my 92 legacy wagon started what seems to be misfiring and surging at idle when u first start it up. no engine light on during this. then i'll drive it and it will "misfire" and the engine light will blink a while. when the temp gauge gets to about the middle it will clear out and run fine. also horrible gas mileage. took it to get gas the other day and it did its routine of spitting and sputtering, cleared up and got to the station, turned it off and filled up. went to start it up and it did it again. held it to the floor and it cleared out and ran fine. changed plugs checked cts checked o2 sensor. not sure whats going on here

Codes might help.

 

I`m guessing,since it cleared after holding the throttle down,there was too much fuel for some reason or a plug was fouled w/coolant.

 

Did one of the plugs look significantly different?Blacker?Cleaner?

 

Suspect you may have an injector that is sticky w/cold.

Plenty of other possibilities though.

Any noticeable smoke from tailpipe,along that line how is your mpg and oil consumption?

Try cleaning the MAF sensor too... cheap and easy. My old 92 legacy ran awful when I first got it... cleaned MAF... ran perfect.

fuel mileage is horrible and no noticable smoke. also i live south of buffalo and the past three or so weeks have been abnormally cold

the engine light will blink during its fit and then clear up and go out.

Have been waiting for the weather to warm up.

so in this instance i figure

froze up injector ( waiting for weather to get warmer.)

also the big 2

cts sensor

O2 sensor

and mebbe..

Vacuum leak

worries , worries it just started happening but with it being freezing with hearing how some subi behave in real cold weather trying to ride it out. gas milage is trashed. Will post if things change

Trying to get to center

Thanks all,

Just odd the way it just happens sporadically

Edited February 23, 201016 yr by Regren Spoda
update

warmer weather has helped somewhat. Starts are rough but after a bit even out. and the attacks of erratic behavior have minimalized. but there still are the attacks of behavior. it seems it does not store codes..so if its running ok no problem..i need it to get codes when it acts up. but the problems have gotten better.

oxygen sensor?

still getting to zero but better

any suggestions?

Ok all, here it is so far. 171k so i replaced the O2 and CTS sensors. The nasty now is the TPS WOW the cost. any way to repair or use from other model, etc. to keep the cost low?

Looking for alternate routes for Throttle Position Sensor.

 

Thanks the results came in the spring. gas milage is Horrible tho now..ugh.

 

As always,

Thanks

Regren

Check your fuel pressure regulator. Pull the vacuum line off the regulator--it should be dry. If there is gas in the vacuum line, the regulator diaphragm has failed. This happened to my son's 92 Legacy, and it behaved much like yours. rough starting, black smoke at startup, and poor mileage. The regulator controls the fuel rail pressure by returning excess fuel back to the tank. Engine vacuum helps control this. If the diaphragm in the regulator leaks, engine vacuum sucks raw gas into the intake manifold, messing things up. A new regulator is about $100.

Pulled vacuum line off of the regulator and no fuel in line. Changed O2, Coolant temperature sensor, and Throttle position sensor. Now while running noticed electrical smoke out of alternator. Touching it was very hot to touch so .. replaced alternator. Ran fine then started acting up again. Now where to next? the coil ( seems good or it would not run at all..plus i tried a couple..same thing.

 

OR is it the wires scenario i,ve been reading about on the posts.

So what were the wires to use again? OEM?

 

As always thanks for any help,

Regren

Ok all, here it is so far. 171k so i replaced the O2 and CTS sensors. The nasty now is the TPS WOW the cost. any way to repair or use from other model, etc. to keep the cost low?

Looking for alternate routes for Throttle Position Sensor.

 

So the big thing here is you haven't read the codes that the car is giving you. You could save alot of frustration.

 

Pull the panel below the steering column. look up on the drivers side at the bunch of wires, and you should see a set of green connectors, and a set of black connectors. Plug the black set in to eachother, and then start the car, rev ethe engbine over 2000 rpm and drive it forwafrd and back just a bit and you should get a code.

 

 

But just a hunch, did you replace the CTS for the ECU? the one with 2 pins? IF not, i would bet that is your problem.

Thanks for all the help all ..i,m gonna try the wires then guess have to break down and take it to the pro's i,m all out of answers. in the end it was prolly something simple..always is.

 

Wayne

NGK wires and plugs are the oem replacement

did the wires ..same thing..it runs a little better but still has its episodes..looks time its time to take it to the pros and hope for the best. :-\

wow! got yr posts and going to look try it today

stay tuned...while i try and tune.

 

Regren

 

btw you people on this message board are AWESOME!!

your keeping me alive here ..i can't thank you all enough for the attempts and info to get to the center of this problem.