Car Stallllllllling

[dome24]

FIRST: the car is a 97 Brighton that came with a 1.8 that i swapped in a 2.2 out of a 94 leg Long block only, all the electronics and intake manifold and injectors are the EJ18, borla headers,99 LGT cats and muffler New Tbelt O2s and autolite platnum plugs at the swap time ~10k miles ago. I just changed the oil from maxlife 10-30 to 5-30 for winter.

So i took a 700 mile road trip a few weeks ago and on the drive a few times the motor would act like it was out of gas, shut down for a few seconds and then come right back like nothing happend. CEL comes on on the return trip but goes off by the end of the drive.

 

Starting the next day the car would act like it was out of gas, chugging and backfiring a few times throughout the day when i would take off from a stop or just after turning a corner from stop. never shut all the way off but sound real bad and almost shut down and then come around after i let off the pedal for a sec or two. When it does come around it runs awesome, my milage has been crap but its winter and i let it warm up for a long time in the morning.

 

Its been doing this now on and off with no real pattern for almost three weeks, I scanned it when it first started happening and got a 1141 Bad MAF volt, cleaned the MAf with specific cleaner and reset the computer, it didn't help. Scanned it again with a different unit a few days later and got 1142 MAF code so ive replaced

the MAF with a Junkyard unit

the fuel filter with a napa unit, it was less than a year old

Spark plugs from Autolite Platnum to Subaru NGK

when i pulled the plugs i thought they were a little white but they looked really good but after a little research white means running lean so i think im going to change the injectors/rails to the ones off the 2.2 manifold, i don't even know if its going to help but im out of ideas.

[screwbaru2]

FIRST: the car is a 97 Brighton that came with a 1.8 that i swapped in a 2.2 out of a 94 leg Long block only, all the electronics and intake manifold and injectors are the EJ18, borla headers,99 LGT cats and muffler New Tbelt O2s and autolite platnum plugs at the swap time ~10k miles ago. I just changed the oil from maxlife 10-30 to 5-30 for winter.

So i took a 700 mile road trip a few weeks ago and on the drive a few times the motor would act like it was out of gas, shut down for a few seconds and then come right back like nothing happend. CEL comes on on the return trip but goes off by the end of the drive.

 

Starting the next day the car would act like it was out of gas, chugging and backfiring a few times throughout the day when i would take off from a stop or just after turning a corner from stop. never shut all the way off but sound real bad and almost shut down and then come around after i let off the pedal for a sec or two. When it does come around it runs awesome, my milage has been crap but its winter and i let it warm up for a long time in the morning.

 

Its been doing this now on and off with no real pattern for almost three weeks, I scanned it when it first started happening and got a 1141 Bad MAF volt, cleaned the MAf with specific cleaner and reset the computer, it didn't help. Scanned it again with a different unit a few days later and got 1142 MAF code so ive replaced

the MAF with a Junkyard unit

the fuel filter with a napa unit, it was less than a year old

Spark plugs from Autolite Platnum to Subaru NGK

when i pulled the plugs i thought they were a little white but they looked really good but after a little research white means running lean so i think im going to change the injectors/rails to the ones off the 2.2 manifold, i don't even know if its going to help but im out of ideas.

 

You said you had autolite plugs. Lot of these sooobs will only run w/ OEM plugs and wires. If the wires are after market I'd try changing em. Also I would have changed everything intake, fuel rails, senors, harness, from the 2.2. I'm not sure if that's neccsary but not knowing I would have done it.

Good luck

[dome24]

I used all the 18 stuff to merge all the wiring easily I really was shooting in the dark with the whole deal but it ran great for almost a year before this

[screwbaru2]

You said you had autolite plugs. Lot of these sooobs will only run w/ OEM plugs and wires. If the wires are after market I'd try changing em. Also I would have changed everything intake, fuel rails, senors, harness, from the 2.2. I'm not sure if that's neccsary but not knowing I would have done it.

Good luck

You really shouldn't let it sit and warmup for more that 30 sec. After that driving @ low speed for a short time is the recommened warmup for any car.

