96 Outback, 5 speed, hard to drive

[bkvail]

OK, to give a little background - I am almost 50 and have driven stick shifts since I have learned to drive at 16.  This is my 5th Subaru (all have been manuals).  I have owned this particular Subaru for quite a few years (96 Outback, EJ25, 5 speed).  It has always been hard to drive *smoothly*.  My husband hates to drive it because it's hard to drive (and he has been a truck driver for 34 years), my son hates to drive it because it's hard to drive and he has always driven manuals)  It feels like something to do with the clutch, but I have never been able to pinpoint it.  Even my brother, who is a master mechanic for Nissan couldn't figure it out. He replaced the clutch a few years ago because it was getting hard to go into gear - a bearing was nearly seized he said - but clutch/throwout bearing/flywheel surface was done at the time.

Anyhow, for what it does - you almost cannot start driving it without it being herky jerky.   The ONLY way to drive it smooth is to drive it like a race car - and I don't like to drive like that, haha.  I can also be going slow in a parking lot in 1st gear and all of a sudden, it will be like it fell on it's face and starts acting herky jerky again...  it is NOT from too low RPM, it's not a lag.  But, I have to immediately push in the clutch to get it to drive smooth again.  It has acted like this since I have owned it (and changing the clutch did not change it at all).  It feels like a mechanical issue to me (not electrical/fuel).

It does have other issues the last few months - where it acts like a carbureted car when it's cold.  Not very responsive, kinda lurches on acceleration (this problem is definitely electrical of some sort).

It has also fairly recently had replaced:

head gasket, timing belts, water pump, spark plugs and wires, fuel filter, air filter

I have a love-hate relationship with this car, ugh.  I can't just throw parts at it and I have way too much money into it to sell it.  I just need to make it acceptable to drive again....

[1 Lucky Texan]

my 06 WRX is like that unless I feed-in an xtra 1/4" of go pedal.

 

 

it was worse right after I first got it, a little better after finding the right seat position.

 

 

When you are maneuvering to park, in a tight turn, do you feel bucking/jerking? could you do tight circles on dry pavement smoothly when warmed-up? How about if stone cold?

Edited October 10, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[Numbchux]

Much of this description makes it sound like you're thinking it's a transmission issue. But it sounds to me like an engine issue. A hesitation, stumble or misfire.

 

Is the check engine light on?

 

I'd be testing the fuel pressure regulator and throttle position sensor. Clean the idle air control solenoid and MAF sensor. Look closely for vacuum leaks.

[Gloyale]

I'd be testing the fuel pressure regulator and throttle position sensor. Clean the idle air control solenoid and MAF sensor. Look closely for vacuum leaks.

 

+1

 

specifically the TPS adjustment.  If the idle switch is closed too late i.e. while trying to use >10% throttle in parking lot or slow starts but idle switch still closed it can do this. 

 

Also will periodically buck/surge flat cruising at ~45-55 in 5th gear.

 

Other things to check:

 

Trans mounts

U-joints

Carrier bearing

Pitch stopped installed and TIGHT in the bracket.

Rear diff mounting bushings

[GeneralDisorder]

Replace the engine mounts, transmission mount, and pitch stopper. Get the Group-N ones from Subaru.

 

This will completely solve your problem. 

 

We have this problem all the time on heavy staged clutch turbo cars. We lock down the engine and trans with Cusco, etc mounts and this stops the rubber band effect on the drive-train and allows them to be driven smoothly much easier. 

 

GD

Edited October 11, 2017 by GeneralDisorder

[Fairtax4me]

You have the Subaru jerk. Lots of different things all worn out over time cause what is normally a slight issue to become a huge problem. I've had it in my 96 for all 8 years that I've owned it. At low speed especially, parking lots, slow moving traffic, or any situation where you're moving from off throttle to very light throttle at a low speed, you get a hiccup. It's not a stumble, not a hesitation, not a misfire. It's a solid thump like the engine completely shut off for a second then turned back on. That resurgence of engine power starts off the accordion effect that shakes through all those worn parts of the drivetrain and slams you around in the seat until you either clutch in, or stick your foot on the gas pedal hard enough to force everything back into forward motion.

 

If there were a simple or quick fix I would have found it years ago. Unfortunately it's a multitude of worn parts that leads to this and takes an approach of replacing almost every part of the drivetrain to really fix, and at that it really doesn't fix the whole issue, just makes it a little more tolerable. Lots of money, especially if you have to pay a shop to replace parts.

I do all of my own work, so it has cost me more time than money.

For the first three years or so that I owned the car I just dealt with it. Figuring I would either get used to it, or the problem would get worse and something obvious would present itself (at which time I could replace the offending parts and move on). It got worse, but never was there any clear source of the problem. So I started replacing parts, many of which were original with 200k miles on them. Things that made sense like struts and springs, control arm bushings, rear trailing arm bushings, rear lateral arm bushings, differential mount bushings, transmission and engine mounts. Eventually (but not necessarily in this order) the transmission, rear differential, rear driveshaft, and front and rear cv axles.

The three things that I noticed curbed the jerkiness the most were the rear trailing arm bushings, rear driveshaft, and the rear CV axles. Nothing I replaced in the front suspension ever made a noticeable difference, including the motor and trans mounts.

 

Now at just over 275k miles it's still jerky, but it hasn't broken yet, and I don't guess it will if it hasn't in the last 100k. And among the vast list of sensors and parts I've replaced on the engine in that time, none have ever cured the hiccup. My 95 does it too, along with every other mid 90s Subaru I've driven with a manual trans. Just a quirky trait that's there to stay in these 20 year old cars.

 

specifically the TPS adjustment. If the idle switch is closed too late i.e. while trying to use >10% throttle in parking lot or slow starts but idle switch still closed it can do this.

 

No idle switch in the TPS in 96. Thinking 94 was the last year for the 4 wire TPS.

[GeneralDisorder]

We fix it by upgrading the engine and trans mounts to Group N or harder. The stock ones are too soft. If you keep the drivetrain locked down it can't start the oscillations. That's been my experience. From my stock 91 Legacy SS to late model STI's with stage 3+ clutches. 

 

GD

[lmdew]

Very interesting.  I've had a Subaru or two that had light symptoms.