I have a 1998 Subaru wagon with a 2.5, it has 68000 miles. My wife drove it to work today and most of the time it was fine. But a few times when she was stopped, and would step on the gas a bit, it would die, or almost die. It would start right back up. It drives fine at highway speeds and has been perfect up unitl this morning. ANY ideas??? Thanks

Auto or manual?

Auto

If it only happens at low rpm (600 to 1000) and when you lightly feed it gas, I'd be suspicious of carbon build up. One gets a hesitation, or stumbling, a drop in rpms sometimes. These engines are noted for running rich. A MotorVac fixed mine up. Also, a weak O2 sensor will aggrevate the problem. Things also improved for me when I changed the O2 sensor. Over the counter 'cleaners' will not be strong enough if this is the real problem.

 

With my 97 OB, this came on gradually and slowly got worse. I never actually stalled, but it came close a couple of times.

 

If you have 'not' had any of these symptoms and it just started all of a sudden, then there might be some other issue. Vacuum line leak, failed sensor, something like that.

 

Commuter

I started suddenly. It happened again when my wife left work last night. I drove it last night and did several things to try to get it to do it again but it wouldn't. Today I drove it and it seems to only do it when the engine is cold. It fast idles fine, but maybe there is a problem when it switches from fast idle to normal idle. It only sputtered for a second this morning so it's hard to find. Any ideas?

Look around the engine bay for disconnected hoses. Or possibly a cracked/split hose.

Did that, nothing, can't hear any vac. leaks or see anything that is cracked, etc. . It runs great other then that.

Not been around a Subaru long enough to know anything about them (couple of weeks now) and my mechanical experience is limited and pretty much w/ older cars, so I'm throwing this out I guess just to hear myself talk...

 

But, is there a possible problem that's related to fuel delivery? Going from an idling dead stop to takeoff (especially an aggressive one) would result in the car being starved of gasoline and overburdened with all the air it just sucked in if for whatever reason proper fuel wasn't part of that air/fuel ratio. Is that a possibility--some fuel system related issue?

Just a shot in the dark...did it do this after it rained? Or very humid weather? I know when I had bad wires my car behaved like this because the wires had water in them

 

Although I do agree with the o2 sensor problem as well, doesn't hurt to have it checked out.

Maybe, but I think I might have got a slight smell of gas when it did this. I need to let it cool and see if I can get it to do it more. If it was a gas smell, what would make it run to rich?

Another shot in the dark by me here but when was the last tune up? You get that fuely smell when theres unburned gas obviously which mean either to much gas orrrrrrrrr not enough spark. Have you checked wires plugs cap rotor yadda yadda yadda... all your electric stuff? This was the culprit for the 86... just my .02 goodluck