troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hi, I am new to subarus and forums. but thought I would give it a shot. I bought a 96 legacy LS a month ago. one morning I had to turn on defrost and after a few minutes the check engine light came on and the car started running a little rough. when I turned the defrost off car cleared up. check engine light went off a day or 2 later. same thing happened with the AC on, so I took it and had the code read. misfire 3 was what I got. so I changed plugs and wires. next morning same thing with defrost and same reading. what would be next? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 that should be an EJ22 - but confirm it? mileage? any other issues? that's an odd one - so i'll just take some wild stabs: coil pack? install a used one to test failing alternator if it's load-related? check valve clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Failing alternator was my thought. Easy enough to test. Start the car, disconnect the battery, turn on the defrost. It the engine quits, you likely found the culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Not sure how to tell engine type I will include pic. It has 170k miles. I did replace the battery last week. Tried disconnecting the battery but not with a load. I will test that next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 so I did the altenator test and when I had the defrost then AC max on it stayed running. did bog down with no check engine light yet, but still running after 10 mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 after 20 mins of running I got in the car turned on the lights the radio and stepped on the brakes, it bogged down pretty good but never shut off, never got a check engine light. I am gonna look for a used coil pack and try that. also how would I check valve clearance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 battery cables may be corroded inside - limiting current. other grounds may need to be cleaned-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 external cables look good but I will definitely explore internal grounds and cables. issue is surely happening under load Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 (edited) 96 ej22 has HLAs and are self adjusting as far as valves go. try drving the car with everything on, lights, heat, AC, fan, radio, wipers, dome light, flashers, turn on the HVAC last. see if you can cause the problem with something else, not just the HVAC defrost / AC. Edited September 2, 2014 by johnceggleston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 I drive it daily to and from work. The only time I have an issue is with AC or defrost. And if I remember correctly th defrost uses the ac compressor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upnorthguy Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Not sure how to tell engine type I will include pic. It has 170k miles. I did replace the battery last week. Tried disconnecting the battery but not with a load. I will test that next That should be an EJ22 (same as my 95 LS). Can't quite tell from the photo you posted, but if you look down between the power steering reservoir and the alternator it will say the engine model on the block (EJ22 or EJ25). You can also tell by looking at the valve covers or the number of cam gears on the front. EJ22 EJ25: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 And if I remember correctly th defrost uses the ac compressor correct. when you select defrost, it turns on the AC, and turns off re-circulate. this may be an AC issue, a wiring issue?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Ok I see it. It says EJ22. Tomorrow I am gonna check out some wiring, grounds ect. Anyone think a possible o2 sensor issue? With loss of power/bogging down. Just a thought. But really only issue with ac/defrost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmos Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Maybe the AC Compressor is worn and putting more than normal strain on the engine when it kicks in? That jolt from the AC clutch kicking in could cause the false misfire reading. BTW, a transient error like that misfire or the knock sensor will cause the check engine light to stay lit for about 24 hrs after the last occurrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troys75 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 After further research, checking for bad grounds, ac compressor, wires, coil pack, I found that a sticking egr valve seems to have been the problem. Sticking open after driving for a bit. I am gonna put more miles on to confirm but I cleaned it and seems to be fine now. Thanks for all the help and if it comes back I will ask more questions. Thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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