Deeron
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Everything posted by Deeron
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Lucky T, I replaced the coolant temp sensor, fuel filter, air filter, 02 sensor, and purge control valve. I emptied the old fuel filter and found that it had some pretty nasty looking gas in there - rusty water must have gotten into the fuel system somehow. I'm wondering if bad fuel may have messed up the injectors? They all click when running, but perhaps the spray is poor? Is there way to test this? As for running those codes - that sounds like something that is way beyond my computer abilities. The timing belt check will be next, but I would think that the poor running condition would be worse if it had skipped a tooth, and that it wouldn't idle well when cold.
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Lucky Texan - I scanned for codes when I first started troubleshooting the engine. The 02 sensor and purge control solenoid valve were indicated, both of which have been replaced. The fuel efficiency increased somewhat after swapping the 02 sensor, but it's still not great. Is there a more in depth way of scanning for codes besides activating the blinking CEL light? Fairtax - I was planning on changing the timing belt this fall so I guess that might solve the issue. If the engine had compression that was so bad as to cause a misfire even when warm wouldn't the exhaust likely be smoking under most running conditions? There's really no smoke in the exhaust that I've noticed.
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I've been off the grid for a while, but I want to revive this one so I can finally get my car running right. Lucky Tex: what would cause low fuel pressure? A fautly fuel pump? The carb cleaner test revealed no vacuum leaks. Also, the exhaust definitely smells like gas. Any ideas anyone?
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Heartless: Yes I put in NGK spark plugs, but I don't remember the wire brand - I got them at NAPA. I don't think that it's a plug and wire issue, since it runs smooth until the engine is warm, which make me think that it is a problem with some part the engine and/or emission controls. I don't want to keep swapping out sensors and controls because the cost could really add up. Could it be the ignition coil causing these problems somehow or at least the poor starting issue? Lucky: You've got that right! The filler tube (and much of the car) is definitely rusted through. When I fill up I can see a little gas spray out once the tank is full. Any ideas on a sensor, vacuum line, or any part of the engine control system that could cause my symptoms? I guess it could also be a combination of issues.
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Thanks Adventure Subaru! I'll throw in a new fuel filter and see if that does the trick. I'm hoping it's just something simple that I've overlooked.
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Thanks Fairtax, I swapped the coolant temp sensor, but it didn't seem to change performance at all - in fact, my gas mileage went down afterwards, but that could be due to lots of city driving. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but I think I can smell gas when the car isn't moving and the air conditioner is running. Any other ideas?
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It's an EJ22 motor with 174k miles. I bought this car a year ago and it has never run right since I got it. The engine runs smoothly when I first start it in the morning, then it misses at an idle when warm. The check engine light was on, and I ran the codes and replaced the O2 sensor and purge control solenoid valve. Now the CEL doesn't come on but it still runs poorly. I also replaced the spark plugs and wires. I'm getting about 20 mpg. I'm not sure if it's related, but I usually have to crank it over for a while to start it even when it's warm, and it appears to either not be getting gas or spark at first. What do I check next? Thank you!
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I could only find one shop here that specialized in Subarus. Most "imports" mechanics who claim to work on Subarus don't even want to touch the thing. They say it's not even worth it. There's just not a lot of Subaru drivers in this area, and I think there is somewhat of a "throw-away" culture where people would rather just buy new stuff than fix an otherwise perfectly good car. I don't really get it. I posted the car online, and am going to leave it with my sister, who may try to get it fixed.
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Hi all, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm trying to find a good mechanic in the Raleigh/Durham/Cary area to do a head gasket job on my 97 outback. I took it to a dealer who just tried to get me to trade it in, so I want to find someone who wants to repair the car, not just sell me a new one. Any recommendations?
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Thanks for the input. I found an older post where someone in this same area had similar experience with a Subaru dealer here. The dealer claimed it was a "cracked sleeve." I called 3 other mechanics, all of who agreed with the folks in this site: the dealer is not being honest, if it runs fine, then it's most likely just a head gasket. It's unfortunate that people practice business this way. I guess it's time to take the car elsewhere.
