SANTI

My MY99 turbo has just had a service and now starts but won't run. Originally I warmed it through, ran it for a few miles but engine stopped when running at high speed. I have checked the timing belts/marks all looks ok. The check light indicates no fault on diagnostics (black leads connected blinks on/off 1/2 sec intervals). The fuel is Optimax as always from the same source. New identical NGK plugs as came out. Only mistake I made, that I can see, was to leave the small rubber hose off the bottom of the large hose that connects the air box to the engine. I can see that this would have allowed air in after the MAF sensor & so throw out air/fuel ratios but now it is back on & I have had the battery disconnected so I would have thought the ECU would have reset.

Has anybody got any ideas of what to do next please (apart from give up & have it towed to the nearest Subaru dealer). Any pointers gratefully received.

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

DO the ecu reset using the green connectors under the dash, doing a search on here will show you how and also check the crank position sensor, make sure it's not come loose or got crap in it. If this sensor is not reading correctly the car will turn over but not start.

CPS is located above the front crank pulley on the block, inbetween the PS pump and the altenator.

Dan.

SANTI

Thanks a lot Dan - I'll go & try that now. I thought the battery disconnect would do the ECU reset but I'm happy to try. The crank sensor was disconnected whilst I cranked it over with the plugs out to bring up the oil pressure after the new oil/filter went in so could be at fault.

Do you know what the small pipe that I left disconnected is for, & whether this is connected with my problems now?

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

If you mean the small pipe that goes into the underside of the air intake pipe, inbetween the air box and the pipe that runs under the inlet manifold. Then this just goes to a valve that is connected to the charcoal cannister if memory serves me correctly. SO something to do with emmisions regs and nothing to drastic.

However the small hole left to suck in air in the inlet tract would be letting in unmetered air as you said, i suppose it could make it run lean due to extra unmetered air in the intake charge, but the hole is not that big! Not sure, you would have to ask someone with a bit more experience than me!

Dan.

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

Also what gap did you put on the new spark plugs you put in?
I assume it was NGK PFR6B. Should be about 0.6mm i think.

Dan.

SANTI

Ok tried that & unfortunately makes no difference. The engine starts immediately to a fast idle & then after a few seconds dies. It restarts but with the same result. The ECU reset (green wires connected) resulted in a lot of clicking from under the bonnect & the electric fans running. Is that to be expected? How do you know when it has finished?

I disconnected the MAF to see if a fault was indicated by the diagnostic code & it still blinks to indicate all is well. Does this black wire diagnostic thing work?

Has anybody had anything like this before? Please help!

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

Sorry, connecting green wires under the dash cycle the solenoids in the engine bay for checking if they work, so yes lots of clicking to be expected!

ecu reset is using a different set, black i think, can't remeber off the top of my head as i have only ever done it with my secs monitor. A search on here will reveal the method im sure.

If you have the CEL blinking it's telling you there is a fault, not all is well.

I think you can decipher what fault code you have from the blinking, if not try and get somone near you who has a secs monior to plug it in as it shows up all the fault codes straight away.

Would also check cam postion sensor and ICSV valve.

Dan.

SANTI

Dan

Thanks for your reply. You dont happen to live near Horsham do you? Otherwise is there anyone nearby with a secs monitor that would be willing to assist?

As for the blinking, I admit to being a newbie so what little I know I have picked up through searching, but the thread I read seemed to indicate to me that even blinking was ok - long or short was a code for an error. Anyway, I've probably got it wrong because it doesn't look like I'm getting too much right at the moment.

Can you tell me where the cam position sensor is please and what is the ICSV valve & where is it located?

Thanks a lot - Santi

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

Sorry Santi

Nowhere near horsham.
As far as i know under normal operation the CEL should be off, if it comes on it is indicating a problem, if it's flashing then it's reading out a fault code.

Im not sure of the exact procedure for reading fault codes with the CEL as i have never had to do it myself.

If you can manage to find the procedure and post up the fault code it's reading then we can hopefully help more.

The alternative to the secs monitor is the proper subaru select monitor, but that would mean getting the car to a dealers and as it does not run at the mo thats going to be a little difficult, unless you have some sort of recovery policy.

The ICSV is the idle control solenoid valve and is located on the top of the throttle butterfly directly in the centre of the engine bay.
Check to make sure it's not gunked up, and can move freely.

Cam pos sensor, not sure just off outside to have a look.

Dan.

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

Santi

Check here for fault code information

http://www.saxonfields.freeserve.co....iag%20Page.htm

Dan.

SANTI

Dan Thanks for this. I think I am getting somewhere but can't understand results. This is a summary of what happens:

Try to start engine, quickly fires up, runs for a few seconds, dies away & stops. No CEL when running. Run diagnosics (black leads conected) no error reported.

Disconnect MAF plug. Start engine, runs at fast idle (1500 rpm), shows not sign of stalling but CEL is on. Switch off and run diagnotics, fault 23 reported; MAF sensor. No surprise as disconnected so fault is correctly diagnosed.

However why, when the car runs does it reports a problem & when it won't run it sees no problem!!!!!! Can I drive with the MAF disconnected?

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

All being well, the car should stall if you unplug the maf sensor, the fact that it runs without it albeit at a fast idle is interesting.

It's not a good idea to drive it without the Maf sensor as the car will have no idea of fueling but it should be in limp home mode anyway so you can't run any boost or go above 3Krpm. If this is the only way of getting it to a specialist or dealer this might be your last resort.
Personally i probably wouldn't but that's ure call.

Sorry i can't be of more help but you have got me a bit stumped now as well.
Has the MAF on your car ever been changed to your knowledge?
Has it got a green dot of paint on the body of the MAF indicating the revised new style one, in which case it has been changed in the past 2-3 years.

The MAF on my MY99 went along with the lambda about 4-5 months ago, no CEL or any fault codes whatsoever, just rough idle and stalling when falling back to idle from higher revs.

I'm wondering wether it is the good ol maf sensor failing partially?
A new one is about £75 from the dealers but it's quite an expensive experiment to see if that's what it needs.

Not sure HELP

SANTI

The MAF sensor has not being changed to my knowledge & I can't see a green dot on it. The gauze in the air box lid was very clean (as was the whole air box) on the engine side of the filter. The filter itself was very dirty on the side exposed to the atmosphere & so had been doing its job well. Made me think that more air was getting through with the new filter & upsetting the Air/Fuel ratio, so I put the dirty filter back but it still won't run. Perhaps I've damaged the MAF, but I've only opened the air box & clipped it down again! Thanks for your help today - I guess its off to buy a MAF on Tuesday!

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

I would phone ahead to the dealers first, as every time i go into my local one for parts they have to order them in, even the stuff they should probably be using loads of like brake pads and 99/00 maf's.
Might save you a wasted trip.

Hope the new maf cures it.
Oh you will need a security torx bit to get it out.

Dan.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

It doesn't use the MAF to start with.. it will start and run for about 8seconds with MAF disconnected or if it is very dead..

Sounds like the MAF was failing, you disconnected the battery which reset the ecu and so it is no longer used to the fail maf which has failed over time and it has learned to live with it with minor tweaks as it slowly went out of spec..

That would be my first port of call.. try a known working maf or buy a new one

Simon

SANTI

Thanks for that. Looks like it was going to happen at some point with or without the service, which makes me feel better. Anybody in the Horsham/Crawley area with a spare MAF that they would be willing for me to try on my car to see if it cures the fault and/or sell? Will place a deposit to cover the value whilst on loan.