Help my subaru is acting strange!

[titoav15@oneont]

Hey Guys,

I have a 2006 Subaru Legacy SE non turbo with only 27,700 miles on it. I bought in new in may of 2006. Recently a few months ago (May/June 2009) I noticed something strange. I didnt drive the car for a week or so, so it was just standing outside. I believe it was a rainy week. When I decided to go to a store I got in the car and turned it on. The engine was "shaking" the car. My check engine dash light came on. I backed out and instead went to the dealer. The car felt like it would stall (I have an automatic transmission) whenever I slowed down to stop. The rpm needle jumped between 1.5 and close to 0. Half way down to the dealer (5 miles from my house) the check engine light was gone and the stalling stopped. I still took it to the dealer. They ran tests on it and found nothing. They told me that it was a miss fire in the engine. So it took it as it was and accepted it. This was the first experience with the shaking of the car when I started it. Later on over the summer and fall, when I started the car it would shake in the beginning here and there. I have no idea why it shakes when I start the car at random times, none of these times the check engine light would come on. Today we had a really heavy rainfall. I drove my car yesterday and it was all fine. Today when I went to the store, I turned the car on it shook again, the engine light came on and this time it stayed on. I drove to the store anyway parked the car and did my shopping. I turned the car on the check engine light was still on. Also I later noticed that my green cruise control light on the dash was flashing. What is going on with my car? Any ideas? Is it serious? What should I do? My bumper to bumper warranty ran out in late may. I still have my power train warranty.

Thanks a lot!

Alex

[Fairtax4me]

It sounds like it needs new spark plugs and wires. Moisture in the air helps conduct electricity. Any small cuts or breaks in the insulation of the spark plug wires will allow the spark to jump rather than fire the plug.

The cruise light blinking could be an indication of a fault with the cruise control system, but I think the dealer would be the one to ask about that.

 

Take the car to Autozone, O Reilly, Napa, your nearest auto parts store, and ask them to scan the codes. Write them down and post them here. That may help with a diagnosis.

[idosubaru]

if you're really worried about this and want it fixed and want help with it - it seems obvious to me you'd want to know the engine codes. if the engine is telling you there's a problem, why not find out what it's saying?

 

have the codes read and we'll tell you what they mean.

 

like he said it's probably spark plugs and wires.

 

makes sure the plugs are OEM NGK's and the wires are Subaru.

[OB99W]

[...] Also I later noticed that my green cruise control light on the dash was flashing. [...]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Flashing of that light indicates the cruise control has been disabled. That's done whenever a problem significant enough develops that the computer determines it can't adequately control things. Misfiring and/or unstable idle speed would certainly qualify.

 

As already mentioned, getting the trouble code(s) read (for free at most larger automotive stores ) would be helpful -- please let us know what you determine in the form Pxxxx (where the x's are numbers), not the code definition(s).

[titoav15@oneont]

Hey guys.

I took the car to the dealer and it was a faulty ignition coil. Problem solved BTW there is an open recal for that- at least for the 2006 model. Haha to my luck I told them about my strut noise again today and they finally found a problem. They are not charging me because I have been telling them that there is someting wrong with it for over a year now and there for it is all coverd under warranty WOOT WOOT! saved $$$