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EA82T Engine computer problem(up-date)


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This is getting old! I have a problem with the car cuting out, losing power all together, once in a whille it will just die. BUT ONLY WHEN I WHEEL! Once I get back down to the pavment it starts to clear up, within a mile or 2 it's back to normal:banghead: This happend when I went on the wheelin' trip with Adam&Junkie, and I just got home from wheelin' and it was the same gig!

It seems like it might be related to elevation, but I'm not 100% sure on that yet. I can wheel on the beach/sea level and it's fine. Feels like it's a fule delivery problem, but I don't have a gauge so I don't know for sure. The fule filter is new, and once I hit the tarmack on the way home it cleared up within 1mile:cornfuzz:

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Seems like it's still firing just fine, just not getin' the fule it needs. It's not runnin' rich(not enough to smoke any way) and the "ECS" comes on when I try to rev through it. It has done this 1 time on the street, VERY breefly. And then it went right back to normal. Most of the time it's doing it, if I drive it eazy it's OK, just hapens when I put a load on the engine, and it needs the fule, it starts cuting out. It's not boost related, it will start before the boost comes on.:banghead:

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why don't you retreive the error code and find out what the ECU is disturbed about?

Check to be sure the MAF el. connector is tight. If it is loose it will trigger the CEL

Might help to know what type turbo fuel system you are running. ie Hot wire or vane style MAF, I'll guess it the one in your signature.

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Yes, flap door style, conector sould be good(I just cleaned and re-conected it 1 week ago).

If the ECS light gos out will it still store the code in the comp.? I havent studied up on the FI sys. of this car yet. I gess it's time to learn how to get the codes out ect.:rolleyes:

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ok I will take some guesses seems how our cars are identical, even same color:D

 

ok so only when wheeling.

I agree to chech codes and electrical connections first. if it were a lack of fuel delivery like a cloged filter or fuel sock it would show up under hard acceleration too. how full is the fuel tank does that make a differance? connections at fuel pump? try getting a cheap fuel psi gauge and tee into the pressure line. watch the pressure at the time of trouble. ok I could go on forever here so go check some stuff and get back to us.

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yes Tony the ECU stores the code so you can retreive it later.

This may give you a clue as to where the problem lies, as would an air fuel ratio meter.

 

Russ's idea of a "Tee'd " fuel pressure gauge is good but .....careful running a pressurized fuel line into the car. I use an electronic oil pressure gauge for my fuel pressure. The sender is gas and oil resistant (has to be as gas is some times present in the oil)

 

 

 

Russ, you have the same car? An 87 with a vane style MAF?, they must be very early 87s (again going by your signature)

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Thank U all for the input! I will get on geting the computer codes out of it tomorow, and put an external fule pressure gauge out on the cowl ( I don't like to have them in the cocpit.) and go from there. If any one els reads this and it sounds "just like" somthing U had hapen let me know what it was:eh:

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I got a green "T" conector set, a white square, a red square, and a white "T" set. The white and red squares are open ended, the white set IS conected, and the green set I know about. The ONLY black "T" conectors I can find down there are allready conected together, and don't look like they are for the computer @ all:banghead:

With the green conector conected all I get is code 12, I still get it with the conector un-hooked.

I don't know if I have an odd-ball harnes that makes the memory conector white, or what.

I did find some wires right next to the computer that look like they go into it that are CUT OFF AND TAPED TO GETHER!:eek: :eek: :temper:

But I have no idea if they are a problem or not:cornfuzz:

I did a serch, and looked in the USRM, and found nothing that coverd this problem(with the conectors)

Any one:eh:

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perhaps the tank has alot of sediment collected over the years and the hose in the tank settles inan area of heavy sediment when its wheeling heavy or pulling hard.... maybe that is a viable direction to look into - serious thought here. I have a large inline filter from tank before the pump on my turbo unit even though they "don't have one factory wise" I just copied the pattern from my old GL carb'd setup with had this setup and figured eh couldn't hurt to have 2 filters inline....

 

as for the ECU codes....

 

two green connected ing. off then turn on ign to "on" and all dash lit up and sitting ofr like 30-45 seconds.

then i think the single black pair get plugged in with ign off and then turn back on allows the codes to be read.

 

to clear the coades i disconnect the green and then battery for about 2 or three minutes and that usually does the trick.... but i haven't had to do this in a year soooooo i may have the black wire issue reveresed????

