Problem With The Car - Not Now !

[frank c]

I know it's hard to tell from a brief description but I'll do my best folks.

Took the car out of the garage tonight and put £20 worth of fuel in it after it lying for a week and everything seemed ok.

Drove it up the road for 2 or 3 miles and still ok, turned on to the slip road to the A1 and when lightly excelerating between 3rd and 4th it was like I hit a flat spot for a split second and then it wouldn't boost or rev when in gear.

It's like it's went into some kind of limp mode when driving. I was sat at 60mph, put the foot down and nothing. It excelerated ever so slightly but seems strangled and as if it doesn't want to rev or boost.

No CEL light either, if that matters.

Any ideas or sound familiar ?

What should I do and where should I start looking ?

Edited January 10, 2008 by Frank C

[fai17]

could be a few things.....coil pack,plugs or maybe dear i say MAF.

Good luck in searching for it.

[stevie 4]

my old gt4 acted the same way when then inlet manifold gasket failed (maybe worth checking)

[frank c]

Could a bad batch of fuel be the cause?

It seemed ok before hand and happened soon after about 3 or 4 miles up the road.

[colin_ross]

What year of car do you have Frank, some years are more prone to certain failures?

Was there any sort of missfire, lumpyness, smoke, noise ect?

It may well have sent into safe mode, have you tried to reset the ecu or do a fault check?

[drb5]

IIRC it's a 99-00.

It's the MAF sensor Frank. Had the EXACT same symptoms on the old RB. I just hope you haven't done the same damage as what happened to mine.

[john mac]

Like said before , the money has got to be on the Maf sensor , when i had my 99 classic this sensor had to be changed twice ,although my CEL did come on,your symptoms sound identical. They are very prone to failure on these models especially if using anything apart from the panel filter.Iirc the dealers charge about £90 for the sensor ,although some try to sell you the housing aswell for 3 times the price.

[colin_ross]

It's the MAF sensor Frank. Had the EXACT same symptoms on the old RB. I just hope you haven't done the same damage as what happened to mine.

What happened to the rb Dave?

[frank c]

The MAF was my first thought but wasn't sure what was what sinse the CEL light never came on.

Col, it felt like a flat spot when i changed gear. Could this be a mis-fire ? No lumpyness or smoke either.

Dave, what happened to your RB5...sounds worrying.

Edited December 16, 2007 by Frank C

[marky.t.s]

The MAF was my first thought but wasn't sure what was what sinse the CEL light never came on.

Col, it felt like a flat spot when i changed gear. Could this be a mis-fire ?

Dave, what happened to your RB5...sounds worrying.

exact same description as what happened to me last year Frank,no CEL light either,and of course it was indeed MAF and CO2 sensor failure.

[frank c]

Cheers Marky.. I'll phone my mate soon and see if he still has my old MAF and give it a go.

Where's the CO2 sensor ?

[colin_ross]

The co2 sensor is also known as the lamda sensor and it located at the top of the downpipe. What nornally happens is the maf goes (99/00's are infamous for it, hence why I asked for the year) and that make the car runn very lean. This will cook the lamda sensor in no time so when the maf goes the lamda usually follows.

Be extremely careful how you drive the car until this is resolved as this can result in some very serious damage.

[frank c]

Cheers Colin.

And i was due to take the car to work tomorrow

I had to drive it home from my mates last night, about 30 miles all in. Just sat at 60 on the A1 all the way...

I take it I should just park it up in the garage until I can try and replace the MAF and Lamda ? Why no CEL light ?

Either that or my Engine is fooked...............................

Edited December 16, 2007 by Frank C

[colin_ross]

When my went (both times) I just took the car off the road until I'd sourced a replacement. I dare say you could run it but I like to err on the side of caution. If you must use it drive like miss daisy.

The lamda sensor may not be fudged if you've caught it soon enough. I'd be tempted to do the maf first and see how the car is after. If it is away you'll have a lump idle and sh!t fuel consumpsion.

