My 99 OBW died yesterday and ran like it had jumped timing. Today i tried to start it to put in the shed so I could check and replace the TB. It ran like a champ, but the check engine light was on. I went to advance auto and the code pulled a P1507. I looked it up and it came back as an Idle control malfunction (fail safe). The tech cleared the code and it has been running fine, but I would like to know what happened yesterday so I can prevent it from happening again. Where do I go from here? Do I just wait and see if it happens again.

 

One thing I did was to clean and re-oil my K/N air filter on Saturday. Could that have caused a problem. I used very little oil and only on the airbox side.

 

Thanks Guys

One thing I did was to clean and re-oil my K/N air filter on Saturday. Could that have caused a problem. I used very little oil and only on the airbox side.

Check for intake air leaks, and also see this: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/DiagTroubSum04.pdf .

Thank you for that info. I will check the switch tomorrow. It is funny, since I just put this tranny in this past Saturday. I might just replace the switch with the one in my old tranny to be safe.

You're welcome. It does seem like the neutral switch itself (or its operation/connection) is the likely cause of the code in your case -- the ECU thinks the car is in neutral when it isn't, and acts accordingly. When the ECU triggers the P1507 code, it also puts the system into a ''limping'' mode, and that's probably the poor-running condition you experienced.

Edited June 3, 200916 yr by OB99W
Corrected grammar!

Thanks Again.

 

I'm glad it is going to be a simple fix. I have a friend who wants to buy her from me and I am going to move into a 99 Forester manual with 144K on it.

Thank you for that info. I will check the switch tomorrow. It is funny, since I just put this tranny in this past Saturday. I might just replace the switch with the one in my old tranny to be safe.

 

What switch on the tranny caused this? The link no longer works. I have the same problem and just replaced the tranny, it a manual.

Once I replaced the switch the code went away. It was a real easy fix.

I had this code and went crazy with it for weeks.

 

I replaced the TPS, IACV, checked over and over vacuum leaks, replaced the neutral safety switch. In the end I brought it to the local independent subaru specialist who replaced the throttle body and adjusted the TPS which took care of it.