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the green wires are for the flash codes. I think I heard that some codes will dissapear if you turn the key off after they are set.

 

oh yeah skip you got me. mine is a hot wire set up. it was not untill after posting that I realized what I had said. I guess I should have said that they are verry similar. my mistake. I used to have an 85.

as for the fuel pressure thing I tape it to the windshield. you are right again fuel in the cabin is not to cool.

 

what about that transistor in the ecu that drives the fuel pump? I know I had trouble with that before on my old 85 wagon. to check I ran a wire from the coil pos. to the fuel pump and viola problem gone. not a perminant fix for sure.

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YES! I have been thinking more and more about it being somthing in the gas tank, it makes the most sence. I am puting on a fule pressure gauge today or tomorow, and then I will know for sure if it is infact fule delivery problem. If so I think it may be time to drop the tank and see how it looks:-\

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but having just said that .... I've never had to drop one.

 

There is this nice little tar-sealed plate in the rear floorpanel of the wagon on the passenger side that has a few screws that hold it down.

 

lift it up and away and you'll see the place where the fuel is drawn from. Make sure to clean/vacuum/ blow all the excess dirt/dust from the area under there before you try to unscrew/unbolt the sealing plate on the tank (which is under this panel you just unscrewed)

 

oh an um don't forget to disconnect the battery before you play with this area :>)

 

that way you don't need to drop the tank.... you see?

 

anyone else see the logic in this?

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I think any reason to avoid dropping a gas tank is logical.

 

Thoughts of rusted out fuel pickups are dancing around.

And pictures of fragged f/p wiring.

 

And to fall right off this thread...

Cousin has an '88 Blazer he went rooting in.

Truck just died.

Fuel pump had fallen off the pickup tube where it had been placed, with no hose clamps, went to the bottom of the tank, shorted out, and burned up the fuel pump relay.

Of couse he had just filled it up. Thirty five gallons of gas is heavy. And we both got three tickets apiece while trying to tow it home with a tow strap behind my S-10.

Sorry for the thread hijack, I can't seem to forget that nightmare.

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  • 7 months later...

Hi everyone

 

I have the same sort of problem with my 88 GL

I looked under the column for quite a while before I found the green connector under the hood!

-Anyways, I have a green set of connectors and a white set No black set

-Check engine light almost always on

-when I looked at the connectors the green set was disconnected

-when I connect the green set the check engine light goes out

-error codes 31 and 35

 

 

Question- Is the green daig. connector set supposed to be connected during normal operation?

Can anyone tell me the way to go through the diag using the green or white set.

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I looked through a lot of the solutions posted here over a while, I have had the same probs with mt XT'S. (If your confused by now, I and others don't blame you!) I was running filters before + after pump, Replaced pump, sorted all the ecu codes (sometimes the results are a symptom, not a cause...) I bit the bullet, dropped the tank out, the fuel flow out of the tank built up pressure, but under extreeeem flow, couldn't cope and dropped off.

I flushed the tank, pressure washed the inside, cleaned the pickup (inside - with difficulty) and it vastly improved. Thing is it came back !!

 

Dropped the tank again, recleaned it, ( was filthy again ) I got a glimpse inside - oh s***. Couldn't believe it - the rust and crap was incredible. I split the tank (was going to re weld it) and to my horror was Totally unsalvagable. Looks like the remains of an old rusted ford :rolleyes: ..

 

My other XT , pulled the fuel sender, scouted around - EXACTLY the same prob :banghead:

 

SOOOOOO... I drove it with a jerry can in the back seat ( with hose through floor) back to - smoking up the dyno !!

 

Now I need a new tank, probly a stainless one...

 

Its worth a quick check if you havn't already done it..

Chris

 

*********************************************************

 

Further thoughts:

Tank doesnt take that long to drop, as long as tank ie empty + you got some ramps. Sender, you should get off in 10 min, through the floor in boot. Use a bright small torch on an angle. a big torch you cant get a good enough look around. Also "feel" the inside roof of the tank around sender, with your finger. Both my tanks - you could "feel" the surface rust.

 

ecu connection :

Normal running both green and black - disconnected,

diagnostic - green only connected

retreaval - black only connected

clearing - green + black - connected for 1 minute ( I found dissconnecting battery for at least a min, more successful)

 

I believe this is the same for nearly all models - mine is ea82 mpfi turbo, exactly same as ea82 non turbo + L series - good luck

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  • 10 months later...

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