Jenn Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Hi all, I am in dire need of assistance...Repairs need to be done before Friday the 10th. Here is the problem. My sub doesn't like to start. It used to only do it after driving short distances. Now anytime is fair game. It cranks until the battery dies and I can hear it trying to catch but it won't. When it does start the gas smell is enormous and it revves up high to burn off the excess gas. I have been told that it is the Coolant Temp Sensor and I bought one, but I can't find where to put the stupid thing. My check engine light is always on. I hooked it up to a diagnostic and it said that the engine coolant temp sensor was malfunctioning and knock sensor 1 malfunction. I don't know where the Knock sensor is located either. The most important thing is for me to get the car starting reliable before we have to go out of town. I do not relish being in a strange town with a vehicle that runs its battery down trying to start. Also, do you think I need to replace the battery now too? Or can I just hook it up to a recharger? I am new here (first post) and this seems like a really knowledgable forum...I hope you all can help me out. Sorry about the rush but I need answers pronto...Thanks in advance Jenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Both the temp sensor and knock sensor are realtively common fixes--and not overly difficult to do. Use the "search" function up above and you'll get a lot of input. Also might want to pick up a Haynes manual from an auto parts store--will tell you pretty much how to find them Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 Both the temp sensor and knock sensor are realtively common fixes--and not overly difficult to do. Use the "search" function up above and you'll get a lot of input. Also might want to pick up a Haynes manual from an auto parts store--will tell you pretty much how to find them Good luck. Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion. I do have a book (It could be Haynes) picked it up at autozone. It is spectacularly unhelpful in this regard. It shows an illustration of the sensor and a vague "on the coolant pipe" for location. Maybe I am just not auto savvy enough to get what it is saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion. I do have a book (It could be Haynes) picked it up at autozone. It is spectacularly unhelpful in this regard. It shows an illustration of the sensor and a vague "on the coolant pipe" for location. Maybe I am just not auto savvy enough to get what it is saying. It is entirely useless at times, but overall a good resource. Check this thread for info and pics http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52053&highlight=sensor+manifold Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illanrob Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Its hard to figure your car not starting for a Knock and Coolant Sensor. Never had that combination of failures on my 93 Legacy 2.2L, but these engines should have a computer that allows LIMP MODE a condition where the car will start, run rough, and get you home. Before buying a bunch of Sensors. Buy a battery charger or recharge the battery, Clear the engine faults and see if this helps. The coolant temp sensor may affect the fuel/air mixture at most and the knock sensor is for timing advance. None should prevent engine from starting although it may not run efficiently. Robert Illan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 At times, the temp sensor can affect the fuel/aire mixture to a point where the engine is flooded and will not start. Happened to me with my former Loyale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickensheets Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Have you fiddled with the air filter recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I agree, it should run with those codes. The picture linked in the other post should help you. Thats the passenger side of the engine and that coolant pipe is under the intake manifold. The sensor that talks to the engine computer is the one with 2 prongs and the red brick colored connector. The knock sensor is found in a gap in the intake manifold that can be seen from the top of the engine if you look where the throttle cables hook up to the throttle body look directly down for a black thing down on the engine block with 1 wire running away from it and a bolt thru the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 It is entirely useless at times, but overall a good resource. Check this thread for info and pics http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52053&highlight=sensor+manifold Good luck Those pics are great! Thank you! It's so hard to replace something you cannot find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 Its hard to figure your car not starting for a Knock and Coolant Sensor. Never had that combination of failures on my 93 Legacy 2.2L, but these engines should have a computer that allows LIMP MODE a condition where the car will start, run rough, and get you home. Before buying a bunch of Sensors. Buy a battery charger or recharge the battery, Clear the engine faults and see if this helps. The coolant temp sensor may affect the fuel/air mixture at most and the knock sensor is for timing advance. None should prevent engine from starting although it may not run efficiently. Robert Illan I don't think that the knock sensor is preventing it from starting; that is just the second code that the diagnostic spit out at me. I read somewhere that sometimes the knock sensor is over tightened and that causes the funky ready but I don't really know. Its the first car I have had that had one. And it was there before I had my clutch replaced and its there now so I don't know...it isn't a priority right now. I did clear out the codes a while back while I was fiddling with the battery and before I was a mile down the road it was back on again (the check engine light that is) I was told by my mechanic father (who is incredibly hard to get ahold of, which is why I am on this forum) that if the e/c sensor is bad then the car thinks it is really cold out and gives too much fuel which floods out the O2 sensor and the car can't start. I am wondering if all this cranking I have to do to get it to start is going to wear out my starter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 Have you fiddled with the air filter recently? Only to see if it needed to be blown out. It didn't seem to be too bad so I put it back. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 We may be onto something here. Check your air cleaner assembly, on the underside between the air filter and the trottle body is a tube/hose that, if disconnected, will cause exactly what you describe as far as crank, sputter, crank and then gasoline smell. Your TS could be the cause but this would be the first thing I'd check. <edit> I just searched back through my older posts for the reason I suggested the above fix: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 We may be onto something here. Check your air cleaner assembly, on the underside between the air filter and the trottle body is a tube/hose that, if disconnected, will cause exactly what you describe as far as crank, sputter, crank and then gasoline smell. Your TS could be the cause but this would be the first thing I'd check. <edit> I just searched back through my older posts for the reason I suggested the above fix: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19002 Well, never thought about that at all...hrmmm. When we were fixing it last night we ended up completely removing the air filter and such to get to the ECT sensor ((Getting to it took longer than replacing it!!!!)) So when I reattatched everything I double checked everything to make sure all the hoses and such were connected. They seemed to be and it started great. Hopefully it all works out now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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