good morning, new to forum,

apologies if to long, spelling mistakes, any other issues with post, been up most of night in my head going over the words, what is it what is it, a lot of us have all been there,

2nd impreza owned, just bought, one of the last classics, but bought knowing it needed service, and not running 100%, but shell is vgc so its build-able
when bought was very surgy, missing all over, erratic, drove it home 150mile,
bought main parts, that could get without ordering the rest are on there way,

---changed---
plugs - ngk after checking gaps, forums etc, left pre set at 0.7mm the ones in where 1.0mm
air filter clean,
plug leads, one has split in rubber boot, engine side, i think bad mechanic and pliers(bellend)
throttle body gasket
idle valve
5w 40 fullly synt, oil comma, as was told spec is higher than a lot of others,also all the was within 20miles and the cars oil, was bad so better clean and not also now the temp is down by 2 needle widths,
oil filter

-
refreshed/cleaned
throttle body- full of tar like black gunk, 99% removed - new body ordering
intercooler (petrol tipped in to soak and clean) and pipes - full of light black oil, around the pipes also,
checked breathers, but needs to go indepth, and trace a lot more, and renew
intercoller,throttle body rubber pipe wasn't secured properly, the clamps, one of them wasn't on the pipe fully, same as lower pipe clamp lose, may explain the amount of oil in area, or he ran on to thin a oil, ???? - but i have piece of mind though that i have re done all this so i know its right, you know the one.
-
----what i have ordered to change----
new coil
new magnacore leads
throttle position sensor
dump valve, due to worked on my last car, baileys ordered
ecu- remapped,
-
---things to consider and will be checked and done---
all breather pipes, filters, catch equipment, and oil catchers, changed for new/better,
-
i am currently running injector cleaner, - will this hinder performance assuming it would, also should i goto standard unleaded, as on premium, for clean out,
-
to sum up the car has a new lease of life, i can hear the turbo a lot clearer, weather its working properly remains to be tested by experts above me,
but there is till something,
when i removed the plugs i noticed the front left and front right, had a flakey carbon build up, the rear two did not, maybe through mis treat in past, but the bloke swore he changed them 6 weeks ago ?, could this be caused by cam belt stretch (slight stretch on long belt would maybe throw a tooth out causing the slight miss.

i have intention of running until fuel has gone through with cleaner then down to esso for nice fuel, and change fuel filter, and check plugs again,
but the car is quick but not as quick as it should be or as my old on used to be,

car has no mods, but cobra sport , rear box attached

final part, i took it to a friend of mine who spends all his spare time under the bonnet, he removed the oil filler cap and its blowing air out of there and when its removed, it runs slight lumpy , and he says it should not be blowing out of there, sounds like crank case breather pipe or another breather not working is this right,

apologies that this is an essay i had to put it all down, as nothing worse than re writing and posting, and also someone may have done this and can pin point something they have had the same and cured,

thanks not quite pulling my hair out yet due to she's improved so I'm getting there,

 

I would advise you to carry out a compression test on all cylinders. There's always going to be a little air coming from the crank case but there shouldn't be loads. Has the engine been modified from standard in any way?

 

o2 sensor,maf sensor? Faulty would cause misfire. Have you done ECU reset and error code check using the cars self diagnostics?
Also esso don't do 'nice' fuel. My WRX runs pants on the stuff. You need 99ron shell or tesco. Un mapped imports are used to running 100ron. Esso is 98 I believe?

 

thats it shell, not esso, its a weird one, it seems to be ok when colder and when warmed up to temp, starts missing a little but comes and goes but powers down, for sure. also wondering cam belt is reaching 30k since changed assuming long belt, little stretch would throw out a little, sensors are my next one, the tick over, little low and can hear the slight uneven, engine not modified, that i know of (i could have had a promise from a liar( but very dirty, sooty, oily soot,

have not done any diags, as of yet am about to get to that point, with all the cleaning and fluids change and just ran the last bit of fuel in tank with injector cleaner, next fill will be tesco, as no shell near me. but some people stating tesco, bottom o barrel stuff, how true it is dunno, did not make my last one run bad. but each petrol station to there own, tesco near me someone may spend time in there early teens, drunk on diamond white pissing down the tank. knowing my luck, -

the main thing i notice today time to time, surging, then not as responsive, then sometimes flys. i have just added baileys dump valve which i now have no problems between gear changes, em recirc valve black ish but not bad, i did notice the coil pack terminal one was corroded slightly, cleaned with wet n dry, leads on, a touch better, bit more response, still surge when warmed up more than cold. time and money and knowledge, needed,

further findings, gearbox oil at bottom of dipstick just touching way below the low,
will be done next, think shel be park up now until changed, or topped minimum until off work and get under her again properly,
will search for edu reset, tried oddball bluetooth on a off chance did not work ordering correct lead.

many thanks for the input compression tests coming up next..

also not sure about the amount of pressure coming out of filler tube, but when i take the cap off the tick over drops, is this normal for these, i know some other cars the same and i'd assume you need the cap on to create oil pressure??? but all engines different,

thanks

 

Ecu reset and error code read is easy and you don't need anything(No tool/code reader needed on a classic) just do a quick search on here as it's been covered plenty of times.
Light cruise/light load misfire I would say dirty/faulty o2. Boost/heavy load I would say dirty/faulty maf. My 1st port of call would be ECU reset(takes 5mins)Then go for a drive followed by code read(5 mins) both cost nothing

 

