Forester intermittently bucks and stalls

[macs]

98 Forester non-turbo randomly stalls

 

This has been haunting me for a couple of months - G-r-rrr. This baby starts up like a champ and will sometimes run for a couple of days as though it were brand new. Other days it starts, immediately stalls at idle speeds and will only run at 3000+ rpm which makes city driving a real challange! There are times when it will run fine for 30+miles at highway speeds and upon slowing down (anything below 40 mph), the engine will stall and catch several times and then run like a champ again. Sometimes it will die when exiting a freeway at the first stop light and then be a bugger to restart (like keeping the starter engaged for 30+ seconds) and then decide that it is my best friend again and not make a false move for another day or so. Once in a while I get a P1507 (Low idle warning on the CEL). The kicker is that once in awhile the AT light will flash until the engine is restarted.

 

 

1. 109k miles stock as a clock early 98 (w/separate coil & firewall mounted ignitor.

2. Replaced so far: front O2 Sensor, knock sensor, IAC valve, coil, plugs and air filter.

3. I acts like water in the gas -but- I've stuffed enough alcohol based driers in the tank to dry up a small lake.

4. I super cleaned the IAC.

5. I replaced the battery and pos cable to the starter (corrosion working up the cable several inches).

6. Checked all the various body and engine grounds that I could find.

7. I’ve maintained the car as per mfg services regarding belts, transmission filter and flushing.

 

So, before I tear my hair out and go for the trade-in, what ELSE can I try?

 

Help most appreciated!

 

 

macs

[Commuter]

Cam and/or crank position sensors maybe?

 

Coolant temperature sensor maybe?

 

Check connections on these at least.

 

Other will have better direction for you.

 

Commuter

[friendly_jacek]

Flashing AT temp= you have a TCU error code stored. Use the "secret handshake" procedure to get the code and go from there.

Did you check the ignition wires and the connections?

[macs]

Flashing AT temp= you have a TCU error code stored. Use the "secret handshake" procedure to get the code and go from there.

Did you check the ignition wires and the connections?

 

Okay so call me ignorant (which my wife says I am about 80% of the time). Where do I find the magic decoding ring and a copy of the "secret handshake"?

 

TIA

 

macshasta

[friendly_jacek]

I googled one for you. This is the magic procedure:

 

"the flashing AT Oil Temp light indicates that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) has detected a problem and is trying to tell you about it. Here's the procedure for interrogating the TCM for the 2002 Impreza (all variants). It's one of those secret handshake procedures reminiscent of the pre-OBD ECU days. I swear I'm not making this up.

 

1) Warm up the engine

2) Turn the ignition switch OFF

3) Turn the ignition switch ON

4) Start the engine

5) Drive the vehicle at speeds greater than 12 MPH

6) Stop the vehicle

7) Depress the brake pedal and move the gear selector to "1"

8) Turn the ignition switch to OFF

9) Turn the ignition switch to ON

10) Move the gear selector to "2"

11) Move the gear selector to "1"

12) Move the gear selector to "2"

13) Move the gear selector to "3"

14) Move the gear selector to "D"

 

Now examine the AT Oil Temp light again:

 

If the light's blinking 4 times a second, then the problem is most likely a power supply or ground problem.

 

If the light's blinking 2 times a second, then the TCM believes all is normal.

 

If the light's on solid or not on at all, then there's a problem with the light's circuit.

 

If the light's blinking with one or more long (1.2 sec) pulses, followed by one or more short (.2 sec) pulses followed by a 1.5 sec pause, then you're seeing a TCM diagnostic trouble code (DTC). The long pulses indicate "tens" and the short ones indicate "ones" so you add up the number of long pulses to get the left digit of the DTC and you add up the number of short pulses to get the right digit of the DTC. DTCs are two digits long (e.g. 23, 36, etc.). The end of the "ones" is indicated by a 1.5 second pause. Then, if that is the only DTC stored, it begins repeating that DTC with the "tens" again. However, there may be more than just one DTC stored, in which case they are spit out sequentially with 1.5 sec pauses between them, until the whole sequence repeats again.

 

If you can actually retrieve a DTC from the hocus pocus above"

[macs]

Thanks, friendly_jacek!

 

The printer is running now. I really appreciate this as it will give me a whole new windmill to slay. Being from the old world (pre comuputer controlled horseless carriages), I am really lost when I open the hood and can't find a simple distributor and carburetor. Now it seems EVERYTHING is computer controlled and each component is a couple of hundred bucks.

 

I'll be sure to let you know what finally solves my mystery.

 

later...

 

macshasta

================

 

I googled one for you. This is the magic procedure:

 

"the flashing AT Oil Temp light indicates that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) has detected a problem and is trying to tell you about it. Here's the procedure for interrogating the TCM for the 2002 Impreza (all variants). It's one of those secret handshake procedures reminiscent of the pre-OBD ECU days. I swear I'm not making this up.

 

1) Warm up the engine

2) Turn the ignition switch OFF

3) Turn the ignition switch ON

4) Start the engine

5) Drive the vehicle at speeds greater than 12 MPH

6) Stop the vehicle

7) Depress the brake pedal and move the gear selector to "1"

8) Turn the ignition switch to OFF

9) Turn the ignition switch to ON

10) Move the gear selector to "2"

11) Move the gear selector to "1"

12) Move the gear selector to "2"

13) Move the gear selector to "3"

14) Move the gear selector to "D"

 

Now examine the AT Oil Temp light again:

 

If the light's blinking 4 times a second, then the problem is most likely a power supply or ground problem.

 

If the light's blinking 2 times a second, then the TCM believes all is normal.

 

If the light's on solid or not on at all, then there's a problem with the light's circuit.

 

If the light's blinking with one or more long (1.2 sec) pulses, followed by one or more short (.2 sec) pulses followed by a 1.5 sec pause, then you're seeing a TCM diagnostic trouble code (DTC). The long pulses indicate "tens" and the short ones indicate "ones" so you add up the number of long pulses to get the left digit of the DTC and you add up the number of short pulses to get the right digit of the DTC. DTCs are two digits long (e.g. 23, 36, etc.). The end of the "ones" is indicated by a 1.5 second pause. Then, if that is the only DTC stored, it begins repeating that DTC with the "tens" again. However, there may be more than just one DTC stored, in which case they are spit out sequentially with 1.5 sec pauses between them, until the whole sequence repeats again.

 

If you can actually retrieve a DTC from the hocus pocus above"

[johnceggleston]

i never had any luck with this "magic", but then i don't drive an impreza!!

i ended up at he dealer and when i asked what code was stored they said i neede a new clutch pack, $950. yeah, but what code? ... new clutch pack, $950!!!

 

good luck.

 

Thanks, friendly_jacek!

 

The printer is running now. I really appreciate this as it will give me a whole new windmill to slay. Being from the old world (pre comuputer controlled horseless carriages), I am really lost when I open the hood and can't find a simple distributor and carburetor. Now it seems EVERYTHING is computer controlled and each component is a couple of hundred bucks.

 

I'll be sure to let you know what finally solves my mystery.

 

later...

 

macshasta

================

[friendly_jacek]

The magic works in all subaru's 4EAT as far as I know. It worked for my 00 legacy.