help!??! changed panel filter/ lost power!!
 

hi all...

im after some advice!
ive just been changing my panel filter on my 98 uk 2000 wagon....

only had it 2 weeks so just going through the service stuff (plugs oil and air filter)


the old air filter in was red and looked pretty old *rubber seals were splitting* but didnt look like a performance one either.

ive just put in a green cotton panel....

seems like ive lost power some how??


just took it for a drive and before the boost kicked in at 2.5krmp (roughly as dont have boost gauge)

now it feels more like just over 3krpm and not quite so prominent. rather than a big boost lag and kicking in at 2.5 with alot of power.

any help would be really appreciated as i dunno what to do?!

thanks in advance :thumb:

anyone??

ive stuck the old one back in and its still doing the same thing.

one thing i did notice when i first changed it, is that it felt a bit juddery but then was ok after 2 mins, with no judders but just the loss of boost coming in at 2.5krpm

sure you havent split an intake pipe when you seperated the airbox?
also have you definitely sealed the airbox and seated the filter correctly?

did you put everything back as you found it? ie the MAF the right way and things?

hey,
yeah as far as i know there is nothing split or anything like that. i was pretty careful getting it in and out as its pretty tight!

when you say sealed correctly? how do you mean? the top of the air box is nice and tight, doesnt move or anything like that!

yeah i didint take the maf off.... should i have?

i did unplug the wires connecting it though as it was quite tight over the top of it. but put everything all back as i found it.

i took the new one out again last night and put the old one back in and its still doing the same thing :(

i had my mate drive it also and he could tell that it wasnt boosting correctly *or as it was*

when should the boost start to kick in normally on a uk turbo? any ideas?

Should be starting to do stuff by 2400rpm and pulling quite hard by 2800.

The advice the others have given you is good but if nothing obvious is wrong, the best advice to give you at the moment, given your unfamiliarity with the car, may be to get it looked at by someone who knows. It's possible that the problem you're experiencing was caused by the air filter swap but also that it could be completely unrelated and coincidental.

Have you seen the Check Engine light at all by the way? Whether you have or not it'd be worth putting the ECU in Read Memory mode and letting us know any stored fault codes. Search the forum for "black plugs" if you need to know how.

yeah thats how it used to pull, real hard by 2800. now it feels like it only starts to pull at 2800ish and hard by 4000rpm. the engine check light isn't coming on... only the for the ordinary second when you first start the car...

i took it to RASP motorsport in grimsby and there was nothing evident that he could see.

i also spoke to scoobyclinic, but they said its because im using 95 ron fuel? but its a uk car so i should be ok running 95 as far as im aware.

ill have a look for the ecu error thing you mentioned and see what it says.

thanks for all your help anyway and will let you know if it shows any errors. :thumb:

Not really. The car will run on regular but you should ideally be using Super Unleaded in it. They're mapped to give their best performance on Super and using 95(or lower)RON will put you in the hands of the ECU's knock correction.

I would be surprised if this turns out to be the direct and single cause for what you're experiencing but it may be an influencing factor.

ok so ive connected the 2 black wires to look for codes and it hasnt brought any up. it flashes in roughly 0.5 second intervals but continuous. so after reading up this would suggest its the *ok code*?

do you think its safe to reset the ecu anyway using the green connectors in the way ive been reading here: eBay.co.uk Guides - How to read clear fault codes on Subaru inc. Impreza

also will disconnecting the battery for a period of time allow the ecu to reset automatically?

thanks guys :thumb:

on this basis then... would it take over 2 tanks of 95 fuel for it to realise that its not running on 97? id have thought it would be more or less instant....

again, thanks for your replies :D

Could do, depends how it was driven. As I said though it may well be that this is either nothing at all to do with your problem, or a partial contributor to it.

No, far from it. The car doesn't immediately "know" what fuel you've put in, not like it samples it and goes "Ah, 95RON, b*gg*r" as you're walking into the kiosk to pay. The first the ECU will know of a decline in fuel quality is the moment you drive it hard enough to provoke activity on the knock sensor.

If your filling station happens to lead directly onto a dragstrip, then, yes, it'll respond pretty quickly. However, if your first couple of tanks of regular didn't include too much in the way of foot on the floor driving, then the ECU probably wouldn't be aware that anything has changed.

Yes, it is.

You can use that method but the instructions given in that eBay guide aren't quite accurate. Simon's got a better/more concise one at www.jollygreenmonster.co.uk

Yes, although the green + black plug version's better as it will actively check most of the engine's systems as part of the process.

when you put the air filter into the airbox its sits into the airbox a ertain way.the rubber around the outside of the panel filter slots into place within the airbox.
when you shut the clips up it shouldnt be really difficult to close them and you shouldnt have to push down on the top to get it to shut.
hard to explain but you will see what i mean

hi guys sorry for the lateness of reply...
ive refilled on tesco 99ron fuel as our shell has ran out of v power.

i had just under a quarter of 95 left in it when i topped up, so with regards to the resetting the ecu... am i best to wait until ive used this tank of fuel and on my second or do you think i'd be ok doing it now and hoping this will solve my problem.

splitpin; thanks for the link to the jgm site. ill check that out now and have a play with it in the morning.

cheers again!
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