AdventureSubaru Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I guess this is my week to work on Subarus. my 97 impreza outback (2.2 5 speed) started an odd hesitation this past week. I was driving through a pretty big rain storm and the engine would just lose power, a second or two later, it would just bounce right back like nothing had happened. it has been back and forth like this for a while. Power will go down, down, down then Boom! it will lurch forward and off we go. Seems to only show up when the engine is warmed. haven't noticed any difference with accessories/AC etc being on. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWSubie Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Do you think some water got into the plug wires? where the plug wires connect to the spark plugs i had my 98 hezitating right after wahsing the motor and I had water in my plug wires so I blew em out with air and it ran fine. I guess if it does it when its dry then thats not the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Thought that too but didn't seem like normal hesitation associated with plug/wires. Replaced them just to be sure (Don't know when the previous owner did it last.) Seems slightly better now but not fixed. CEL has been on since I got the car due to a bad 02 sensor. Pulled the codes today to see if anything else showed up. Got the forward sensor and two emissions codes (About as expected.) and one for a knock sensor. Could the knock sensor cause the issues described? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted August 26, 2011 Author Share Posted August 26, 2011 Update - replaced both knock sensor and fuel filter with no change. Still the same hesitation. Anyone have any ideas on what to do next? If I push the clutch in, then accelerate, power will come back again, but it really comes and goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zundfolge Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Are you sure there are no misfire codes? Whenever it rains, I always get a misfire code for cylinders 3 or 4. I shrug it off, reset the code and go on my merry way, but I image that it could become a driveability problem... There is no harm in pulling all of the wires, and checking for corrosion/gunk at the ends...also check for corrosion on the terminals of the coil itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 (edited) There was another long post about hesitation that the OP fixed by adding a robust ground wire. Some have also had good luck cleaning the ground wires too. http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/25717-hesitation-problem-finally-solved-my-car-anyway.html Edited August 26, 2011 by Mike104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I am assuming you have changed your front 02 sensor within the last 40k miles, right? If not, do that next. Fixed mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted September 16, 2011 Author Share Posted September 16, 2011 o2 sensor could be the problem. I am getting a CEL for emissions. Any way to tell for sure? Would disconnecting the o2 sensor make things better or worse for me right now? Just thinking ahead before I sepend $90. for a sensor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 bump. Any way to test the o2 sensor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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