nickbalcombe99 Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 G'day guys, Long time no post, hope all is well in the world of your subie I have had a Forester X for about 18 months. 140k's, reg serviced, runs well as far as I can tell. Every now and then the engine light comes on (it has happened well over 20 times), doesn't flash, just stays on for a day or two then goes off again. It happens more regularly after visiting my girlfriend's place which is a steep uphill trip and then down hill coming back (heavier driving). I haven't taken it to a mechanic to get the codes checked yet. I am planning on selling it and don't want a potential buyer to have to worry about it. Any ideas about common causes and simple fixes? Thanks heaps, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 Without the PXXXX code we can guess all kinds of things. Do you have any friends with OBD-II code reader to get the code? My '99 2.5L Outback did the same thing and it turned out to be the Knock Sensor (P0325 code) but that doesn't mean that is what yours is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickbalcombe99 Posted April 8, 2010 Author Share Posted April 8, 2010 Mike - thanks mate, you're right, I'm gonna need the code. I'll sort it out and come back with it to see if you've got some advice Thanks heaps, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 I think it would be wise to purchase a code reader so you can check out problems like this. If you get one be sure to get one that will handle the protocol that Subaru uses. You can also go to Autozone and have the codes read for free. Let us know what the codes are when you get them read and we can help you futher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I think it would be wise to purchase a code reader so you can check out problems like this. If you get one be sure to get one that will handle the protocol that Subaru uses. You can also go to Autozone and have the codes read for free. Let us know what the codes are when you get them read and we can help you futher. Getting a Scanner is a good idea. Based on his use of G'day and Mate he might live here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart Not likely the same Auto Zones around there as there are here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Brian Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 Right you are Mike, he is apparently from Tasmania. He does have AutOBarn, Supercheap, Auto One, etc. They all seem similar to Autozone, Oreillys or Advanced that we have. One of the must let you scan the codes. Then again, it may be trying to tell him something about his girlfriend. She might be quite the devil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would simply note their state or country after the city in their ID? Could save a lot of confusion--and make communication easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickbalcombe99 Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hi guys, $100 later and it came back with an idle control motor fault (and other other downstream issue). What I overlooked mentioning last post was that the car was wavering in revs when just started and was occasionally stalling because the idle motor wasn't doing its job. They 'cleaned it up' and the car is running MUCH more smoothly now... however, last night, the engine light came back on! Mechanic said if it happened again, replacement is necessary. My question to you guys is - can I do it myself? Or how much labour is involved cos if it's cheap I'll just let them do it. Cheers, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Is it a 5 speed by chance? There's a possibility that your problem lies in the neutral switch in the transmission, they go bad and then the computer thinks it's in neutral when it's really in gear, and tries to control the idle (Which it can't since it's in gear). Best way to catch those is to plug in the Select Monitor and set it to graph the neutral position switch and run it through the gears, you'll see it if it's bad. If that's not it, check all your vacuum lines, hoses, etc... make sure nothing is loose or broken, that will also cause an idle control fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickbalcombe99 Posted April 30, 2010 Author Share Posted April 30, 2010 Hi guys - computer code def points to idle control motor. I have been quoted $600?!!? to get it fixed. Hoping you might be able to shed some light on whether this is ridiculous or not. Car goes in next Wednesday! Cheers, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Any part that costs $600 is ridiculous! Any salvage yards around or any mates down under who could help you find a used one? It shouldn't be all that difficult to swap in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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