sushisan87

I've got a 94 Loyale and I think my spfi might be shot. Could anyone explain the symptoms so I can be sure? Also where do you pick up a rebuilt spfi. Live in the Seattle area.

Got it. Thanks dhise!

dhise-??-"Try resetting the ecu by disconnecting the battery and turning on the lights for a few minutes and see how it runs then." Not quite sure I understand how to do what you're suggesting. How can I turn on the lights while the battery is disconnected? Like the idea of resetting my ecu. I replaced my fuel filter a little while ago. Made no difference. Did a mini ignition tune today and based on the Chilton's tune-up guide I'm not sure if I did it properly. Does anyone know what the idle switch is and where it's located? According to Chilton's it needs to be on and the test mode connector (single wire green connector-in the upper right section of the engine compartment near brake fluid reservoir??) needs to be connected before attempting the timing. I think I connected the right test mode connector, but I'm not sure about this idle switch. Anyway-my idle was a little high so I turned it down and then set the timing. It runs much better, but still isn't perfect. Been suspicious of the O2 Sensor for a while, but I'm lacking the special angle tool and can't quite figure out how to remove the old one. Also suspicious of my fuel injector, but I'll put that off for now until I'm sure about my tune-up. Did have a little build-up on the contacts on the inside of my distributor cap. Sanded them down and they looked pretty good. Wires aren't that old so I'm ruling them out for now. Probably should test their resistance. My rotor cap was jammed on. It's not that old and it looked good so I left it for now.

Checked my temp sensor and it comes up to specs. Cleaned my MAF (not really dirty to begin with) and checked all vacuum-type connections and plenum contacts. Everything seemed ok. Thanks everyone for your advice. It starts up fine. First crank and sounds very normal. Exhaust system seems okay. Good metal from front to back. Everything seems very snug. It may be a bit loud when warming up from a cold start. As soon as I pull away and hit any type of incline, it starts to sputter and hesitate. No power and warming up the engine doesn't seem to matter any more. In the last two weeks it's gone from bad to worse. It stays pretty gutless now. Checked the spark plugs and wires and they all seem to be functioning fine. Did notice a little foam on the oil cap. Please tell me I'm not looking at a head gasket job. Probably wishful thinking, but can the foamy cap be due to the engine working harder? It sputters and chugs pretty hard.

Sorry Moosens...don't have my manual with me. What is the plenum and where is it on the late spfi loyales?

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just got another temp sensor from a recent addition to a local wrecking yard. Popped it in and no real difference. I'll try hooking up a resistance meter to see if it's faulty. When I do start the car with either sensor it warms up normally and reaches a nice stable idle. It's only after I drive away that it chugs along sputtering especially on hills until it's really warmed up. Could an exhaust system leak cause these symptoms or could it be related to the mass air flow sensor (where is that?) mentioned in another thread? Recently replaced the fuel filter and the air filter is clean. Tried running it on the more expensive gas the last few tank fulls to try to help the injectors out. Speaking of where is that, does anyone know of a good online source for shop photos of this engine identifying various parts? My Chiltons book is missing a lot.

When my 94 Loyale is cold, it runs really rough, sputtering along until it warms up and then it runs fine. Just started happening in the last month and a half when the outside temperature started to drop, but I'm not sure if it's related to the problem. Prior to this period it ran like a top, despite its 200k+ mileage. Could it be some sort of temperature sensor that's burned out or defective? Could it be dirty fuel injectors?

Thanks GD...I'll give that a try.

Pulled out my oil pump on my 94 Loyale yesterday, and in the process the oil seal fell out on to the ground. I didn't get a chance to see which way it fit in. I'm replacing it due to the lifter tick intermittent nightmare. Can anyone give me the right configuration for the oil seal?

Just started a few weeks ago. The ticking noise comes and goes and now it's pretty consistent. It's the 94 loyal wagon...1.8 fuel injection with power steering/brakes and a/c. I've changed the oil twice in the last three months with a subaru filter each time. A relative dropped it off about six months ago because he thought I needed a project car and he knew I was so dedicated to my 87 soob dl wagon. He pretty much drove it into the ground and I've been rebuilding it ever since. I still need to replace the front struts and figure out why the heater core is luke warm at best. I'm hoping a proper cooling system flush will solve that problem. Any ideas on what I can do for the lifter noise short of a rebuild?

Thank you both...a relative dropped it at my door about six months ago because he knew I liked my 87 soob dl wagon so much. He had basically driven it into the ground and thought I might like a project car. I've been bringing it back to life since then. It has 275k+ miles and he changed the oil maybe twice a year. It seems to drip a little but doesn't seem to burn any. Still have to replace the front struts and figure out why the heater kicks out so little heat. I'm going to try a proper cooling system flush for that problem. The oil pump seals sound like a pretty good suspect for the lifter noise problem. Glad to hear it's not doing any real damage. The oil fill cap does have a little foam on it lately. Would a seal problem (letting in air) cause that to happen? I'll try posting in the section for older soobs. Oh and yes I have changed the oil twice in the past three months with a new subaru filter each time. Thanks again!!

Just started a few weeks ago. The ticking noise comes and goes and now it's pretty consistently most of the time. It's the 94 loyal wagon...1.8 fuel injection with power steering/brakes and a/c. Any ideas on what I can do short of a rebuild?