My husband owns a 2000 Subaru Impreza with 55,000 miles, and for the past month and a half, the check engine light has been lit. The engine sounds like it's going to die. it's coughing and hacking; and sounds like it's going to stall. When you step on the gas, nothing happens for a couple of seconds, and then the car picks up speed all of a sudden. I swear, it feels like the gas is not getting to the engine.
We've brought it in to 3 different mechanics, and each time, something different is replaced, the car will run ok (not fine, but not as bad as it was) for a week, and the problem will return.
the check engine light has started flashing this past week, and we're really concerned because no-one seems to know what is wrong. Suggestions range from the idle valve to the knock sensor. I've read somewhere that the solenoid is a problem with this type of car, but the thing has been replaced twice in the last year.
We're going out of our minds; every time we pay for repairs we think the problem is fixed, and two days later it comes back worse than ever.
Please help!!!