soobcollektor Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well I checked everything out today, there are no vacuum leaks, all hoses are intact and in very good condition, actually the entire engine is VERY clean. could it be a knock sensor, Im starting to think that it is the front O2 sensor, any input? It controls the fuel trim right?, which is what I'm getting a code for. And since when I unplugged it today and drove it 10-15 miles noticing no difference its leading me to believe it has failed or is on its way out. The light is still on though and I can feel the VERY slight power surging at wide open throttle. Does this sound like this could be it or should I be checking other things, even though it seems as if I exhausted all other options except injectors and the computer and with owning as many soobs as I have i've never had either of these fail on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendly_jacek Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well I checked everything out today, there are no vacuum leaks, all hoses are intact and in very good condition, actually the entire engine is VERY clean. could it be a knock sensor, Im starting to think that it is the front O2 sensor, any input? It controls the fuel trim right?, which is what I'm getting a code for. And since when I unplugged it today and drove it 10-15 miles noticing no difference its leading me to believe it has failed or is on its way out. The light is still on though and I can feel the VERY slight power surging at wide open throttle. Does this sound like this could be it or should I be checking other things, even though it seems as if I exhausted all other options except injectors and the computer and with owning as many soobs as I have i've never had either of these fail on me. O2 sensors are cheap enough to swap them for diagnostic purpose. It is a wear and tear item after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobcollektor Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Not for this one I had one dealer quote me at 190.00 for it and another dealer at 120.00 Yikes. Thats why i'd like to be almost positive thats whats wrong with it. Anybody else thinking thats what it is. Just would like some input before I go spending that much $$ on something that may not be bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 dont go to the dealer, but yes the front one is more expensive then the back one. There is another subby parts supplier that people swear by here, im sure someone will chime in. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Even if the O2 sensor doesn't ficx the problem (a shop should be able to test it first anyway) at 146,000 the car likely needs one or will soon - perhaps this would be it's 3rd one. many folks only get about 80K out of 'em. I dunno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendly_jacek Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Not for this one I had one dealer quote me at 190.00 for it and another dealer at 120.00 Yikes. Thats why i'd like to be almost positive thats whats wrong with it. Anybody else thinking thats what it is. Just would like some input before I go spending that much $$ on something that may not be bad. To be positive, you have to invest in OBD2 scanner and learn how to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobcollektor Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well I purchased and installed an O2 sensor this morning and cleared the ECU. So far the light is out but we'll see. It stayed out for a while the last time I reset the computer to so who knows. I plan on hitting the highway for a drive in a little bit to see if it comes back on. And i'll post back, if this doesnt fix it I dont know what will besides swapping out the ECU or injectors. Could it be possible that the MAF is bad even though the recall had been performed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobcollektor Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Sorry I know this thread is getting long, but i'll try to make it short. Update. After installing the new O2 sensor today all seemed well and the light stayed off. I drove her about 150 miles today and the only problem was some sluggishness that seemed to clear itself up after about 20 miles or so. But the CEL remained off. Just when I thought that I finally nailed it and fixed it, on my way home (on the interstate) the light came back on, had it checked at Autozone same PO170 code. I cleared it with their scan tool, I just took the tool and did it, they apparently trusted me and cleared the light and now once again, the light is off but the car is running like crap, has no power at all from a take off. It seems to do this to varying degrees everytime I clear or reset the ECUAre we possibly looking at a bad ECU? The tech that I worked with suggested either a O2 sensor or possibly MAF bad.....Guess the O2 sensor is ruled out. I really would like to fix this and not have to pay the dealer to do it, the tech would do it for me for free but they will nail his rump roast and get him in trouble, they were cracking down on this big time when I quit working there. What else, I'm at my witts end, I really cant afford a scan tool, arent they pricey and it would seem wasteful just to buy it to diagnose and fix this. I dunno Comments/Suggestions/Tips/anything Thanks everyoen for helping me on this tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Sorry I know this thread is getting long, but i'll try to make it short.Update. After installing the new O2 sensor today all seemed well and the light stayed off. I drove her about 150 miles today and the only problem was some sluggishness that seemed to clear itself up after about 20 miles or so. But the CEL remained off. Just when I thought that I finally nailed it and fixed it, on my way home (on the interstate) the light came back on, had it checked at Autozone same PO170 code. I cleared it with their scan tool, I just took the tool and did it, they apparently trusted me and cleared the light and now once again, the light is off but the car is running like crap, has no power at all from a take off. It seems to do this to varying degrees everytime I clear or reset the ECUAre we possibly looking at a bad ECU? The tech that I worked with suggested either a O2 sensor or possibly MAF bad.....Guess the O2 sensor is ruled out. I really would like to fix this and not have to pay the dealer to do it, the tech would do it for me for free but they will nail his rump roast and get him in trouble, they were cracking down on this big time when I quit working there. What else, I'm at my witts end, I really cant afford a scan tool, arent they pricey and it would seem wasteful just to buy it to diagnose and fix this. I dunno Comments/Suggestions/Tips/anything Thanks everyoen for helping me on this tim My fear is that PROPER diagnosis may not be possible with suggestions from a forum. And your limited funds may be better spent on a mechanic than throwing parts at the car. One thought, does your car have a K&N type oiled filter oiled intake air filter? They can kill MAF sensors. So, even if the recall was properly done, the new MAF may have been compromised by the oiled air filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobcollektor Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 The car does not have a K&N air filter, but I don't know if the previous owner had one or not. One thing I did notice this morning is that there is paint marker and numbers all over the MAF sensor housing on the bottom almost as if it has come from a junkyard but the question is why would the previous owner replace the already replaced MAF? Unless he just replaced the housing but I doubt thats likely. Would a bad MAF throw a po170 code after driving for a while? I would assume that if the MAF is bad it would just be bad not "almost" bad. This would definetly explain the chugging and surging and no power right? Also If I were to get it and replace the MAF, should the light go out after I start the car or will it stay on until I reset the ECU? How much do scan tools that can monitor sensors and check codes cost, I just always assumed that they were hundreds of dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanaenk Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 How much do scan tools that can monitor sensors and check codes cost, I just always assumed that they were hundreds of dollars. If you have laptop you can get an OBD2->rs232 cable for 50-70$ of ebay and there's lot's of free software that can work with those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendly_jacek Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Check the BR-3: http://www.obddiagnostics.com/ Confirmed to work with newer subaru. I would not buy the cheapest interface as it may not read the front A/F ratio sensor in 2000+ subarus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobcollektor Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 Thanks everyone for your help, I thought i'd post back and let everyone who was following this thread that I am pretty sure that I have the problem fixed. I bought a new MAF sensor at the dealer 44 bucks, which suprised the hell out of me, expecting to pay WAY more than that. Installed it and all seems well, It also seems to have fixed a slight transmission shifting problem that I was having, (having no idea that the MAF affected this) Thanks again to everyone who offered their insight on this, what an awesome place for Subaru owners, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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