1990 subaru legacy 2.5l auto awd 350000km. When going uphill or hard acceleration the engine will start to ping then vibrate serverly and then dies. I will pull over and turn off then it will restart and run smooth. The engine start to ping then seems it loses1 or 2 cylinders thus causing lose of power, vibrating and than stall. Other than this the engine runs smooth on idle and drives smooth until I get to a situation where I need more power for more than 5sec.
Burns on oil, Compression is 180-185.
Parts I changed. Plugs NGK, plug wires, coil, O2 sensor, MAF sensor, fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter, timing belt, knock sensor, exhaust system cat and muffler. Have run sea foam and TKO injector cleaners.
I am not showing any codes. And gas millage seems to be OK
I am running out of thing to change.
I bought the car knowing of the problem but I did not count on it been this much of a problem
Any help is appreciated
2007-01-28 07:16:57 · 7 answers · asked by tony b 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Subaru
Unless the engie was switched you should have a 2.2 litre 4 cylinder engine. Is it auto or stick? Check the cap and rotor.
2007-01-31 02:30:02 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since you replaced the fuel pump and filter one may no longer suspect a fuel delivery issue. However, it still could be a fuel delivery problem. I recommend installing a fuel pressure gauge and monitoring the fuel pressure while duplicating the failure. A faulty fuel regulator may be allowing too much fuel to flow back to the tank through the return line thus inducing a drop in operating fuel pressure.
I suspect this because you are experiencing a "ping" when fuel demand is high. the "ping" is induced by a lean fuel mixture in the combustion chambers. (since this is a coil operated ignition system, a distributor or timing problem is obsolete and a non-issue).
I also recommend checking for proper/ secure pin connections on your electrical connectors at the junction between the engine and transmission. (There are two connectors on the passenger side at the bellhousing). I've seen loose connections at the pins here that ultimately loose connection when the engine torques. This problem is somewhat unusual but still a possibility.
Another issue I hate to bring up is a possible head gasket failure. I have seen many instances where the headgasket fails and allows high pressure exhaust gasses to bypass into the combustion chambers and induce the lean misfire and "ping". You won't necessarily see an external leak at the headgaskets and you may not have an oil leak at the headgasket either for this to occur. I recommend you allow your engine to cool, pull off the radiator cap, suck out some coolant (to allow for expansion when the engine heats it up and thermostat opens). Then start the engine and allow it to reach operating temperature. (be very cautious of coolant overflow!) Once the thermostat opens, rap out the engine a few times and look for exhaust gases in the cooling system. You may see and smell hydrocarbons escaping from the coolant. I hope this isn't the problem but it is very probable.
Hope this helps I'll write more if anything else comes to mind. Good Luck!
2007-01-28 16:25:50 · answer #2 · answered by Ranger 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The timing is affected when you put a load on the engine, or when you accelerate.
It looks like you changed a lot of parts... that's good. But did you "time" the engine. Did you adjust the distributor to fire those spark plugs at the precise moment of ? degrees behind top dead center? Did you accidently remove the vacuum advance hose from the distributor?
PING PING PING..... are you using cheap gas that is below the recommended octane for your engine?
And yes... 350 thousand km could be a tired car.
2007-01-28 15:22:58 · answer #3 · answered by Blues Lovin' Daddy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put a timing light on it and see if it advances properly. That's low mileage for a '90.I don't think they had a 2.5 in '90 in the Legacy anyway. I could be wrong.
2007-01-30 18:00:57 · answer #4 · answered by johndeereman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
problem > bent a push rod. solution > get another engine
Asuuming > Body is in good shape
2007-01-29 15:18:49 · answer #5 · answered by N4SLegz 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be computer error// computer reading not enough volts// to much volts // putting computer in default mode with no readable code// tak computer to auto zone and have them check it to make sure its ok// good luck
2007-01-28 15:23:50 · answer #6 · answered by toadyboy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
350000 Km. is the prob. friend ...shoot that 'ol horse.
2007-01-28 15:22:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