97 Impreza problems

[bluegrasssboy]

Newbie here. I've been driving a 97 Impreza for the past two years as my work car. Poor thing was wrecked when it was new, rebuilt, then about 4 years ago got pelted in a hail storm. So now it's got dings all over the hood, roof and truck and some bondo on the rear quarter has started to crack open. But I'm not worried about all that.

 

It's got about 144k on it now. I've driven it every day and for the last few months about 500 miles a week. One day it just started acting up. It almost felt like the tranny was shifting hard every once in a while. I thought it was a tranny thing. Then when backing out of a parking space it died. It's NEVER died on me before. Drove about an hour towards home and it really started acting up. As long I as I could keep in the gas, it would buck and sputter but keep on running. If I let off the gas, as if coming to a light it would die and be a bear to start.

 

It's been intermittent. I can start it right now drive it about 4 or 5 miles and it might be fine. Seems like it does it more when it's hot. I haven't driven it much since it's started cause I don't want to get stranded and have to tow it. But that seems to be when it acts up. I've got 10 acres and I've started it and run it up to the barn and back several times and it's been fine. But I drove it into town the other day and it gave me all kinds of hell after I got about 8 miles from the house. It sat while I got a haircut, I drove it home without a problem. I'm leaning in the direction of maybe the fuel pump. Maybe once it gets warm or hot it's not working properly. But I've read tonight about the fuel pump controller or maybe an air flow meter?

 

When it runs right, it runs too well for there to be a major mechanical problem, so I'm thinking it's got to be the pump, maybe a clogged filter, or perhaps this controller or the air flow meter. I can't find a manual for a 97 anywhere on the net. The Subaru service site is $35 for 3 days. I'd thought I'd ask here for opinions and ask how I get to the fuel pump? Is it under the rear seat? And the controller in the trunk? Where's the air flow meter?

 

I bought the car off the wife's sister. She bought it in 98 off the guy who rebuilt it and drove it until 03. Then I paid her $900 for it. Have driven it 2+ years and put 30k on it. Changing nothing but the oil and one set of tires. It can get as much as 31mpg on the highway, it's been a great car. I'd like to keep driving it. My wife doesn't want me to spend a lot of money on it cause we only paid 900 for it and she hates it. If I get another car, I'd like to get another Subie. Since it's a work car and work pays 45 cents a mile, I don't want to spend a lot, that way I get to pocket more of the reimbursement. Then that has me looking at cars not much newer than mine. I hate the thought of spending thousands of dollars for something that's not much difference than what I've got, rebuilt title, hail dings and cracked bondo notwhithstanding!

 

Any ideas or tips?

Thanks,

Todd in KY

[dfortin556]

It sounds like this may be a clogged catalytic converter. You mention it only happens when the car heats up. This happened to me on an older 88 subaru wagon that I owned. It was fine when it was cold, but after the exhaust heated up the colapsed elements in the cat heated up and expanded, blocking the airflow. When your on the gas you create enough pressure to keep air pushing through the exhaust pipe, but when you come to a stop or let off the gas the blockage chokes the engine. Or maybe someone just put a banana in your tailpipe! The way I found that this was the problem in my car, is that I was on a road trip at night and the car was acting up. When I looked under the car the entire exhaust was glowing red hot. Thank goodness I still had the heat shield on. I hope this helps.

[bluegrasssboy]

I dunno, it seems more intermittent than that. When it's acting up good, it'll run fine one second and bad the next.

[Andyjo]

I dunno, it seems more intermittent than that. When it's acting up good, it'll run fine one second and bad the next.

Next time you're driving around, and it starts to act blarg again, pop the door, and shove your head under the car, if you see anything glowing red, then you know what your problem is

[1 Lucky Texan]

my 4 guesses;

 

front O2 sensor

MAF

engine temp sensor

clogged cat.

 

 

hows that for pinning it down!

[bluegrasssboy]

my 4 guesses;

 

>front O2 sensor

 

Would an 02 sensor cause such problems? I thought they were more or less just nuisances!

[1 Lucky Texan]

my 4 guesses;

 

>front O2 sensor

 

Would an 02 sensor cause such problems? I thought they were more or less just nuisances!

