i was driving about 65mph and it started to loose power and eventually i had to pull over. by the time i got stopped the engine died. it tried to restart but didn't. then after setting for a min. it started up. i started driving it and it was really low on power and check engine light started flashing. then the wierd part. at a stop sign it started to run good. i got all the power back and drove home with no problems except for a check engine light. anyway i'm getting codes for cyl 3 and 4 mis fire. i cleared the codes and drove it again down the highway and no problems and no check engine light.

does anyone have any ideas on what would cause this? it is a 96 legacy with the 2.2

Possibly a fuel pump problem or a clogged fuel filter.

Why is the first response everyone has to misfire a fuel pump?! Read what he said, 3/4 misfire.

It's probably the coil.

Stupid as that sounds part of it is classic alternator failure on a Suby.

 

Other than the missfire codes. Which sound like a different problem.

 

But a bad alternator seems like a plugged cat or fuel filter. WHen you let the car set the battery rejuvinates a bit and you can drive again. Repeat until you're dead in the water. Usually the ABS light blinks also. And the high RPM's are lost first so it seems like cat or fuel filter.

 

You could be having 2 problems. The alt and plugs/wires (something electricval) on 3 or 4. Not mechanical or fuel delivery (only one cylinder would missfire).

Agree sounds like dead alternator and just letting it sit let the cells in the battery even out which gave it enough to start. Another thing which my friend experienced was the ground for the engine wasn't making contact so the starter wouldn't work and would cause sensors to give messed up data so CEL etc.

interesting call on the alt's, i haven't seen that one yet.

 

flashing check engine light means "multiple cylinder misfires".

 

there's multiple possibilities but i would suspect ignition related components first - cylinder misfires are very common on these engines.

 

have the spark plugs and wires ever been changed?

if not then i'd consider changing them.

if yes, then aftermarket wires are probably causing the issue.

this engine does best with Subaru wires and NGK plugs.

well the batt. is not dead because i ran the car around a few more times last night and it didn't do it again. no check engine light either. plugs are not that old and are ngk's. i can't remember on the wires without looking. i have never changed the fuel filter but i'm planning on doing it soon anyway. as far as the alt. i think it is on its way out and i'm gonna replace it soon just so it doesn't let me sit. but i don't think it lost power. the car would still crank over just fine

I lost my alt once and it didn't cause any running issues, that is, until the battery finally died 2 miles from home. The car just died, no sputtering, misfiring. Just went from driving along to nada.

there's a Subaru alternator that you can buy for like $70 or so new from Subaru. that's the discounted online price so you have to order it or have a dealer that price matches the online Subaru dealers.

 

It's like a 1996 - 1998 Legacy or OBW and due to a recall.

Might be remanned but I'd expect good quality from Subaru.

 

i have a good used one i'll send you for $35

Why is the first response everyone has to misfire a fuel pump?! Read what he said, 3/4 misfire.

It's probably the coil.

 

Why? Because a weak fuel pump or clogged filter are a pretty common cause of trouble like this, in my opinion at least. You may be correct about the coil being the cause of the trouble but I kind of doubt it. When ignition parts go bad, the trouble they cause doesn't usually go away like the OP stated it did.

 

As far as alternators causing trouble like this, it can happen alright. I think depending on the way it fails will determine what can happen to the engine. When some of the output diodes fail in a shorted condition a lot of AC ripple voltage is generated across the battery. Too much ripple voltage can cause strange issues to happen within the ECU engine control. If the alternator output just fails for some reason, there won't be any high ripple voltage generated and things will run ok on the battery until the charge on it gets to be too low for the electronic systems to run reliably.

+ on the ALT. If I was you I'd still do a full tune up. wires(OEM) plugs(NGK) and fuel filter,air filter,PCV valve etc all of these are fairly inexpensive and can be done in minutes. Start with the easiest and most affordable. "if" you need a coil go on E-Bay, I found an OEM one brand new for $35+shipping. Mine was shocking me when the car was on and I touched it, may want to give that a try:lol: it was alot of volts.

I also think it is the coil. One of my coils that went out had the very same symptons.

 

I know it only has one but it has been replaced twice.

Edited May 4, 201114 yr by tcspeer

Intermittent problems are the hardest to track down.

 

Was it raining or had it rained earlier in the day when this happened?

Intermittent problems are the hardest to track down.

 

Was it raining or had it rained earlier in the day when this happened?

 

was not raining. i'm going to try the alt first because i know it's on it's way out anyway. i just have a feeling it is the alt. if not i'll move on to the coil pack and tune up stuff.

If you have a voltmeter around you can use you should be able to determine if the alternator is ok using it. But if you are sure it is going bad then it should be replaced regardless.

yea i have checked it with a volt meter. when i first start the car the voltage reads in the high 12's and the belt squeels constantly. after about 30 sec. the squeeling belt stops and the voltage jumps up to mid 14's. at first i thought my belt was going bad until i learned that everytime it squeels the voltage is lower than it should be

no kidding, isn't that crazy! nice call guys. thanks for sharing pamike, that's good to know for the future.

I don't see a conclusion yet.

 

Did I miss something?

I don't see a conclusion yet.

 

Did I miss something?

 

About 3 and a half hours? :-p

 

yea i have checked it with a volt meter. when i first start the car the voltage reads in the high 12's and the belt squeels constantly. after about 30 sec. the squeeling belt stops and the voltage jumps up to mid 14's. at first i thought my belt was going bad until i learned that everytime it squeels the voltage is lower than it should be

 

The belt is squealing because it is slipping over the pulley rather than turning it. The voltage reads low because the alternator is not turning as fast as it should.

In this case I would replace the belt, clean the pulleys with a wire brush and brake cleaner, and install a new belt set at the proper tension.

I have to wonder if the belt is slipping because something is causing the alternator to load down excessively and that is causing the belt to slip. It kind of sounds to me the alternator may need to be replaced.

i'm almost 100% sure its that the alt loading down and making the belt squeel for the first 30 sec. after starting it. it doesn't squeel at all any other time, just on start up when the volts read low. i'm going with the alt.

My 90 Legacy does the same thing but with out engine codes. Sometimes it will start right up, Other times I have to let it sit a little bit. Sometimes it just misses and other times it dies a together.

ok i replaced the alt with a used one (thanks Gary) and no squeeling and a constant 14v. i did also replace the belt. it wasn't in horrible condition but i figured i would just do it as preventive maintance while i had it off anyway. so far it's running great. i'll give it a few days and see how it acts