axolotl

Thank you so much, I'm feeling hopeful that replacing the MAF will do the trick! I'll take a look at the other sensors as well. Could you show me an example of an original MAF vs a knockoff? Online I'm seeing some for ~$30 and some for $250 - is there a quality option for cheap or will I need to shell out some cash? The starting issue is all fixed, she turns on easily now. I currently have a check engine light on and am looking for my code reader, I lost it somewhere in the house but I'll come back with results shortly.

Hello Subaru geniuses, I'm here in a final desperate attempt to save the life of my beloved 1996 Legacy. She's been good to me for about 6 years now, but has been pretty sick for the past ~6 months despite my many attempts and dollars put into helping her, and unfortunately I no longer feel safe driving her. This is my final attempt to fix her before I move on. The current issue is that she keeps stalling (or getting close to) when driving particularly while slowing down but also sometimes for unknown reasons. I often see her stall immediately once turned on and backing out of the driveway, when I coast, am in stop and go traffic, or when I take a turn after a stop sign. Sometimes this happens once or twice and then she drives without issue (before knowing the extent of this issue she drove ~100 miles twice on the highway without any problems), but it seems like the stalling has gotten worse lately. When it stalls it happily turns right back on, electrical components are still on. Strangely, she doesn't seem to shut down while simply idling, only while in motion. Has anyone had any problems like this? The problem has certainly become less frequent after a recent replacement of the camshaft position sensor and crankshaft position center, but still persists. They did a full inspection and didn't see any other major concerns, though I may bring my car back to make sure everything was installed properly. I did notice that immediately after picking my car up after the replacement the idling was acting strange, while in park it would accelerate on its own to about 2000. Now when it idles it is at about 600. However, I'm resistant to bringing it back in to be inspected since they will charge me $200 if it wasn't their fault and I'm on a tight budget. Previously I had asked for assistance on this board when it was stalling while driving, since then I have also done the following: Replaced battery, replaced alternator, checked all wiring, replaced spark plugs, new air filter, checked/cleaned fuel pump, cleaned throttle body, cleaned IAC, cleaned MAF, cleaned intake, checked all hoses, checked vacuum leaks, and replaced fuel filter. Before the stalling issue I had an ongoing problem of needing to jump her before just about every ride for about 6 months. Any help, especially on a budget, is very appreciated! Or any brutal honesty that is may just be time to give up is also regrettably accepted. Thank you!

So far so good, no issues yet, looks like that did the trick!

We checked the CEL today - it was an EGR valve so nothing too concerning! Everything seems to be running pretty well now, drove about 40 miles today without issue. One thing that is of concern, though, is that I found coolant in the oil. I had my oil changed just a week ago at Jiffy Lube! We don't think it's a blown head gasket, so I'm going to go back and ask about it tomorrow.

Sorry for my delayed update, busy week! I've had a mechanic buddy helping me out and we've continued to run into issues. Replaced the alternator, then it still continued to shut down. Replaced spark plugs, got a new air filter, shut down a lot less frequently but did still shut down when idling. The check engine reappeared, when it shut down all the electrical components were still on but not the engine. We've now checked the fuel pump, it's all good, cleaned the throttle body, and cleaned up idle air control valve, mass airflow sensor, intake, checked hoses, and checked vacuum leaks. We're closing it up now and are gonna take it on a run, hopefully it's all good! Looks like it was a few symptoms!

I had a check engine light on before my oil + battery change, but after it was gone! Hmm. I'm planning to reevaluate the alternator tomorrow, perhaps I was wrong that it is fine.

Just tested the amps on the alternator, everything seems to be fine with it, so I'll be moving on to check some wiring!

My 1996 Subaru Legacy suddenly started to full on shut down while driving yesterday! It will restart, but needs to be revved constantly to ensure it won't shut down. If it isn't being revved, I can see the battery light on the dashboard appear. A brief timeline: -Had alternator, belt, and engine replaced about 2 yrs ago -Was needing to get jumped upon startup consistently for ~1 month, got it fixed & was running perfectly for the next month -A week ago it began needing jumps about 1/2 of the time to startup -Yesterday it shut off twice while driving it home, would restart with a jump but needed to be revved. Had battery replaced & an oil change, + fluids topped off. -Today it can consistently start up without need for a jump, but when testing by driving around my neighborhood it still shut down! Restarted easily. After it shuts down, I've noticed an "alt oil temp" light momentarily will turn on on the dash board. Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm a student on a budget and am looking for ways to fix that are cheap or DIY able. Thank you!