legacycentral bbs

Car: 1999
Subaru Legacy L Sedan 5MT
~118k

Hey guys I have been fighting trying to find solutions to my problem but i have zero luck and haven't seemed to ifind anything else anywhere, even the shop is stumped.

Ok here is the breakdown of whats been done hope the info helps with suggestions..

- Fuel Injectors (stock) have all been replaced since they failed pressure test

- MAF has been tested with known good unit and my unit tested in another vehicle with same yada yada... no change

- Intake has been checked for leaks and none were found...even the gaskets were replaced

- Car was is running in Open loop but has settled down there but emmissions still screwed up

- Oxygen Sensor has been replaced with new subaru one sweeps much faster than teh old one still screwed on emmissions.

- Grounds (very strange) had resistance so the shop put a few test grounds in and it cleaned up...the made the necessary grounding more permanent and it stumples back to what it was doing before... emmissions still screwed

- there is no exhaust leaks (via sniffer)

- ECU has been reset FYI =) .... heck I even tried a new ECU no nothin

- After market stuff I have on the car is ZERO, I have a stereo and a car alarm with an autostart

I don't know where the stereo is patched in or the alarm but place who put it in don't seem convinced my stereo could cause what is going on... I am not legally screwed until next year when I have the emmission test due for tabs but I have no intension of replacing thi scar anytime soon since it runs great and is a blast to drive.

I'm open to anything and really want to get this issue solved before this rich condidtion kills my cat.

I have a scan tool available to me as well so if you need voltage data ask me and I will pull it and give it to you.

-----------------

ok offer that good old subaru community advice please

*bump*

This issue has esculated to my car burning a considerable amount of oil I was at 2.25 qts per last 1000 miles, hoping it is not the rings/valves but the oil is all out the exhaust and not on the ground with a blue tint =( ... norm 1 qt ok... this is getting out of hand. Still running rich as well... sheet

If it comes to much *tracing electrical wires and checking them* I interest anyone in helping me out with this project? I like my legacy and can't imagine letting it get chewed up like this...118k is too young for a 99 to go down.

Whats your compression coming up at?

What was the car doing originally? I can't seem to tell from the posts.

he car was originally running very poorly engine fighting to stay on... I went through plugs, pcv valve, cleanign the throttle IAC on teh throttle body and nothin was working.....CEL for fuel trim at times.

(I noticed the black exhaust pipe with the fuel residue over time but since i didn't have any CEL I didn't think anything of it)

My last 60k service and up to now the only thing I have changed electronically has been the addition of the alarm and stereo. I aint' sure where they patched in or what.

They fixed the issue I had lef the darn airbox partially open somehow... that fixed the engine runnign condition.

They did a few other checks and discovered my engine was running rich even after they fixed the engine issue... couldn't nail it down. They are just as stumped as I am on this one

compression is at 225 PSI from the time I origially put in shop, leak down test was 4-6%

...9k miles later I have not retested the compression sicne i don't have th etester the shop will be doing my 120k and checkign my oil buring thing out so I will toss what they say about it.

Only other oddities are the following.

Horn does not function after I hooked up factory fog lights

Cruise Control Computer does not have power ( so I can't turn on cruise control )

Any help or if anyone has had simular issues let me know

Alarm is a G4 with intelistart module, stereo is just a cheap sony

Well teh verdict is in:

Alarm and stereo are off the system and the emmissions are just marginally above normal likely due to the high oil consumption else it would be ok cept for the following.

#1, #3, #4 - 220
#2 - 150 70% leakdown

not sure what I can do at this point really the car runs ok just going to foul my plugs and kill the cat.

Worth replacing the shortblock and paying up the ass for it?

$1750 for refurb shortblock + labor which probably will be in the ups of 2-3k ... this sucks


shop gave me some stuff to add to oil in hopes I may luck out and un gunk the ring.... I hope it works.. I'll be monitoring the car closely the next few weeks


advice much appreciated

Wherer are you?

I'd replace it. Just go to the junkyard and get a longblock. It takes about an hr and a half to pull the engine out if you've done it a few times. Probably end up costing about 150 or so for the engine. The junkyards here have sales so if you go on the right day, it's pretty inexpensive.

douglas vincent wrote:Wherer are you?

Kirkland, Wa Area

dzx wrote:I'd replace it. Just go to the junkyard and get a longblock. It takes about an hr and a half to pull the engine out if you've done it a few times. Probably end up costing about 150 or so for the engine. The junkyards here have sales so if you go on the right day, it's pretty inexpensive.

I've never replaced an engine before myself I would need someone with the proper tools and stuff to lend me a hand if I decided to try and tackle a project like that on my own.

Update:

I have found an engine with a whopping 40k on it and it has had all the toys inside taken care of...

I'll be dropping it in next week...well shop will I want it done right.... woot!

Found it via Aarons Auto Wrecking in Seattle.

Stats on the donor motor:
40k bottom end
Heads re-machined / valves re-done
new head gasket
new timing belt
new timing cover
...reset my service intervals for this guy now just have to have the boys at smart service pull the old one and insert this guy.



*cracks a beer*

------------

I'll post a followup after the swap... I can't wait

Update:

Newer engine is in and purring like a kitten.... little FYI on engine swapping... find out the transmission that was mated to the donor... it will save you or the shop doing the work some trouble on diagnosing engine start issues, in my case maybe a airbox too ... but they got it figured out and now my car is emmission free to pass and it is ready for another 100k miles ... Clutch and transmission snout was done as well so everything important was addressed

thanks again for all the help guys

did anyone check the #2 valve guides? i've run into a couple of these that would give a rundom misfire situation. just posing a posibility

not sure but my guess would be yes on that... it turned out just being the cam gears were not the right ones and once the correc tone was pout on it fired right up

sorry,i didn't specify.i was refering to the original motor

If I remember right in my initial diagnosis of this problem when it first appeared, things like that were checked by the shop. I trying to see if someone might want this old engine of mine.

So far no one has mentioned wanting it so I might jus tkeep it and rebuild it myself maybe make this a high rev / compression project not sure... yet