running on 3 cylinders

[mattejb]

So my 1997 subaru outback w/ 230000 miles has no compression in cylinder 4. So I am running on 3 cylinders. It idles very rough and the CEL flashes at me sometimes. Highway driving seems OK. Should I just put a piece of tap over the CEL and forget about it? How long do you think it could last?

[EVOthis]

ok...so you already did a compression test.....0 compression?....honestly i would not be driving around like this....seems kind of dangerous to me....especially if the CEL is flashing...that means there is enough unburned fuel getting to the cat. conv. that it could potentially catch fire or blow..lol...is this an EJ22 or EJ25?...also explain when you say highway driving seems OK?

[crockettbrat]

Did you do a full compression test on the car? How are the other cylinders?

[mattejb]

I honestly have no idea about the other cylinders. I took the car to the dealership because I had a similar problem last year on cylinder 1. They replaced the exhaust valve on it and everything worked fine. The dealership told me that cylinder 4 has no compression and would need to do a tear down to find out what is really wrong with it. I passed. They said I should be fine to keep driving it..once it starts stalling I should get rid of it. I have been driving it like is for a couple months now.

 

Its a 2.5 (1997 outback is only 2.5)

Highway driving means driving on the highway 60-75mph, No CEL comes on.

City driving, stopping and going causes all the problems.

Also its worse the colder the weather gets. And the CEL only comes on after the car reaches temp.

Edited December 14, 2008 by mattejb

[98obster]

you sound like the guy I heard on Car Talk today.

maybe you could seafoam the valvetrain to see if it loosens up a lifter or spring? can hurt and might help.

[nipper]

YOu need to do a wet/dry compression test on all four cylinders, but it sounds like you have a burnt valve.

 

nipper

[subiemech85]

do you hear a strange tick, tink, or knock?

is there a delay when you try to rev engine?

remove valve cover, make sure valves are moving, nothing looks fishy

I had a bad tink, and delay while rev, turned out to be bent push tube for #3 intake on ea81

[hankosolder2]

So my 1997 subaru outback w/ 230000 miles has no compression in cylinder 4. So I am running on 3 cylinders. It idles very rough and the CEL flashes at me sometimes. Highway driving seems OK. Should I just put a piece of tap over the CEL and forget about it? How long do you think it could last?

 

If the cylinder is indeed completely dead and you intend to keep driving the car, why not at least pull the connector off the #4 injector? At least that way, you won't be dumping unburned gas into the catalytic converter. Safer, kinder to the evironment, and your fuel economy will also improve considerably!

[mattejb]

Has anyone on here ran a car with only 3 out of 4 cylinders for a considerable amount of time with any luck? Say 6 months? Is that possible if everything goes "ok"? What do you think my chances are?

[nipper]

Has anyone on here ran a car with only 3 out of 4 cylinders for a considerable amount of time with any luck? Say 6 months? Is that possible if everything goes "ok"? What do you think my chances are?

 

 

Very very bad idea if you want the bottom end of the engine to last. You will waste a lot of fuel, add alot of pollution, have an engine that is vibrating badly and working alot harder then it should to make the car go. You will also have a dramatic loss of power.

 

Other then that it's your car and your money.

 

 

nipper

[mattejb]

Very very bad idea if you want the bottom end of the engine to last. You will waste a lot of fuel, add alot of pollution, have an engine that is vibrating badly and working alot harder then it should to make the car go. You will also have a dramatic loss of power.

 

Other then that it's your car and your money.

 

 

nipper

 

Well am going to buy an new car in 6 months (probably 2010 legacy) and junk the outback. I was just wondering if you think it might be able stay alive till then without putting any more money into it. I am not planing on keeping this car till 300,000 miles.

 

So if its possible that's what I would like to do. Other wise I am looking at buying a car sooner new/used. I don't want to put $1000 into the outback only to have my 4eat blow on me.

Edited December 15, 2008 by mattejb

[nipper]

If you had 4 cylinders your 4eat would last. With just three cylinders, you can be the grand experiment.

 

nipper

[98obster]

Has anyone on here ran a car with only 3 out of 4 cylinders for a considerable amount of time with any luck? Say 6 months? Is that possible if everything goes "ok"? What do you think my chances are?

 

If you continue to drive, you have the advantage of knowing how your engine is going to eventually die, cause I don't think it's going to heal itself. I constantly think my timing belt is going to break and bend valves etc. but, contrary to your scenario, not much warning on that.