Maybe it's loading up by sitting, and then running fine once the excess fuel is burned.

[dome24]

You really shouldn't let it sit and warmup for more that 30 sec. After that driving @ low speed for a short time is the recommened warmup for any car.

Maybe it's loading up by sitting, and then running fine once the excess fuel is burned.

I've always let it warm up at least til the heater blows warm air, it gets cold over night in Alaska and it usuall runa fine at the start of my day, I drive all day stop and go as a courier and it does it at different times throughout my day

[porcupine73]

Hi. I'd get on top of those MAF codes. Based on these descriptions I'd say when those codes come up, the ECU no longer knows how much air is coming into the engine which makes it tough for it to get the right amount of fuel in there.

 

P1141 Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit High Input

P1142 Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit Low Input

 

It may not necessarily be the MAF sensor itself, especially if it's intermittent. It could be a bad wiring connection, harness, or ground back to the ECU MAF input somewhere.

[EVOthis]

Fuel Pump? ...Also I ran into somewhat the same problem with my 96' 2.2 and i had the fuel injector connectors swapped cyl 2 and cyl 4....

[dome24]

Hi. I'd get on top of those MAF codes. Based on these descriptions I'd say when those codes come up, the ECU no longer knows how much air is coming into the engine which makes it tough for it to get the right amount of fuel in there.

 

P1141 Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit High Input

P1142 Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit Low Input

 

It may not necessarily be the MAF sensor itself, especially if it's intermittent. It could be a bad wiring connection, harness, or ground back to the ECU MAF input somewhere.

I traced the wiring harness from the maf back to the firewall and it seemed ok but once it goes into the cab i can't trace it. I checked all the ground points i could find under the hood, the battery was a little rusty on the + connection but nothing a little wire brush couldn't fix.

 

What are the chances that i got another bad MAF sensor from the junkyard?

[dome24]

Fuel Pump? ...Also I ran into somewhat the same problem with my 96' 2.2 and i had the fuel injector connectors swapped cyl 2 and cyl 4....

I replaced the Fuel Pump last year with an aftermarket part, i usually run a can of fuel system cleaner before each oil change to keep things clean but now i don't know whats going on.

[dome24]

so the past few days it hasn't bogged at all but it feels like its not putting out full power.

Ive got the injectors out of the 2.2 manifold ready to go in, i just don't want to swap them if i don't have to, a buddy said maybe a failed cat. does anyone know what a bad cat's symptoms?

[Dickensheets]

My vote is for some OEM plug wires. Made a huge difference on my 97 2.5l dohc. Cheap enough to try anyway.

[Rooster2]

so the past few days it hasn't bogged at all but it feels like its not putting out full power.

Ive got the injectors out of the 2.2 manifold ready to go in, i just don't want to swap them if i don't have to, a buddy said maybe a failed cat. does anyone know what a bad cat's symptoms?

 

I had a failed cat converter in an Audi. Pieces of the honey comb cat material broke loose inside the cat. I could hear the pieces rattling around for some time. Sounded like pea size gravel rattling around. I ignored it, finally one of the pieces lodged itself inside the muffler pipe. It caused such back pressure, that the car would not go faster then 45 - 50 mph. The car would idle just fine. I don't think your problem is a bad cat. Suggest you find the cause of the maf codes that are presenting themselves. Suggest swapping in the injectors, maybe that will help. Spark plugs and OEM Subaru plug wire set may help too.

[WAWalker]

So is it still throwing a code for the MAF sensor, or has it not not thrown a code since replacing it?

 

Your initial symptoms were consistent with a failing MAF sensor. Subarus MAF sensors have a low failure rate, so the chances of getting another bad one are slim.

 

If the symtoms after the MAF replacement are different then there is another problem.

 

The symptoms of a pluged cat are, lack of power. But again, pulged cats on modern Subarus is also rare. Can happen though.

 

If the fuel pump is aftermarket, I would go ahead and check fuel pressure, and "dead head" pressure just to be sure you don't have a weak pump.