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hmmmm. That's one sleeve out of how many blown head gaskets? I thought it sounded fishy especially when they told me that there is a 50% chance, because if that were the case then no one would repair head gaskets on these things. If it passed leakdown test with a warm motor would that mean that it's pretty unlikely to have a cracked sleeve, or would that not mean anything.
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So the mechanic here (a subaru dealer) told me that there's a 50% chance that there is also a cracked sleeve and that it probably isn't worth fixing with all the other problems. The engine runs fine (besides the overheating issue) so are they just trying to get me to buy a new car, or is that really that common with these engines?
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Ivan's imports: Perhaps it's from people running their vehicles hard without warming them up first (something that I'm occasionally guilty of), which I'm told is especially bad when the block and head are made from different materials? Or could the operation of the heater somehow effect the flow of coolant in some unintended way that causes headgasket failure? Based on your experience with these things, do you recommend repairing head gasket, replacing the engine or just scrapping the car? It only has 134k. on it.
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Yeah, it definitely overheated pretty good the first time. I usually don't pay much attention to the temp gauge when I'm driving, so I didn't notice anything until I got out of the car and noticed steam coming from under the hood. I let the cooling fans run for a while and added coolant after a bit, but the engine wouldn't really turn over until I left it sitting for another 20 min. I had a bad battery at the time, so that could have been related. Since then, it starts and runs pretty smoothly. If I were at home and could do the work myself then I would just try to fix it. The mechanic quoted me 2k for the gasket job, but I bet there will be at least another 500 bucks of the "while we're doing this" stuff. I had the car for about 3 weeks before anything happened, and I put at least 1000 miles on it before it overheated. On a related topic, I really don't understand why cars don't come with warning alarms for temperature and oil pressure. Just a little light on the dash really isn't enough for me, though I guess some people see that stuff right away.
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OK. I'll try the new thermostat and see what happens. The car has 134k miles on it. It runs great (when it's not overheating) but given that it has overheated a few times now, should I worry about engine damage besides the gasket? I drove the car to visit family, and don't have access to tools or a shop, so I'll have to have a mechanic do the work if it's a head gasket. Do you think it's worth it, or am I going to just run into more problems because of excessive engine wear?
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Thanks for all of the responses, guys. Since there are some conflicting opinions, I'll try to answer your questions to see if it clears things up. Here's some additional info: The overheating issues have gotten worse since replacing the radiator and thermostat. Originally, it just overheated a couple of time, and when I added coolant I could drive it for a few hours before the problem returned. Now it happens every time I try to drive. When it first overheated I didn't really pay attention before it happened, I just happened to look at the temp gauge and noticed the engine was hot. I got the thermostat from Napa, and it was cheap. I'm pretty sure the heater continues to work while it's overheating, but I didn't take notice of that. I ran it full blast the whole time though. What I don't get is that if it's a clogged cooling system - either at the thermostat or radiator - than why would it cool perfectly fine for a while, then just suddenly spike? I bought the car from my uncle, and I'm sure he's honest, but I doubt he'll give me a dime.
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Hi all, I'm new here and just bought a 97 outback and have been having overheating issues. A mechanic did a leakdown test and determined that it was a leaking radiator, so I replaced the radiator along with the thermostat, and the upper radiator hose (the aftermarket lower hose didn't fit). The engine runs great and drives fine around town, but when I take it on the freeway it overheats. It'll run well for anywhere from 2 minutes to an hour until the temperature suddenly rises. It takes about 30 seconds to go from normal temp to red line. If I stop for a minute and run the fan then it will return to normal temp and I can drive another couple of miles before the problem develops again. I took it to another mechanic who did another coolant leakdown test and he said the system held pressure just fine. Any ideas? I'm worried that it's a head gasket, but shouldn't that show up in a leakdown test or wouldn't it also overheat at low speeds? Could the thermostat just suddenly close?