little help with 93 imp.

[subaruguru]

hey guys my gf is in california at school and she drives from orovill to sacramento every day. well her 93 impreza is acting weird she says it is hard to get moving like the fule filter is cloged im showing her how to do that today (she gose back to cali on sunday) but if that dosent fix it im looking for someone that lives there or near there that might be able to help me out. its a 1993 impreza L awd auto 1.8 mpfi. any help would be great i just need someone to find the problem if the fule filter dosent solve it. i can pay for the parts.

[edrach]

Standard stuff here: when was the last time the air filter was changed? Plugs? Ignition wires? Is the car an automatic or 5MT? AWD or FWD? Need more input.

[subaruguru]

sorry its auto,awd, and she did the fule pump now it runs a little better but it wont take hills she said its like when you start it it runs fine but as soon as you put it in gear it wants to die. any input. thanks Rob.

[four-fleet-feet]

Here's a list of what to check before we can help you further. Do as many of these as you can and let us know what you find.

 

***********(OOPS-NOW I read the date of OP) Ask your GF if she can do these things. If she can't, at least you can tell her what to have checked by someone in her area. It's most important to make sure she goes to a mechanic who's worked on a Subaru before!!*****************

 

Change the air filter, first. If you can't remember when it was done, that's a sign you NEED to. Need an oil change? Do it and see what the oil's like. Change the PCV filter as well as the oil filter. I'd recommend a dealer PCV.

 

No change? Then you go deeper. Check all the fluids (front diff has a stick), especially the trans. Dirty? When was the last time it was flushed or drained/refilled? Are you low on power steering? Check for leaks. It won't have anything to do with the power problem, but if it goes out in the mountains your GF won't thank the car for it. Check the brake master cylinder, too. If there's a brake problem, don't let her leave before fixing them!

 

Fluids fine? Then go on. Pull at least one plug and take a gander at it. Worn? Gapped so far out your eyes goggle? Change them! Use what the manual says - my Imp manual states either NGK or Champions. I'd go with the NGK. Don't get any other brand. They may be fractionally cheaper, but it's not worth the hassle. Subies don't like most other brands.

 

Wires old and dry? Get new DEALER-ONLY wires. Don't skimp here. Again, more Imp problems come from non-dealer wires than anything else. While you're at it, it's most important you check at least the accessory belts. Dry? She doesn't know when they were changed? Then does she remember when the timing belt was done? If her timing's off that car's going to run like a slug.

 

If it's the timing belt, you can do it yourself, there's lots of posts on here about it, but if you don't want to tackle it a dealer will be more than happy to. For about $750 theyll change the lot - timing belt, water pump, seals, gaskets, thermostat, the fluids they have to drain, the whole shebang. But it's not that hard to do on your own (aircraft-engineer and I did mine, and we'd never worked on a Subaru before). For $200 in parts you can get it done in a couple days, weather permitting.

 

By the way, I know some people keep detailed service records. If your girlfriend isn't one of them, I'd get her an auto-repair log when you're at the stores getting the parts/tools you need. If she has records, wow! Tell her you appreciate that. Look at her average gas mileage for the last 6 tanks. Going down bit by bit? I'd certainly think plugs/wires/timing. That will tell us if this is a new problem or an ongoing one which just became too bad to take any longer.

 

Good luck - and if she thinks she'll just tough it out until she gets home, tell her not a chance. If it's climbing like a slug, she can forget the passes. BTDT.

 

************Hopefully, she made it home!*****************

 

(And, even if it isn't the problem, a coolant change and a new radiator cap would be a good idea this summer.)