I tried that.... draining some oil - blowing out the solenoid etc - but didn't fix the problem :mad:

Apparently - if it is too much oil causing this - then when you clean the solenoid you will notice oil vapour being blown out....

All sounds very familiar. Mine started doing the very day I changed the spark plugs. Have since taken them out checked the gap even tried a new set but no change. replaced the plug leads (mine has a coil in the head of each cap) with a salvaged set so not sure if maybe theses have a problem? Any way of checking them? Don't want to spend £50 each plus vat at local Subaru if they aren't the problem.

Have also bypassed the solenoid and used a manual boost controller (preset to 0.8 bar on accurate electronic equipment at work) but still can't get much above 0.5 bar without the 'firing on 3' feeling described above, though revs are fine when boost is lower.

Next step will try new lambda sensor then check for air leaks. Where can I get this leak spray stuff - sounds good?

Chrismc - we have different problems by the sounds of things. My car runs perfectly - just intermittently won't go over 0.5 bar. I am very confident it is not related to coilpacks/plugs etc. Simply a boost control problem.

I believe somebody mentioned you can get that spray @ Halfords.

just got the scoob back from subaru very disappointed as its still not fixed after a week of having it so told them what i thought and got the car back.

i have the boost problem as i mentioned at top. i have now changed the maf sensor, boost solenoid, map sensor and no difference. i have had a new coil pack fitted as one was cracked, still not fixed. took the fuel pump out the tank and flushed it through, changed the fuel filter at 36£ from the dealer and still not fixed. ive checked all the pipes and still no flipping joy. tbph im pi$$ed off now. is it now overboosting maybe, ideas??

Mine sorted now.

The wastegate sensor was faulty on mine and incorrectly piped in. Check this also.

Boosts to 10.5psi now no problems.

changed that, is that the gold looking canister on the drivers side suspension turret??

do i have to reset my ecu when i change the maf sensor?? how do i do it lol??

Do all you guys with limited boost problem have ScoobyECU boards / chips in the ECU?

I had a board with the 2 chips, and a TD04 map ( mine's a wagon, but some UK cars also have TD04 smaller turbo) but it seems there was a bug in the map. Scott T found the problem in one of his customers and fixed the map problem, then sold me a new pair of chips, and Voila! Super boost etc.

My symptoms would be going into limp home mode intermittently, may clear in a few seconds or take several hours / stop and starts etc.
Boost limited to about 0.4 PSI ( I think that is the normal opening pressure of the wastegate with no boost control solenoid working on holding it closed ) and seemed to slow revs down to about 4k.

If you ain't got a scoobyecu then this doesn't help!

nope i dont, its standard z5 ecu. with just induction kit on it. ive stripped it all down again tonight looking for splits and anypipes not connected. but so far no joy, anyone got any ideas as i am running out. what is the part with the vacum hose going into it, then it has like a big round cylinder type plastic wheel on the other end with a plug on the otherside. the vacumn pipe goes to the inlet manifold!

cheers. :D

Problem solved!
I tried all sorts of things like you guys to sort out the problem & ive cured it!
I drained out some oil to just below half, cleaned out vac pipes & boost solernoid & did a ECU reset now ok!
Do you all know how to do a ECU reset the corect way???
It may be worth a try

Martin

how do you do it matey?

I have a scoobyecu but the problem started before I had that the new ecu fitted.

might have a look at the wastegate sensor next

any you tech heads out there got any ideas what could be causing this, noted last night that the engine revs bounce a little when first started cold and when driving and dip the clutch the revs go to about 500rpm then back upto 1250rpm then back to 900rpm???

what, if i feather the pedal up the boost, minimal problems if i floor the pedal WOT then it does pull up the boost range, just sticks at 0.5 bar with the firing on 3 feel.

changed maf, map and the gold boost canister with the three pipes. not yet the actual boost pressure solenoid which connects the map sensor to the manifold for pressure sensing. do you think it could be that??

sound like wild overfuel on boost
have u had the injectors or fuel pressure checked?
richie

nope i havent, but how easy are the injectors to take out and check if there clean or whatever, could it be spark plugs?

some cheapish auto meters have injector monitoring functions pulse time etc hook one up and test on a run with long leads
you'll need the specs for the engine to compare them to tho' perhaps someone one here can help with this
listen to the injectors with the bonnet open are they all sounding the same?
should be light tapping sound increasing as revs raise if you touch the injector you will feel the sound at the same time as u hear it so u know what to listen for
if all else fails look in yellow pages for a fuel injection place webber or bosch local to u
they can check the whole thing out including testing the injectors in less than an hour
if you mention cash it shouldnt cost too much either
once this is done (cost tops with a meter £100) you can be sure its not the fuel system then it can only be the sparks
what plugs and gaps you running
also pull out a plug and check the colour -grey tan or sooty or shiny greenish
richie

i dont know what sparks and what the gaps are ive never looked, what should i run im going to halfords tonight to get some and what should the gap be

how should the look, sooty or what if they are ok

dont go to halfords m8 way too pricy
have a search around youll find em for about £25-£30 delivered from tuners etc
gap about 0.8 mm
old ones should be a tan sort of colour
pain to get at tho
richie

