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CAR: 93 subaru legacy n/a sedan manual transmission

Problem: runs fine, idles perfect, dies randomly?.. can't leave it sitting at idle for to long or it will die..

yesterday morning i drove it down the street and it died at the corner, tried to start it back up and it started up, idled fine then when i put it in gear and started to rev it hit 2000rpms and dropped back down and died.. did this probably 10 or more times before starting back up and running fine back to my house were its been parked ever since. Also sometimes when it dies and you start it up it will run really rough, then if you turn the key completely off and back on it will run just fine. Anyone have any ideas?

it was dying and running rough from a vacuum leak at the intake manifold so i replaced the intake gaskets and that solved the erratic idle, but now it just dies

Oh and i have replaced: spark plugs, wires, intake manifold gaskets, air filter, PCV valve, fuel filter, cleaned the throttle body and the MAF, ran injector cleaner, and seafoamed the vacuum lines..

I can't really say what the cause is, but have you tried to check the codes?

Search isn't working right now, but here is a link for checking if you aren't already familiar.

Good luck!

SC

thanks.. i'm familiar on checking codes on any obd2 cars and older gm and ford but not with older imports but it has thrown a light on and off a few times but the light doesnt stay on.. i might try it though

My initial thought was the fuel pump trying to crap out, it could be a coil trying to go bad or a bad/dirty ground. Next time it does it if you have access to a fuel pressure gauge, check the fuel pressure. Next time it does it you could also try cycling the key 3 or 4 times to see if the pump will prime up and it will start. By this I mean, turn key to ON like your going to start it but don't start it, wait 3 seconds and turn key off, do this again 3 to 4 times in a row and see if it will start. A good used coil should be less than $30 on EBAY, probably cheaper at a local junkyard, this is a cheap item to check. Check all your grounds for corrosion and make sure they all have good clean/tight connections. I mean it could be other stuff too, it's hard to diagnose cars without seeing them. It could be a MAF going bad aswell. My gut says fuel pump though. I would start by pulling the spark plugs out and inpspecting them to get a better idea what is going on inside, most people will not do this simple check but it is the first place I start.

If the CEL is coming on, check that first.

how do i check the codes on this car.. were is the plug?

so i cleaned the iacv and the pcv hose because they had alot of build up.. it ran perfect for about ten to fifteen minutes while driving around, driving it easy and hard.. then finally after parking for a bit and letting it run it bogged down and died, started right back up

Try this,

Smithcraft wrote:I can't really say what the cause is, but have you tried to check the codes?

Search isn't working right now, but here is a link for checking if you aren't already familiar.

Good luck!

SC

here's the link one more time for good measure: http://www.legacycentral.org/library/li ... /codes.htm

You have to remove the tray under the steering wheel, I think it's like 4 phillips screws. There are 2 black one wire connectors that fit each other, plug them together and turn the key to ON without starting the vehicle. The CEL will start to flash in a sort of morse code way, long flashes followed by short flashes and a pause between these to seperate multiple codes. Example, one long flash followed by two short flashes equal code 12, two long flashes followed by two short flashes equals code 22, and so on. You may need to watch this cycle several times to get the hang of it. The connectors may be hard to find, they are normally to the right of the steering column but you may have to dig them out from the rest of the wires. They are 1 wire BLACK connectors, one is male and the other female, they are about the size of your thumbnail. The link will describe this procedure(probably better than me), and provide a chart that shows which code is which. Just post the code # and we'll tell you what it is if you can't figure it out. I'll try to take a picture of the connectors tomorrow if it will help.

Good luck, Brian

Okay, I just reread your posts and somehow I thought you were having hard start problems, this is not the case though. I'm still confused so I'm gonna have to read this again.

So it just dies randomly but it will start right back up, sometimes it runs rough after this. It idles perfectly but it will not idle very long without dying, how long before it dies, seconds, minutes?

okay ya it runs fine, idles fine around 800-1000rpms... i drove it around the block a few times today, first easy going.. and then got on it and drove it hard. then i got home and let it idle for like 5 minutes and it just bogged down and died, started right back up and set and idled fine again.


i can go out and start it in the morning and come back out to leave and it will be turned off just setting there with the fan running.. im stumped and so is everyone i work with at the zone lol

If you had a big vacuum leak due to intake gaskets, the ECU may have bad learned fuel trims.

I highly recommend resetting the ECU. Instructions can be found from the link above or on my site. I'd probably also suggest just checking the codes before you clear it to see if anything is stored.

www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/engine.html

ok so i checked the codes, it flashed 23 and then 24 repeatedly.. 2 long flashes and 3 short ones and then 2 long ones and 4 short ones

LegacyFTW wrote:ok so i checked the codes, it flashed 23 and then 24 repeatedly.. 2 long flashes and 3 short ones and then 2 long ones and 4 short ones

Change your MAF sensor, or test it

i tried the D-check way as well and the light just flashed.. and didnt stop lol

Clear the codes / reset the ECU, and then see how things run.

Do you have the MAF sensor on TIGHT and no leaks between the MAF and throttle body. There are a bunch of hoses attached to the intake that can be broken or not hooked up correctly.

I'm 99% sure this is the maf, codes or not