled.....nada. The car is still running rough. Ideas? I tried to pull the OBDI codes and couldn't figure out which plugs to connect/disconnect. I've done it before but it has been quite awhile....I've never found OBD1 codes all that helpful anyway.

I'm using NGK plugs currently...can't remember which ones off hand...end in 11 I think.

I have a '90 Legacy Wgn with 240K. About three months ago it started shaking at idle and had a VERY rough spot around 40mph. It felt like the car was missing, not a fuel thing. I just happened to have the right spark plugs on my shelf, put them in and it worked just fine. Last month the symptoms returned. I put in a new fuel filter and plug wires but that didn't do the trick. I then pulled all the plugs, shined them up with sandpaper, reinstalled, and the car was back to running right. This weekend we took this car on a 400 mile trip over White Pass loaded with camping gear. The car was running hot at the top of the pass (I suspect bad themostat as it was aftermarket). When we got to the camp spot, I took out the thermostat and took the car for a ride and the motor no longer got hot but then the rough running was back. I pulled the plugs and tried to clean them again, but I didn't have sandpaper and had to use the green part of a kitchen sponge. :dead:The car is still running rough. It did make it all the way back home though (I LOVE this old car). There is no doubt in my mind that I have weak compression in at least one cyl but I haven't checked yet. The car is not smoking nor is there any white residue in the oil. When I get home today I'm going to see if I can borrow a compression tester from the neighbor and try the sandpaper trick and regap the plugs. What the heck do y'all think might be wrong??

they are NGK plugs...car is running fine now...fwiw, I pulled the plugs again, shined them up (again) but this time made sure the gap was right, and now she's all better. She's a tempermental girl.

A couple months ago my wife came home complaining that our 90 Legacy was running rough. The plugs were kind of fouled and so I swapped them out and voila, running well again. Two days ago after I'd gotten some gas about 5 miles later it started running like it was missing. It develops a bad shake at about 45mph that goes away if you let off of accelerator. In park other then a bit of a rough sound at about 2k it revs just fine, it is only when it is driving. Thinking it was spark related, I pulled the plugs, shined up the contact points, put new wires on. Then to make sure there wasn't a fuel issue I put in some fuel line antifreeze and changed the fuel filter. I drove it about 15 miles and no change. HELP

bump

I just drove the car around today and took it to a softball game and the car behaved just fine and threw now codes...I haven't messed with the plugs though to try and pull the codes for myself. It pulls strong right up to the redline in all the gears, no creaks or groans in the chassis, newish struts/clutch/tires. 4wd engages and disengages w/o any ominous sounds.

Looks like it also threw a code 11 crank angle sensor..what am I in for there. I have to talk to the previous owner but she said the shop she took it to "disabled" the CEL. How do you suppose they did that?

so, the car was brought over today...the interior is PERFECT...no rips, cracks, NADA. No dents to the body bigger then a fingernail. The headlights aren't even cloudy. I drove it, motor and tranny seem fine (I'll do a compression test tomorrow), 4wd engaged and seemed to operate prefectly. The previous owner had the error codes pulled which they listed as 34 EGR & 24 Idle air bypass problem. For $800 even though I'm currently unemployed I'm not sure I can pass this up. What should my next steps be?

Look what I found....sticky maybe? http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/

Thanks for the quick reply...on my Legacy you check the blinks of the engine light itself (OBD-I right?) where am I checking for this light and where might I find a way to translate the blinks? How easy is it to get to the ECU? I'm hoping it's just something like the EGR.

A friend of the family wants to part with her 1992 Loyale Wagon. She wants $600 for it. It has 270K miles but the car drives very nicely and has newer axles, alternator, tires, etc. etc. Motor compression is fine. It is throwing a CEL and she doesn't want to chase down what it is. I really don't need another car (my '90 Legacy w/225K is still going strong thank you) but I'm thinking a $600 AWD car w/o rust or tranny probs? How bad can the CEL be? Anybody have a link for checking codes on this car? Thanks for any help/opinions/things to look for

crap...I think I found my answer...when I was reconnecting the temperature control cable I don't think I put back that little clamp as it was a HUGE pain to get to.....ugh...I have to tear apart my dash again....Whaddaya think? Is that my culprit?

I recently swapped out the climate control panel on my '90 Legacy. None of the buttons on my old one were doing anything (defrost, heat, vent, etc). They one I bought used didn't have quite the same wiring harness and the wires didn't have the same color coding. I was able to adapt in so that everything works EXCEPT the slider bar to control the air temperature now does nothing. The slider connects to a little cable and I can feel that is connected by grabing it where it snakes just under the glove box and pulling it, I can see the slider/temp control move....so, the cable is connected but even in the all the way "hot" position, nothing but really cold air............what the heck did I do? Help?

The ever popular MAF or look for vacuum line issues....lots of threads on dealing with MAF issues, use "search"

I'm still baffled about the "losing control on a wet road and sliding sideways"..you were in a Subaru?

That my friend sounds like a hydraulic lash adjuster that is sticking...pull of the valve cover, you'll see them right on top, they look like little upside down buckets...they should have a little up and down play, look for one that doesn't...give it a couple taps with a rubber mallet to see if it comes free....mine used to do that periodically

The lash adjuster is probably just sticking a little...nothing to worry about...it'll probably free itself up....pretty easy to check once you have the valve cover off.

I vote vacuum leak if it is always having a little trouble at idle, IAC if only when cold.