jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 OK, I'm stumped, and I am hoping that the collective wisdom found on this board can give me some ideas as to what happened to my Sub (88 GL wagon). Here's the details - sorry if it gets kind of long. My wife was driving the car the other day, 30-35 mph, when - in her words - there was a high pitched squeal, along with a sudden black cloud of smoke out the exhaust, and a dramatic loss of power. She limped off the road and parked it, then called me. I get there about 15 minutes later, find that there is a puddle of oil under the right front side of the engine (around the charcoal cannister, etc.). It has always had your normal oil leaks for a 150k motor, but this was a lot - maybe a pint. I top off the oil, then try to start it. It stumbles a few times, then keeps running, so I decide to try driving it home. It starts out feeling ok, but then there is a sudden loss of power - feels like fuel cutting out. Easing off on the gas and then gently accellerating works ok for about a mile, then it quits and won't restart. All the while oil pressure and temp were normal, no smoke, and no more oil loss. I tinker with it on the side of the road for about 10 minutes, and finally decide to crack the fuel line where it comes off the filter to check for flow. Of course, it was fine, so I put it back together and try to start it again. After a number of false starts (it would start and immediately die), it finally keeps going, and I start revving the crap out of it to see what happens. Guess what - it just keeps running stronger, just like normal. We start driving, and it is running great. I really pushed it, trying to make something happen, but it just ran great. 2 days later, still no repeat of the problem. So what do you all think? I haven't really looked at anything since, and I'm really not sure what to look for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Model and year please? GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 It's still an 88 GL wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingbobdole Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Kinda sounds like you poped the cam seal out of it... ... oil was coming from the right front... loss of power... that all adds up... but then it fixes its self? Strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_dude Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 did you guys forget it's a Subaru? it probably decided that stretch of road belonged to it and decided to mark it. lol... j/k. you should very thoroughly inspect it and try to find out exactly where all that oil came from. I don't have much experience with cars, that's the only advice I can give. I think, using my vast intellect, that it will happen again and this time not fix itself. that's what i think. it's late, i need sleep. -jordan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 That's what I don't get - so far it is like nothing ever happened. Of course I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingbobdole Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 look and see where the motor is covvered with oil.... maybe check the valve cover vent, then pop the front timing cover off and see if theres oil in there... find where the oil came from and thats the win... is the hose on the valve cover cracked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I rule out cam seals being blown out. I've seen quite a few run with the seals popped all the way out. Your PCV valve may have stuck on a turn and blew oil into the cylinders. what you described sounds like my car in the winter when my carb gets iced up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 hmm. I'd wonder if one of the timing belt idlers has an intermittent seize, and if during that seize, it caused some leakage from the cam seal? pop the side timing belt covers and see if the belts are friction-glazed and see if there's oil leakage in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Just for S&G's, check the crank pulley - make sure its tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 good call. similar to what i suggested; the squeal is highly suspect. The only other squeal I've ever heard from the front was in an electric fan that went bad... now THAT sounds horrible. Just for S&G's, check the crank pulley - make sure its tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Thanks for the ideas. Assuming it was one of those things that caused the squeal and maybe the oil puke, why wouldn't it run, and why is it running ok now? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 maybe the oil on the ground was from the previous guy on the side of the road? if it did leak oil you need to see where it was coming from on your engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 No, it was all over the engine compartment on that side too. I haven't had time to really see where it came from, and since it't not leaking like that now, I'm not sure I will ne able to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Thats the side the oil filler tube is on. Maybe it puked out of that? What was the engine temp like when it happened. I've heard of severly overheated engines perkolating oil out the filler tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skishop69 Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Are you 100% sure it was oil? The reason I ask is you said it was by the carbon can. If your vapor recovery system malfunctions and gets saturated with fuel, then the engine is no longer burning vapors it's sucking raw fuel causing... black smoke and loss of power. It will also puke out the carbon saturated gas. (black) If you had standard Subaru residual oil leaks, it could be easily confused. As to the sqealing noise... coming from the canister itself. GM's did this a lot back in the 80's. Pull the carbon can and tip it upside down. No fuel should come out, if it does, replace it. Also check the lines for cracks and make sure they're not plugged. Also make sure your gas tank is venting properly. By rodding the crap out of it, you essentially burned off the excess fuel and it runs fine....until next time:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Well, I'm sure it was oil, because it's still there (inside the engine compartment, I mean). If it were fuel it would have evaporated by now. But what you say makes sense - I will check out the cannister later. And I suppose the oil could have come from the filler tube, but temp. was normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 black smoke can also be caused by the Fuel injector shorting out and blowing too much fuel into the cylinders. I've seen that on 3 cars this year. Basically flooding the engine out. Any CEL codes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jssubie Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 The CEL light was on at first, but went out once it got running right. I'll check for codes tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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