So this morning I'm on my way to work and about 5 minutes into my drive the car suddenly looses power and runs like it's on 2 or 3 cylinders. By loosing power I mean I had the gas pedal floored and the car went slower and slower. Normally I can hear the sound of the exhaust resonate through the back of the wagon and when I lost power it sounded really "sputtery" and felt the way a engine would feel just before it siezes!!!!

 

So I pulled over, let it idle in neutral for a couple seconds, revved the engine a few times and the issue seemed to go away. I drove the rest of my 35mi commute without problem.

 

During the rest of my drive to work I had time to think about it and I'm thinking sticky choke??? Does that make sense? If so what would make the choke stick and how could I clean it or whatever? Otherwise the engine seems to run normal- a little doggy when it's cold but that wears off after a few minutes.

Which Engine is it? EA82?

SInce you didnt say, i am assuming this is an 80's subaru. It's old enough for the ignitor to start getting finiky. If it is the ignitor it will happen again.

Chokes do stick due to age, can be the choke spring heater thingy (forget what its called).

 

 

 

nipper

Sounds like a carb model. Could it be carburettor icing? Check the air inlet temperature control system, if it has a carb.

Could also be clogged fuel filter(s).

OOps, sorry everyone I just rolled into work when I started that post- was kinda in a hurry...

 

Yeah it's an 85 GL wagon auto 4wd EA82 carbed. The carb was rebuilt a year or so ago (before I bought it).

 

WTH is the ignitor? What's it do and where's it at .

 

I thought fuel filter too but other than this one isolated incident it runs fine (for the most part). There's no better way to describe it other than sticky choke feeling, but again, cruisin right along, start noticing a bit of a sputter, then slowly dropping RPMs, the more gas I give the worse it gets- had to just barely give it gas to keep from wanting stall completely. Pulled over, revved the engine a few times, idle smoothed out and away I went.

 

Drove home without issue too.

 

Idunno, I'm myphed :-\

The ignitor is in your dustrubutor. Its a little black box that replaced points. It tells the coil when to fire.

It can drive you nuts to diagnose untill it finally fails. When it starts to die it can stall the car or make it sputter.

 

 

nipper

I had the same exact thing happen on an 86 carbed EA82, it was a sticking float. Mine didn't clear up, I had to open up the carb and actually bend the float tang to get it right.