Subaru liberty/legacy 94 loss of power

Hi Danny, It's been a while and yea this problem was a b!tch, it used to wind my blood pressure up to the end stop every time I approached a long hill. After I made this post I tried a number more things, here are the items that helped: 1. Do not run this car on 91 octane fuel! book says minimum 94 and i now run mine on 98, makes a big difference to engine ping. 2. The last items i changed on this car before the problem went away (mine was intermittent, it didn't **** out on every hill, just the long ones when the mood hit it) were the spark plug leads (not terribly expensive and fairly easy to do yourself) and the coil pack (ebay is your friend here). These 2 items seem to have made the most difference, however the other items that i have done are: 1. Run a dose of upper engine cleaner through the car, 2. Pull out all 4 injectors and have them professionally cleaned (cleaners didn't find much wrong), 3. Converted the catalitic converter to "high flow (tm)", not something that made much different and unless you know it is a problem leave it alone. 4. Changed th O2 sensor, no real change. 5. Install 2 more sensors that give me a dashboard readout of EFI duty cycle (handy) and fuel rail pressure (would narrow down a bad pump/pressure valve but not much more). Due to the nature of my problem and as i never had an absolute eureka moment i cannot say that these items will fix your problem but definitely changing the fuel helped and is inexpensive in the long run (compared to say a new engine). Best of luck with it. Hi Danny, It's been a while and yea this problem was a b!tch, it used to wind my blood pressure up to the end stop every time I approached a long hill. After I made this post I tried a number more things, here are the items that helped: 1. Do not run this car on 91 octane fuel! book says minimum 94 and i now run mine on 98, makes a big difference to engine ping. 2. The last items i changed on this car before the problem went away (mine was intermittent, it didn't **** out on every hill, just the long ones when the mood hit it) were the spark plug leads (not terribly expensive and fairly easy to do yourself) and the coil pack (ebay is your friend here). These 2 items seem to have made the most difference, however the other items that i have done are: 1. Run a dose of upper engine cleaner through the car, 2. Pull out all 4 injectors and have them professionally cleaned (cleaners didn't find much wrong), 3. Converted the catalitic converter to "high flow (tm)", not something that made much different and unless you know it is a problem leave it alone. 4. Changed th O2 sensor, no real change. 5. Install 2 more sensors that give me a dashboard readout of EFI duty cycle (handy) and fuel rail pressure (would narrow down a bad pump/pressure valve but not much more). Due to the nature of my problem and as i never had an absolute eureka moment i cannot say that these items will fix your problem but definitely changing the fuel helped and is inexpensive in the long run (compared to say a new engine). Best of luck with it.

Jason thankyou for for advice and reply.I crarked the s___ts and took it to gun mechanic has him stumped as well, BUT 1 thing that I should have thought of he has. He has installed a temp indication lamp down stream of the fuel pump relay.(at dash board relay to fuel pump) If lamp stays on and faut occurs it's up stream of the relay, IF lamp goes out it's fuel pump or harnes. So from his conclusions he is convinced it's fuel problem, as he was in the back of the wagon whilst his off sider driving pulled the fuel pump connector at the tank and replecated the fault his man experienced whilst on test drive. Fuel has been at 95 for sometime now, plugs and leads have been replaced prior but not coil pack. Last service pump was canged among other 190000k timming belts etc. ran fine for 10000k and gradually crept in again. Have disconnected battery for 12 odd hrs on occasions and seemed to fix for time, but as we know intermitant is as is. Have not had chance to test lamp as on way back from mech, that faint knocking noise finally arrived at the stage of conclusion front left hand side bearing now shot. It was dark, late, raining, traffic etc. limped home, hopefully this weekend for repairs. will keep posted on the fuel issue. I will tell all, it feels the "old golf ball" trick . Thankyou again Jason thankyou for for advice and reply.I crarked the s___ts and took it to gun mechanic has him stumped as well, BUT 1 thing that I should have thought of he has. He has installed a temp indication lamp down stream of the fuel pump relay.(at dash board relay to fuel pump) If lamp stays on and faut occurs it's up stream of the relay, IF lamp goes out it's fuel pump or harnes. So from his conclusions he is convinced it's fuel problem, as he was in the back of the wagon whilst his off sider driving pulled the fuel pump connector at the tank and replecated the fault his man experienced whilst on test drive. Fuel has been at 95 for sometime now, plugs and leads have been replaced prior but not coil pack. Last service pump was canged among other 190000k timming belts etc. ran fine for 10000k and gradually crept in again. Have disconnected battery for 12 odd hrs on occasions and seemed to fix for time, but as we know intermitant is as is. Have not had chance to test lamp as on way back from mech, that faint knocking noise finally arrived at the stage of conclusion front left hand side bearing now shot. It was dark, late, raining, traffic etc. limped home, hopefully this weekend for repairs. will keep posted on the fuel issue. I will tell all, it feels the "old golf ball" trick . Thankyou again

I'M now aware that SAFEWAY (and maybe many others) add ethonol. I'm told they do not advertise such anymore (in Victoria Australia) aparently this requires a compression ratio of 13:1+ where most engines have a ratio of 9:1 (ish) so the balance is padding (non combustable fuel) to engine. Reports from several mechanics ive spoken with, tell me that the ethonol leaves a residue on fuel components and gums up fuel delivery system along with combustion. yarda yarda Since Ive changed fuel suppliers this problem diminished over a four month period along with upping the octane rating to 98. Now runs like it should. I ran rubbish 98 fuel prior. All I can say is discount fuel on shopper dockets was an expensive learning curve, excess of $1k for me. Thats alot of good fuel wasted for trying to be frugel (thinking I was saving a dollar). We ran the math on the xtra COST of the 98, maybe a couple of dollars a tank on top of the discount, But I have to tell you it's Well worth it. I and my wife are no longer comming to a complete halt on dangerous curves on freeways and other minor roads, lucky to be alive on some occassions. forgive typos and spelling, good luck I'M now aware that SAFEWAY (and maybe many others) add ethonol. I'm told they do not advertise such anymore (in Victoria Australia) aparently this requires a compression ratio of 13:1+ where most engines have a ratio of 9:1 (ish) so the balance is padding (non combustable fuel) to engine. Reports from several mechanics ive spoken with, tell me that the ethonol leaves a residue on fuel components and gums up fuel delivery system along with combustion. yarda yarda Since Ive changed fuel suppliers this problem diminished over a four month period along with upping the octane rating to 98. Now runs like it should. I ran rubbish 98 fuel prior. All I can say is discount fuel on shopper dockets was an expensive learning curve, excess of $1k for me. Thats alot of good fuel wasted for trying to be frugel (thinking I was saving a dollar). We ran the math on the xtra COST of the 98, maybe a couple of dollars a tank on top of the discount, But I have to tell you it's Well worth it. I and my wife are no longer comming to a complete halt on dangerous curves on freeways and other minor roads, lucky to be alive on some occassions. forgive typos and spelling, good luck

SORRY Folk for not loging in sooner. BUT At Last The Problem Is Solved SORRY Folk for not loging in sooner. BUT At Last The Problem Is Solved

only problem now is the projected death of wagon will be in another 80K. only problem now is the projected death of wagon will be in another 80K.

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