Both times mine went I never got a CEL. Apparently they go gradually and don't just "fail" so the ecu doesn't pick up on it. Do an ecu reset though and it should throw one up straight away. Just disconnect the battery overnight and see what it throws up in the morning. Mind and have any stereo/alarm/etc codes handy first though.

[marky.t.s]

When my went (both times) I just took the car off the road until I'd sourced a replacement. I dare say you could run it but I like to err on the side of caution. If you must use it drive like miss daisy.

The lamda sensor may not be fudged if you've caught it soon enough. I'd be tempted to do the maf first and see how the car is after. If it is away you'll have a lump idle and sh!t fuel consumpsion.

Both times mine went I never got a CEL. Apparently they go gradually and don't just "fail" so the ecu doesn't pick up on it. Do an ecu reset though and it should throw one up straight away. Just disconnect the battery overnight and see what it throws up in the morning. Mind and have any stereo/alarm/etc codes handy first though.

when mine started to go i drove from cumbernauld to AWD in perth....40 mph all the way!!!

[frank c]

Fingers crossed it's nothing too serious Gordy.. I'll just need to wait and see. Just a pity it's Sunday or I would have popped up to Nobles today.

[drb5]

Engine let go on a mapping session down south. This was some time after the MAF going and had some mightily cr@p engine oil in it, but i know for a fact the MAF started the problems. You could just tell the engine wasn't running right after the MAF went and was replaced with a brand new one.

[nanaki]

had the maf replaced on my 00 last year. just went one day driving out from work. car went into limp home mode so i limped to my mates house as it was closer. couldnt get the car above 45, 2500rpm if you tried.

reset the ecu with the secs unit and instantly cel flew up and ther secs confirmed the code as maf failure. got it done under warranty but about £100 from a dealer is about right. if they try and charge you several hundred there trying to get you to replace the whole section and not just the sensor so tell them where to go with that idea.

such a common failure that many subaru websites sell them for that year.

http://www.scoobyworld.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=47_185

[fiestajohn]

There are always a few Mafs for sale on Ebay.

Halleys Subaru is selling them on there for £89

and someone is selling one for £27 (it is described as a 01/02 but it looks like a 99/00 to me)

You will need a security torx bit (one with a hole in the middle) to change it.

[andrew_forrest]

I would be wary of buying a maf sensor via mail order, they are very very fragile.

I have bought new ones from the dealer and even they suffer from approx a 1 in 5 failure rate brand new out the box !!

The chances are that any secondhand ones you have had in the glovebox or knocking around in the garage will also be duff.

Have you checked its not a boost pipe off/split or the control pipe to the dumpvalve or fuel pressure reg ? This would give a similar effect.

Andy

Edited December 16, 2007 by Andy.F

[nippysweeties]

That's exactly the symptoms I had when I blew a turbo on my Punto years back!

Hope everyone else is right though.

Steve.

Edited December 16, 2007 by nippySweeties

[frank c]

Thanks for ALL the help and feedback guys. Much appreciated.

I'll have a proper look when it's daylight and see what I can find. I'll definately start with a new MAF sensor as they are only about £85 from Nobles and take it from there. Just a pity i'm in the Borders all day so might have to wait a week or two.

Andy, I'll have a look and check all the pipe work just in case buddy. If I finish early enough sometime through the week I'll try and pop in (if your about) or I might even give you a buzz. Have you got a spare one I could borrow until I manage up to Penicuik?

Cheers.

[andrew_forrest]

I don't keep them here Frank i'm afraid.

Should be around Thurs afternoon if thats any use ?

Andy

[frank c]

Cheers Andy.

If I get the time I'll pop in for a look when passing.

I'll probably not look at the car until the weekend anyway, with the dark nights and all. So I'll keep my figers crossed til then..

[frank c]

Still nae idea lads.

I've checked the hoses and can't see sh!t. Well nothing obvious anyway. But then I've nae idea what I'm looking at tbh.

Starts ok, idle seems ok, no smoke. The only difference is that the exhaust sounds a little more boomy when running it round the block but then it's still in limp mode. No fault codes either.

Answers on a postcard....................................