Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Ultimate Subaru Message Board

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

EA82 hard to start when cold

Featured Replies

My 88GL EA82/EFI has been acting up recently :mad:

 

The first time I start it in a while it'll usually fire once then die immediately, then I need to play with the throttle to get it started. Afterwards it'll idle around 500rpms for a while, but once warm is just fine.

 

A year+ ago I cut out the connector to the CTS and spliced the sensor directly into the harness. Those splices appear to still be fine.

 

Yesterday/today I unplugged the engine harness and measured the resistance of the sensor at ~4.2kOhm @ ~55*F. This matches another spare sensor I had lying around, and is pretty close to the numbers I found in the FSM. I have yet to trace the wire all the way back to the ECU .

 

I've also taken the IAC off and soaked the valve part in some chem dip and otherwise got it clean.

 

So far my suspected culprit (the CTS) appears to be fine. Is there anything else that could cause this?

 

Thanks,

-Dave

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Author

Finally got some more time to do some testing.

 

This morning I cycled the key a few times to pressurize the fuel system. Didn't make a difference. It'll crank and won't start. It will only start once I floor it (leaky injector maybe?).

 

After it warmed up it started doing the bouncing idle thing from 1100-1500rpms, even though I did clean out the IAC valve.

 

When it's running, if I manually move the EGR diaphragm it sputters and tries to die, so I think it's still sealing. I did completely remove and plug the vacuum line to the EGR solenoid.

 

Maybe I just need to suck it up and swap in the EJ22 I have :lol:

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Author

And the culprit is... the Idle Air Control solenoid.

 

After testing (and adjusting) the TPS, I manually jumped 12v to the IAC, and didn't hear it click until I tapped it with a screwdriver :lol:

 

Now it'll start up just fine, but it likes to stick open and hold the idle at 2200 (again, until I tap it and it'll start working and drop the idle like it should).

 

I figure it was sticking closed when I tried to start it, so it wouldn't start unless I held the throttle barely open (leading me to check the TPS).

 

I have another one in the shed somewhere I'll replace it with. But otherwise, I think this problem is solved. :banana:

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

Sign In Now

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.