 

taking it to an independent shop and pull the valve cover and inspect and replace parts will probably be less than replacing the engine but at 230K it's probably a good time to look at 25 part outs on CL. Who knows how long the engine would last if #4 were remedied but even with that what would be the next thing to go wrong.

 

If you continue to drive it as is keep us up to date on any changes. It's always encouraging to hear how hard it is to kill a subaru. :-\

[Quidam]

mattejb,

 

" I was just wondering if you think it might be able stay alive till then without putting any more money into it."

 

Yes. Unhooking the injector is a good idea.

 

Odds are, you have burned another exhaust valve. They "always" go first. This is a NA car, right? Turbo is another story.

 

A tear down to find out what's wrong? Horse****. You could leak it down and find out pronto. Probably.

 

hth and YMMV

 

Doug-who drove a 350 Chevy from Harlan KY. to here one time on 7 cylinders.

[nipper]

mattejb,

 

 

Doug-who drove a 350 Chevy from Harlan KY. to here one time on 7 cylinders.

 

 

i have more faith in a 7 cylinder that was 8 as opposed to a 3 that was a 4.

 

nipper

[Quidam]

i have more faith in a 7 cylinder that was 8 as opposed to a 3 that was a 4.

 

nipper

 

I drive on 3 cylinders all the time. "If" it's an exhaust valve, it will just blow it out the pipe. That's all.

 

Doug

[nipper]

I drive on 3 cylinders all the time. "If" it's an exhaust valve, it will just blow it out the pipe. That's all.

 

Doug

 

yes thats you, but what about the car

 

[Quidam]

yes thats you, but what about the car

 

 

oooohhhh:)

 

If this happens to my Justy, I'll be running on two. So there. I'd drive it too.

[lmdew]

Drop a used 2.2 from a 95 auto in there for < $500 and you'll save that much in gas!

 

What's going to happen when the car dies and you have no transportation? Walking into a dealer in need is no way to get the best deal.

[98obster]

Drop a used 2.2 from a 95 auto in there for < $500 and you'll save that much in gas!.

 

 

+1000

exactly, and you could prolly find a newer tranny too.

 

edit: -18F in Greeley, CO tonight. glad I have 4 cylinders

Edited December 15, 2008 by 98obster

[mattejb]

So i pulled the plug on #4 injector and P0304 Code went away and I got P0207. All good right? Well I drive the car around for a couple miles and it drives really bad with the fuel injector not working. I could instantly tell I was missing a lot of power and could hear a high pitched sound (belts?) I only hear when I am around 4000-6000rpm. I would even say the shaking was worse because I could feel it even as I am accelerating. I think I would rather risk my car blowing up then drive like this. So I reconnected the injector.:-\

[98obster]

I think you meant P0270. (#4 injector circuit low input). question: did you also unplug the #4 plug wire?

 

so, I sounds like with everything plugged in, you had a semi-functioning cylinder-at least until the spark plug fouls-I wonder what it looks like.

[WoodsWagon]

I drove my ej22 for a few months with burned exhaust valves, just unplugged the injector and kept on going. It's not going to hurt anything else, other than the catalytic converter if you're still dumping fuel.

 

If the power delivery of the engine changes when you pull the injector, you don't have 0 compression. You may have low compression, but not 0, and not a burned valve.

 

I'd check for ignition problems.

 

How much oil is it burning?

 

Dealer techs can be hack's from UTI and not know a damn thing and still take your $89 diagnostic fee.

[mattejb]

question: did you also unplug the #4 plug wire?

No...I just pulled the fuel injector wire.

 

I'd check for ignition problems. How much oil is it burning?

Maybe a quart, possibly two (maybe three..i dont check it all the time) between oil changes (3000 miles) if do a lot of highway driving.

 

Dealer techs can be hack's from UTI and not know a damn thing and still take your $89 diagnostic fee.

I believe it is temperature related in someway if that makes any sense. Ill give the dealer a call. it was $48 total and i got "free" front and back windshield wipers. But still if it was misdiagnosed...

 

Also, do u think this could be something like a bad fuel filter or something along those lines. It idles really bad when I come to a stop quickly after driving "fast" (45-50mph) . If i come to a stop gradually sometimes it is pretty smooth idling and then gets worse as it sits. Then the woomp woomp woomp sound starts and the whole car shacks.

Edited December 18, 2008 by mattejb

[hankosolder2]

I had a friend who drove a Ford Escort running on three cylinders for YEARS.

If you disconnect the injector to the dead cylinder, you really won't be polluting or wasting gas. I say, go for it if a replacement car is on the horizon.