dutch Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 I have a 88' turbo Gl 10 that lacks any power at all. I thought that It was a head gasket cuase thats what it acts like. Can hardly make it up a curb in 1'st gear but then I was driveing and all the sudden the power came back and it took off. for a few days when I started it for the first 200 yards no power, Idle at 600 RPM then bam the powers back. If I shut It off and restart no power for two hundred yards then bam. Well I let it sit during my week off. I went to drive it to work after a week and it has no power again. I think it has to do with the pssenger side of the engine. When it is acting up I can pull both passenger plug wires with no difference in RPM I pull just 1 on the drivers side and it dies. I know the plugs have spark. So is this a intermittant ecm problem with the pulse and the passenger injectors or a fuel pump that is dieing and the drivers side gets the fuel first since its first in line in the fuel delivery. Or is something totally simple that I have overlooked. Please any help is much appreciated, my mileage sucks, and at $3.15 a gallon its killing me. And only being able to run in 4'th on flat highway and not 5'th is driving me nuts. thanks in advance. Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 First thing that I would do is make sure that I have new sparkplugs, new plug wires, and new distributor cap and rotor. If limited budget, get the plugs and wires. The turbos (pretty much all I have had until recently) are picky about their ignition, and bad plugs or wires will seem to work fine until they are actually expected to work hard. My 87 Turbowagon had several power "holes" in its power band, and new wires cured them. (I had replaced the plugs first, and then only cured half of the problem.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 Northwet, Thanks for the input. I replaced the cap rotor plugs fuel filter snd oil, with little change. I will change the plugs and wires tommorrow. First I will check the resistance on my existing wres. Do you know what it is suppose to be. You don't think that the exhaust could be plugged do you. When I say it has no power then...Bam the power is back I mean bam. In a heart beat if you keep the pedle at the exact same spot in first gear it is lugging then just instantly you are picking up speed just like that. It seems like electrical is all the sudden making a connection or somthing electrical is all the sudden doing what it is suppose to be. Maybe the mass air flow sensor? Do you know how to check this on a Subaru and what the specs are. ANY other suggestions are much appreciated, Thanks again. Dutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 You don't think that the exhaust could be plugged do you. The only way your exhaust could be clogged is if your Cat was crapped up. A way for it to be destroyed is if your O2 sensor went bad and let the engine run rich. Thats what happened to my car. Isn't it great how one thing leads to another? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 make sure you dont have any pre-turbo exhaust leaks as well. also check the plumbing & clamps between the compressor outlet and the TB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 My passenger side plugs were dark and wet when pulled. A sign they obviously were not doing there job. The drivers side were both whiter than brown, a sign I think they were doing more work than they should be and getting hot. You would think that would indicate the wires were bad or the plugs fouled only when tested I get fiarly strong spark from both plugs and wires. Makes me wonder why they are wet and obviously look as if not firing when installed. The compression is good with the shrader valve in the compression tester. I have not done a running compression test, but feel with these test it may not be nessesary. The Question is why are the plugs not fireing in the cylinder. Some kind of condition in the cylinder may be cuaseing this. Of course I feel as if I am ranting and getting out there in left field. Could be somthing very simple. That would be nice. Just thought I would give you the newest information. Thanks agian for the help any other advice is much welcomed and definately still needed. Dutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 What were the compression numbers, and a test should be for all four of the cylinders. Here is a question, does the turbo run off all 4 cylinders or just two, and which two. I know it feeds all 4 cylinders. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I have a suspicion that the crank angle sensor in the distributor may be causing this since it signals the position for the ignition timing. It would be interesting to look at the ignition coil wire on a scope while the problem is occuring. I suspect that you will only see two ignition pulses instead of four. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 I had done all 4 cyl. They were all between 115- 120psi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 Is it possible for the pass. side timeing belt to be off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subieman Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Does your turbo light come on when there is no power? I had a similar thing happen with my 87 turbo. I took the turbo apart and found little bits of metal wedged in the turbo fan. They would lodge and dislodge causing power loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Is it possible for the pass. side timeing belt to be off It is possible of course but you stated that the problem goes away as fast as it occurs. This isn't a symtom a belt problem can produce as far as I know. A belt problem usually stays bad. Also, your plugs indicate a none firing issue. I would have someone with a scope look at this while the problem is occuring. I think you will find what I stated in my previous post. I may be wrong, but I think this is what is going on. Edit: I just noticed your in Alaska somewhere. I live in Anchorage and if you can drop by, I have a scope to check this out with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-knight Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Not likely, This would not fit your have a boost of power all of a sudden, if that were the case, you would never get it at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 My Turbo with a bad plugwire(s?) had a sharp power dropoff around 1500rpm, and then it would come on with a vengeance around 3500rpm. In between, it felt like cold mush. Take care of the simple, obvious stuff first before "borrowing trouble". If you see hoof prints and see "road apples", think horse and not zebra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 Cougar, I live in Valdez. If I thought that it could make it to anchorage I would take you up on the offer instantly my next trip, but I'm not sure that I could make it up Thompson Pass as I have not gotten the power back, not even a short boost for 5 days or better. Thanks a lot for the offer. Next time I go to Anchorage I'll let you know and maybe we can get in touch. Now, I have injector pulse, compression, and I tested the EGR it appears to be working fine. I'm on night shift and my wife did not pick up the plugs and wires for me today so maybe tomarrow. The resistance on the wires from shortest to longest was 3kohm, 5kohm, 16kohm, 17kohm. The 16 and 17 are of course the pass. side but the too are about 3 times longer than the others. Two short blinks on the computer is a 2 correct and was does this code signify? The engine light comes on only when exellerating and goes out when I let off the gas for the first 2 or 3 miles then it comes on solid till I shut it off then it is gone again when I start it. This indicates a soft code rather than a hard set code correct, making it harder ti diagnose with code reading I think. As for earlier questions, the turbo works off the pass side exhaust, and the turbo light works or at least is coming on but I think this simply works off of the gas pedle position not the actual boost condition as when it comes on (in the same spot no matter the conditions) there is abviously no boost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 ...As for earlier questions, the turbo works off the pass side exhaust, and the turbo light works or at least is coming on but I think this simply works off of the gas pedle position not the actual boost condition as when it comes on (in the same spot no matter the conditions) there is abviously no boost Turbo gets exhaust from both cylinder banks, not just the (USA) passenger side. Often, the exhaust flange at the crossover/uppipe to turbo will crack, losing pressure; but this results in a rather noisy engine compartment. The TURBO light is activated by a manifold pressure switch, not throttle position. Just because you have no power doesn't mean that you are not getting turbo pressurization. The turbo light should come on somewheres between 1500-2000 rpm at WOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 The cross over pipe is cracked, I guess I did not look closely enough to realize the exhuast input to turbo is from both sides, I'll have to look closer. I'm pretty sure I didn't say The turbo wasn't performing only that you can't feel any boost in the condition its running in. So if the turbo light comes on does that mean the turbo is working and changing the manifold pressure enough to activate the light or is it activated by normal manifold pressures that can be reached without turbo only at higher RPM? So the turbo light might come on at 2000-2500 rpm? Where is the MPs located? Subieman, where did the metal come from, were the fan blades tweeked and hitting the sides. Will you explain what was happening to your rig and the change after repair. Was it significant? I replaced the turbo unit about 4 months ago (with used) because the old fan was squealing and shortly after my problem began. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 the turbo light comes on when the system starts to make positive boost, meaning anything over 0" of vacuum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.