mattejb Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 I had a friend who drove a Ford Escort running on three cylinders for YEARS. If you disconnect the injector to the dead cylinder, you really won't be polluting or wasting gas. I say, go for it if a replacement car is on the horizon. Thanks this is the answer i was looking for and what I will do if the cylinder really is completely dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98obster Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 If you continue to drive it as is keep us up to date on any changes. It's always encouraging to hear how hard it is to kill a subaru. :-\ thanks for the update. I think this falls under the Subaru "tough" Love category. kinda hope you throw a rod (cold cylinder walls don't really like 4k rpm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I had a friend who drove a Ford Escort running on three cylinders for YEARS. If you disconnect the injector to the dead cylinder, you really won't be polluting or wasting gas. I say, go for it if a replacement car is on the horizon. He could tell the differnce? hehehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Has anyone on here ran a car with only 3 out of 4 cylinders for a considerable amount of time with any luck? Say 6 months? Is that possible if everything goes "ok"? What do you think my chances are? Mine has been running on 3 cylinders for the past 6 months and runs great -- though being a Justy, it's not quite fair -- it only has three to begin with. My '89 GL is also a three cylinder now -- burned out exhaust valve I think. I did drive it about 50 miles after it happened, including up the hill to Ward from Boulder -- 4,000 feet elevation. It actually ran find at speed, just not much power, but vibrated a little oddly at idle. I need to drive it back to Boulder to a warm garage to swap the engine out, actually... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Over the Christmas holiday I took the car on a few trips totaling 1,000 highway miles. Same issues, runs fine at speed but stop at a red light and the CEL starts flashing and the car will shake. I also had it looked at by a local Subaru mechanic while I was home. He tried changing spark plugs and fuel injectors and wires but none of it helped. Also he did a compression test and said that cylinder 4 has really low compression at idle and that it is probably a burned/bent valve or a cracked cylinder ring/head. He said if it is the cylinder it probably would have broken down by now and that if it is the valve it might currently be the worst it is going to get. So that is now two places telling me the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks this is the answer i was looking for and what I will do if the cylinder really is completely dead. Then you don't really want an answer, you want someone to agree with the descision you already made. Honestly it seems stupid to me to let a known fixable problem turn into a destroyed worthless engine, and entire car from what it sounds like. What a waste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Then you don't really want an answer, you want someone to agree with the descision you already made. Honestly it seems stupid to me to let a known fixable problem turn into a destroyed worthless engine, and entire car from what it sounds like. What a waste yup, but as i always say, its the owners money. Just dont come back complaining how subarus are horrible cars when the engine blows up. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 yup, but as i always say, its the owners money. Just dont come back complaining how subarus are horrible cars when the engine blows up. wpord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Why spend the money I don't have to fix something that doesn't need to be fixed? So far the car still seems to be working for what I need it for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98obster Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 so your betting on this lasting 6 months, okay. what if it doesn't? if it cost you $1000 to fix it, your chances of making it 6 months drastically improves. and I'm pretty sure someone would buy it for $1000. you were going to junk it anyway right. it just sounds strange that you can drop coin for a 2010 but are such a tightwad on this matter. again, obviously no one say if this will last 6 months or 6 years more but I also wouldn't go anywhere without having AAA on speeddial and a screwdriver to take the plates off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Why spend the money I don't have to fix something that doesn't need to be fixed? So far the car still seems to be working for what I need it for. Spend the money now, and recover it on the trade-in. If you don't you will have a worthless pile, that cost you MORE money when you consider the loss of any trade in value (which I would estimate to be at least 2-3k$) Look, if you come here for advice, but then are set on ignoring it and doing what you decided already, you're really wasting our time, And you're money. Not to mention, every new car consumes finite world resources. It is just generally agravating to my worldview to see people be wasteful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 it just sounds strange that you can drop coin for a 2010 but are such a tightwad on this matter. I am currently still in college with no money, I will be graduating/getting a job May/June. If I am better off fixing the car before I trade it in I will make that decision before I trade it in. As of right now I will just keep you guys posted...some might want to know how or if it will die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch de la Brat Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Check out your fuel injectors. Test them with an ohm-meter. Touch each contact to one of the two blades, the ones that connect to the plug. They should read between 10 and 15 ohms or kilo-ohms. Can't quite remember. Just check a repair manual and it should tell you. Hope it helps :-\ Twitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I am currently still in college with no money, I will be graduating/getting a job May/June. The last thing you should do immediately after school is heap on another debt/payment. And no offense, but finding a high paying job in you're field striaght out of college doesn't really happen. Pay you're student loans off first. You'll basically throw away a decent car just to spend 50K(by the time you pay the loan interest) on basically a newer version of the same car? Plus thousands more every year for the full coverage insurance you will have to have for said brand new car. You're not going to school for economics are you? If you don't have money now for a brand new car, you aren't going to have it in six months. Reality check. Now get smart, and start saving money to fix the wonderful car you already have. It will pay off more in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanbasten Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 (...) runs fine at speed but stop at a red light and the CEL starts flashing and the car will shake. Got yesterday exactly the same symptoms as described... not more not less... without any warnings after firing car up got impression I need to chase the engine in the garage... got some ride... no issues at rpm>1000... each time get car to stop as soon as reached ~idle started to shake and cel went in... could smell unburned fuel from exhaust... went back into garage and checked spar plugs... on the left side since access was easiest and my night time limited... plug the wire boots/tube out and found some oil... well... kind of spoon or two... since got no idea what to do with this just wiped that out... had a look into plug connector... clean that with air out of my lungs... plug that back in and fired it up... problem went away... really was under impression... still cannot believe got more luck then wisdom... yes... did not change spark plugs for awhile... so will do it anyway... other than that need to figured out where the oil came from... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 (edited) update: Car is still running with the same problems...CEL or flashing CEL P0304, shaking at idle. I have also been getting worse gas mileage then I was before (I think that is a mix of temps in the single digits/teens and 100% city driving/WOOT! in the snow. ) I havnt put any $ into it besides gas and oil. Ill keep you posted if it improves or explodes. Edited February 4, 2009 by mattejb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 update: Car is still running...CEL or flashing CEL P0304 and now also P0302, shaking at idle. I have not put any $ into it besides gas and oil. It does seem to be starting and running a little better now that temps are 40s/50s. Ill keep you posted if it improves or explodes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattejb Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 update: Some good news...I have learned my car will pass inspection come this June since it is just visual. Car is still running...No CEL for the past few days, but I am sure it will be back. When the CEL is on it is just P0304, P0302 has not been showing up. I have not put any $ into it besides gas and oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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