 

3 of my guesses all help the ECU control air/fuel ratios. Coupled with the age of the car, I feel they are possibilties. Could be something as simple as a bad ground connection I suppose. O2 sensors (I recently learned) can get 'lazy' and not cycle quickly or may not work well at temp or warm up well/whatever.

 

I dunno

[bluegrasssboy]

 

3 of my guesses all help the ECU control air/fuel ratios. Coupled with the age of the car, I feel they are possibilties. Could be something as simple as a bad ground connection I suppose. O2 sensors (I recently learned) can get 'lazy' and not cycle quickly or may not work well at temp or warm up well/whatever.

 

I dunno

 

How much would it cost me if I ended up replacing all three, the MAF, the O2 and temp sensors?

 

I'm a bit of a dilema. Since I only paid 900 for it to start with, I've really gotten my money's worth out of it. With my new job(as of August) I drive 500-700 miles a week. I I need a dependable car. With the hail dings and cracked bondo, up close it's not the nicest looking car. 20ft though it looks fine. I work for an insurance co. and technically, I'm supposed to present somewhat of a professional appearance. Although it's eastern, KY and I travel to lots of trucking companies, logging companies, sawmills etc.. way back in the sticks, so it doesn't matter a whole lot. What's ironic is at a recent staff meeting one of my buddy's asked if I was still driving the Subaru and I said, "I'm gonna drive it until the wheels fall off or they tell me I have to drive something else!" Then it wasn't a week later it started acting up.

 

Obviously, the car's paid for, so I get to pocket the majority of the mileage reimbursement. A car payment would take a big chunk of that. Do I spend a few hundred possibly on a rebuilt, hail dinged, cracked open plain jane little Subaru that I only paid $900 for to begin with? So if I do buy something, I don't want to spend a lot of money and have a big payment. I want to spend maybe 6-8k. Do I throw money at the little car or do I just go ahead and buy a newer car and get it over with? If I didn't have to drive so much it'd be different. But I drive a lot.

 

I hate dilemas. Oh, I forgot to mention the oil leak. It's not bad, by not bad, I mean it never really hits the ground. It all seems to find the exhaust. When you get off the exit ramp and have to sit at the light, it comes wafting out from the hood and the grill. Looks much worse than it really is! The wife absolutely hates it. lol. It's not too bad with fresh oil, but once you get around 3k on it, it'll let you know when it's time for an oil change.

 

The car's had a hard life, but it's been a great car. Goes like crazy in the snow. The last two winters we lived in the NE corner of Indiana and it went like crazy in the snow. When the time comes, if I can find a clean, decent mileage Subaru I'll buy it. But I'd like to squeeze a little more time out of this one.

[Setright]

I would start by replacing the fuel filter - lots of info on how-to if you search the forum. Or look at "RavensbladeImpreza" on the web.

 

I would also replace the spark plug cables. A fracture can show up as intermittent bucking.

 

 

Both are easy, quick and not too expensive.

[1 Lucky Texan]

I would start by replacing the fuel filter - lots of info on how-to if you search the forum. Or look at "RavensbladeImpreza" on the web.

 

I would also replace the spark plug cables. A fracture can show up as intermittent bucking.

 

 

Both are easy, quick and not too expensive.

 

Are there any codes stored in the ECU? Spending $75 to have a mechanic take a look might be a better investment. The MAF I think is expensive. (I think the 99s are under a recall? not sure about '97) certainly a cat conv. would be expensive too. the o2 and the engine (not coolant) temp sensors would be fairly cheap DIY repairs.

 

btw - I THINK ravensblade got shut down by SOA. Try www.northursalia.com for the same info.

[Log1call]

have you tried wriggling all the wires around the sensors on the motor while it's running? The O2 sensor only adjusts the mixture by a small percentage and would set a fault code if it was playing up so I would not think that was likely. The maf sensor could do it but it would be more likely to be a bad connection because of the intermittent nature of the problem. The temp sensor wouldn't have an intermittent fault either other than a loose wire, and if it's faulty it only changes the mixture by a small percentage too, and once again it should make the cel come on...

I'd check for loose wires and dirty fuel, perhaps water in the fuel. If you take the fuel filter out you can drain it into a can and look for water.

Try the simple cheap fixes before you start spending money. Most electronic components are very reliable these days and if there is a fault it's mostly in the connectors or wires.