Scooby XL

Hi guys and girls,
I have a problem with my Uk sportwagon turbo GC8.
I bought her earlier this year and was running really well, but over the last month when starting from cold I have had trouble getting her to run on all cylinders and runs rich, hunts and goes to stall, if I ease the throttle a little it will pick up to about 1000 revs and start to clear if I go a little further it will hunt and go to stall again.
I can just about coax her off the drive and run her carefully around the village she starts to clear as the engine cones up to temperature, once up to temperature she performs pretty normal the rich fuel smell dissipates, but I have what I think you describe as surging, very noticeable ( never had this before the cold start issue occurred ).

The car is as it left factory apart from a Japspeed sports cat downpipe and blitz Nur r system, always been serviced by Subaru, I am a little confuzzled by modern technology ( old school carb man ) so any advice/help would be gratefully received.

I am going to change the downpipe lambda this weekend and hope that cures the issue, also am I right I thinking if not sorted this can detonate an engine?

Many thanks in advance.

Dave.

Dmacnz

Sounds like it could be the idle control valve (IACV)

Pretty common on the GC8 to be buggered or need cleaning. There is some tutorials on cleaning in on the net. Most people dont have too much luck with cleaning and normally replace them with another used one!

Good luck

Scooby XL

Hi I had not thought about the idle control, would that cause the over fuel smell?

Will have a go at cleaning the idle control tomorrow, we use all sorts of contact degreasers at work so may have some luck, thanks for your advice

johned

Coolant sensor or maf.

Scooby XL

Ok thanks for pointers chaps, I have changed the Lambda sensor and that has all bar cured the bad cold start and by gum does she fly now!

I still have a surging effect nowhere near as bad as before but can feel it none the less, so will strip the idle valve this week, am looking at changing the Tmic any way so this would be as good a time as any I reckon.

I was going to clean the MAF at same time, (now I know where it is) is there any distance in changing it for a new one, also if I fitted an induction kit would that mean I have to change the MAF anyway?

Once again many thanks for your help Merry Xmas.