ECU reset for you mate!
Do it in a morn from cold, look up under the dash by the Acc pedel,youll see to conectors 2 black & 2 green conect them, turn ign. on, hold acc to floor (2secs)
then hold acc half throttle (2secs) then release, start engine & drive till warm (a good 10-15mins) dont rev above 3000rpm, then stop turn car off disconect the conectors & see what happens!

Martin

do you mean me scooby?

if the garage reset it then cained it down the road the ecu will learn wrong correct? :confused:

Halfords are about £13 each for the platinum tipped NGK plugs.

Plenty on E-bay and managed to get some iridium tipped ones for £35. Think these are normally £20 each.

Manual states gap should be 1.1mm but the was a note with my plugs from the supplier stating that in tests Imprezas ran better with a gap of 0.8mm, they experienced some misfiring at higher revs when set to 1.1mm. Interesting cause my problem started when I last changed the spark plugs and set them to 1.1mm!

You will need a good plug removal tool with an elbow joint if you're planning to do them yourself. It's not too difficult but is time consuming and may require some patience!

Chrismc> you got the product code for those iridium plugs?

http://www.ngkcat.co.uk recommends the PFR6B set to 0.8mm but doesnt say wether they are the platinum of iridium

>edited to say ive used the search (hadnt realised it was working again)

turbo 2.0 WRX - Platinum PFR6B
turbo 2.0 WRX - Iridium BKR6EIX
modded WRX/STI - Platinum PFR7B

http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/cars/subaru.htm

Yeh mate, if they tried to reset it & drove it hard it wont have reset corectly, try it yourself its realy easy!
just follow the steps i posted on earlier in this forum

Martin

I had mine in yesterday for a slightly different problem (that surprisingly didn't turn out to be there when anyone from the garage drove it). The mechanic said to watch out for what you're describing and said if it was, then it was a problem with an airflow sensor.

where are the plugs to reset the ecu, how big are they.

do i have to do green to green and black to black at the same time or what?
:D

how far up behind the dash are they also is it best to remove the panel hiding all the wires or not

done the ecu reset no faults detected, im really pi$$ed off now. 3 weeks like this i want to go fast. after 0.5 bar boost nothing, firing on 3 feel. changed all the boost related sensors i think. any suggestions?? pls help! :(

Under the intercooler is a multiplug and there is 2 behind the battery Clean them up then reset the ECU (reset plugs are in line with steering wheel not that far up the dash 1 black male 1 black female 1 green male 1 green female)
When you connect all the connectors switch on the ignition and you should hear the Boost Solenoid clickin away If its not then the connection is poor between ECU and Boost solenoid
The solenoid holds the boost back then slowly releases it to the wastegate If the connection is poor then it will stay open letting the boost straight through to the wastegate but not throw a CEL
****ty electrical connections can be the cause of many non "limp home mode" Where the ECU can still read the signal but theres too much resistance in the circuit to power the component

Cheers Grant

Hi all,

Got that big Scooby grin again. Problem solved. After worrying about mafs, o2 sensor, coils, detting etc it turned out to be the plugs. I had religeously followed the manual and set the gap to 1.1mm last time I changed them. Got some now iridium ones from ebay - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=2467801770, with a note from the seller saying that in trials Imprezas tended to misfire at higher revs/boosts at the recommended gap, but reducing it to 0.8mm would cure the problem. Fitted them and it has!

Not saying it will cure some of the other problems in this thread but worth a try if you haven't already.

i think im going to change the plugs and see what happens? if a coil pack gave it up like i it did before and i drove to the garage and back twice on 3 cylinders to get the coil pack, would it have knackered the spark plug on the unfiring cylinder??

as i am firing on 4 now and running to .5bar boost but after that it hesitates and coughs and splutters slightly but if i feather it it is fine. changed all the boost related technology, only the spark plugs left.

pre 97 manual here http://www.jimclarkeracing.co.uk/sco...7/premy97.html
have a look richie

jesus christ, i changed the sparkplugs last night 3hrs it took lol, and the boost problem stopped ran like a watch, after an ecu reset. went for a half hour drive and it was great, got 250m from the house and back to square one, anyone else got suggestions, my head is wrecked, im close to selling the damned thing.