- cheers pal, am reading now, and will be done in dayligh tomorrow, much appreciated,, to all posts also

 

ecu, reset, no codes stored. i unplugged maf sensor ran or few mins, also put foot to floor was like rev limiter kicking in at 4-5k, tested fall code and surely it flagged up mad issue 23, so assume edu logging codes correctly, question.. if i have a faulty sensor or even a sensor that not true, etc.. o2 sensor, could this make the car run sluggish, and surge, but store no codes, am i able to fool the o2 by unplugging it, bridging it ?? or remove to test.

ordering o2 and maf as i do get some band of power 2-4.5k after that i hit 5k and she stutters, some times goes ok, so maybe mad breakdown, also sometimes the waste out of the dump valve appears to be higher sometimes, maybe the way am driving but have replicated this on more than one occasion, and i thought the one i had last time was the same all the time, maybe iffy valve or pipe not 100% will recheck.

appears someone in the past has had a spanner,socket around the nuts holding the ecu.
i will inc picture maybe someone can say yes this is standard for this car or off another age etc ?? learning but learning fast, have good engine knowledge but new to these.

bloke who i got the car off said he had the knock sensor changed when clutch done last year, could this explain carbon in plugs or damaged the knock when fitting, this does advance the engine if knocking detected i believe, ?? stressful more irritating than owt. but am reading lottos threads over the last several years re this issue and seems common on these,

 

If you have a vta dump valve then this may well cause bad running issues,your car should have a recirc dump valve when not running mafless. Have a read on dump valves,plent of threads about it.
O2 sensor can be tested,see thread link below for good info.
https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...da-sensor.html

If the knock sensor is detecting a knock then it will pull(retard) the timing and will cause running issues.
Unfortunately there are many things that can cause your car to run rubbish,just have to go through each thing(starting at the cheap options 1st) until you nail it.
Bad/cracked/split pipes. Rubbish non oem dump valve. Spark plugs,gap ect. Fuel filter,fuel pump,,ect ect ect
Hope you get it sorted mate.

 

A list as long as my arm, but one thing when it's finally cracked, itl
Be nearly new, unless I hit the nail on the head next thing I try thanks

 

well like a proper bell end, i didn't google, 99ron and went to my local tesco and tried to read labels that were not there, so as i was running momentum 99ron i and mate of mine said his didn't like it, first thought should of been, he's not got an impreza, so i fuelled with reg unleaded, big mistake the car is worse especially cold, when warm slight more miss and surging, so am running the fuel through on work trips and will burn the rest of maybe syphon or connect fuel wires like when on last car filled with diesel, - next fill up SHELL,,

sometimes when put foot to floor slowly, goes through ok, so fuel filter and pump ordered, will be using walbro upgrade, and new filter, have yet to inspect the old gear due to my shift work can't get under it until friday, as nightshift.

i felt a pulsing in the front fuel filter, is this normal, is this possible fuel starvation or barely keeping up, also when revving car, should i see the solenoid on the turbo visible move with my eye, as i don't,

main thing where can i get o2 sensors all my local shops, no go, eBay well to many to choose from, do i go cheap/generic to test if solves buy proper ones, same with maf, and am going with crankshaft sensors and throttle position also, and is it possible someone has played with throttle position sensor and is not in the right place, i will be marking it, and moving to test.

all head doing as at the moment all i can do is drive it due to work, and can't get the tools out,, but the big ponder is, is this fuel, all questions of me to get ordering parts, as sourcing is appearing to be order able only.

big question engine sounds fine no knocks rattles nothing, does that mean the engine will not be throwing issues and is simply one of its add ons / sensors / filters etc and can be cured or could i be looking at a new block well new to me as tempted to buy good working of au site and recon it over the summer and put it in.

 

i have just finished, a small overhaul, due to freessm the car with vag cable, and the radiator popped, i didn't see the temp rise, i saw it on the digs at 98, and disregarded looking at data.

i have lots of screenshots, before runs, after, tick over before and after, when it stumbles, etc.

i cleaned every sensor i could get to, inc o2 it was sooty, but i believe there is another, would this make a difference aswell, as this is next tommrow,

installed, ram air panel filter, re attatched re circ valve(no difference), new fuel filter, cleaned and polished top end replaced all old bolts with stainless, - car is not missing no more very minor surge if any, but after a run, tick over is fine for all of 10 seconds then she stumbles, everything i do is making it better.

i looked at the turbo wastage actuator, and this does not move to the human eye when car idle or rev it up, stood still, it does open with pliers, tested, i hooked the bag lead and unplugged all sensors and surely there flagged faults, but the little one directly under the boost control this did nothing to diags when unplugged, should it???

front left calipe new seal kit referred, works well right tomorrow, car has just turned 100k so all this needs to be done anyway, but am hearing the words when at motor spares a lot cannot get this part, should of known even down the brake fluid 1 man kit does not fit i will be adapting my own cap from a spare.

is there anywhere i can post pictures of diag screenshots, ideally a perfect 99/00 to hook up to and compare, i suspect maybe fuel pump, injectors, still waiting for magnecore leads to arrive,

but everything i do cures 1 little piece of it but there is an issue with something,

should i be able to put my foot down and go, from cold as when i get to eat 4k revs it stutters till warmed up would this point to the maf even tho iv cleaned it, or other o2 even both o2 or all 3, throttle position sensor played with and i can see it throws codes when wrong tested with ohm meter working all the way through but am going to get new anyway.... any more input would be great..