Help me someone!! Anyone!!! I drive a 98' Legacy GT wagon (BH5). It is JDM spec, 2.0l with dual-stage twin turbos. Love the car. It has ran flawlessly for the one year I've had it until Thursday two weeks ago. It fired up and died out without idling. The dealers here first diagnosed a fuel pump failure, then airflow sensor failure, now they're stumped...and I'm distraught. Where should we look?

Was the air filter changed recently? Check the black vacuum hose connection to the airbox (air filter). The 1" diameter hose on the engine side of the box might be disconnected. That can cause these symptoms.

Thanks Bill. The dealer says the air intake system and vacuum are all fine as are the computer and all sensors. He suspects vermin nibbling away at the wiring (!!). I'm totally exasperated. Any more suggestions? Anybody?

Did they try pulling codes or are they just throwing parts at it?

Did they try pulling codes or are they just throwing parts at it?

 

OK ... what does that mean exactly? Please excuse my ignorance ... I am a Subaru rookie ... how should they be trying to diagnose the problem?

So who did the conversion of the car in the first place. Also i am a bit surprised the dealer was willing to look at the twin turbo, as it wasnt sold in this country.

 

I would investigate the coolant temp senor of the ecu first.

 

Pulling codes means you hook a a scanner up to the car and see if there are any error codes from the cars computer. Its used as a diagnostic tool but not the end all of problem solving.

 

nipper

Hey Nip, you are normally very observant.

 

Did you catch something I missed or is

Kenya the 51st state in the union?

Hey Nip, you are normally very observant.

 

Did you catch something I missed or is

Kenya the 51st state in the union?

 

oops i missed that. We all know cuba is going to be the 51st state, they have to get in line.

 

(still say look at the coolant temp sensor)

 

Which leads to the next question, do they even have emission controls?

 

nipper

Very observant, Skip. Yup, at least an ocean and a continent-span away from the union. On the eastern shores of Lake Victoria. No emission controls here. Cars coming from Japan rarely need any modifications other than tyre changes...and sometimes uprated springs.

 

Hmmmm!!! Coolant temp sensor! May be onto something there. For about six months I've been running on a steel radiator especially fabricated (and regularly used on rally-spec Subarus here) after the stock radiator which is (was) plastic-aluminium was shaken to bits on a terrible stretch of road. The car's been fine but running slightly warmer than it should. The dealer said it was OK ... perhaps it wasn't? I will bring up the matter of error codes with the dealer here.

 

Thanks guys.

 

"Aall be bach!"

I'm told that no error codes were returned which isn't necessarily good news. Also that the car fires up and runs - albeit not smoothly - with the airflow meter removed!! The problem however persists when the airflow sensor in the meter is replaced. WTF!!???

ok two things to look at, the airflow meter and the temp sensor. Temp sensor wont always throw a code. Dont rely on the ECU to tell you exaclty whats wrong with the car, it wont. It is only a tool. You need to test the coolant temp sensor. The fact the car runs with the out the sir flow meter is because the car goes into limp mode with it absent. With it there it is giving the car the information that it is present, but giving the car the wrong information.

 

nipper

ok two things to look at, the airflow meter and the temp sensor. Temp sensor wont always throw a code. Dont rely on the ECU to tell you exaclty whats wrong with the car, it wont. It is only a tool. You need to test the coolant temp sensor. The fact the car runs with the out the sir flow meter is because the car goes into limp mode with it absent. With it there it is giving the car the information that it is present, but giving the car the wrong information.

 

nipper

 

are we using the phrasing "air flow meter" in substitute for MAF? because i had similar sounding symptoms of my 96 LS that a new MAF fixed.

are we using the phrasing "air flow meter" in substitute for MAF? because i had similar sounding symptoms of my 96 LS that a new MAF fixed.

 

I'm using his terminolgy, as I neve know what they call parts in different countries anymore.

 

nipper

I'm using his terminolgy, as I neve know what they call parts in different countries anymore.

 

nipper

 

so, yes?

I am given to understand that on the 98-02 Legacies the sensor on the airflow meter is removable and can be replaced whereas before it required replacement of the entire housing? What does the acronym MAF stand for?

I am given to understand that on the 98-02 Legacies the sensor on the airflow meter is removable and can be replaced whereas before it required replacement of the entire housing? What does the acronym MAF stand for?

 

MAF = Mrump roast Airflow Sensor. It's replaceable on my 96 Legacy. you just take it out and put a new one in.

OK. Things are still looking pretty bleak here. New coolant temperature sensor hasn't fixed the problem. He's checking the catalytic converter and the the oxygen sensor (which apparently seems fine) ... we're still totally stumped. Now testing the ECU in a similar car after the weekend (No, please let it not be that!!? Insolvency shall be beckoning animatedly). Any more ideas guys?

No you say it dies, does that mean it runs, but fails to idle with you foot off the gas? Is this perhaps a M/T or automatic?

It's a 5-speed manual ... it fires up fine and then sputters out immediately without idling at all. I'm at wits end here. I'll have more later on what the dealer find out checking the ECU today. Really strange, though. One evening it's totally fine and the next morning, this glitch. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Wuodabiero-

Are you sure you're not in Nigeria? Your mechanic appears to be maximizing the billable hours and minimizing the fix. If you are unable to open the hood and start looking for disconnected hoses yourself, I recommend that you find a new mechanic. Experienced and honest. Surely Kenya has one for you.

All the best, and keep at it-

Bill, that was funny!! No seriously, I think they're doing the best they can. The proprietor's also a friend so I'm sure much of this effort will not find its way onto my bill ("...he said with the casual certainty of the foolishly naive.."). They are also affiliated to Subaru Kenya who I have no doubt would have thrown expensive parts at me as they guessed their way around this. Still, :-\ I will get down there and check out what's going on, perhaps take some pictures and get back here for more advice.

OK. Car still down. The latest word from Subaru Kenya is apparently that the problem is rife with twin-turbo Legacy cars of the 98-02 model range. They say the supply of airflow sensors they have are not suited to this model. What I need now is the part number of the airflow sensor for the JDM-spec Legacy BH5 twin turbo. Anyone?

AMAZING!!! Car's fixed. Yesterday evening, out of two additional brand new MAP sensors straight out of the box from Subaru Kenya, the second one got my car fired up and growling like nothing ever happened!!! Enough to make a grown man cry! Oh happy day!!! My faith in Subaru, severely shaken has been restored by the dogged determination of Glynn Holland of Rallytec Motors in Kisumu (check out http://www.rallytecmotors.com/) and by USMB. The GT ... http://www.rallytecmotors.com/Rallytec_Gallery/image.php?i=images/garage.jpg ... will be out today .Thanks guys.

 

And nice LGT!