1998 Subaru Outback with stalling problem: exciting improvement!

[latitude xt]

Steve, John, et al.,

Thanks so much for your advice from earlier posts. I think it was the
air hose near the bottom of the MAF that was disconnected after
replacement. Boy, stuff is hard to see in there. Also, it's hard to
make your hands work at all in freezing weather. I guess this is why
we always paid someone else before.

But! The good news is that the engine will now run at an idle, with
the new MAF installed and the hose reconnected. Tomorrow morning I'll
test it by driving it to work, to see if the original problem
(stalling at stops after the engine is warm) persists.

I'll let you know...

(Oh. We never could find the IAC valve, the cleaning of which will be
our next step if the stalling starts again. I read that it's right
above the throttle body, but I don't know what that is either. It's
very sad. Is there an "engines for dummies" kind of site that might
provide simple labeled pictures???)

Thanks again,
Emily

 

[johninky]

Steve, John, et al.,

Thanks so much for your advice from earlier posts. I think it was the
air hose near the bottom of the MAF that was disconnected after
replacement. Boy, stuff is hard to see in there. Also, it's hard to
make your hands work at all in freezing weather. I guess this is why
we always paid someone else before.

But! The good news is that the engine will now run at an idle, with
the new MAF installed and the hose reconnected. Tomorrow morning I'll
test it by driving it to work, to see if the original problem
(stalling at stops after the engine is warm) persists.

I'll let you know...

(Oh. We never could find the IAC valve, the cleaning of which will be
our next step if the stalling starts again. I read that it's right
above the throttle body, but I don't know what that is either. It's
very sad. Is there an "engines for dummies" kind of site that might
provide simple labeled pictures???)

Thanks again,
Emily

This may help with the IAC. Thinking yours is different but some info
on how to clean. Looking some more for a photo of the IAC on your
Outback.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781242&highlight=iacv

 

[S]

Hi Emily!

Steve, John, et al.,

Thanks so much for your advice from earlier posts. I think it was the
air hose near the bottom of the MAF that was disconnected after
replacement. Boy, stuff is hard to see in there. Also, it's hard to
make your hands work at all in freezing weather. I guess this is why
we always paid someone else before.

But! The good news is that the engine will now run at an idle, with
the new MAF installed and the hose reconnected. Tomorrow morning I'll
test it by driving it to work, to see if the original problem
(stalling at stops after the engine is warm) persists.

I'll let you know...

(Oh. We never could find the IAC valve, the cleaning of which will be
our next step if the stalling starts again. I read that it's right
above the throttle body, but I don't know what that is either. It's
very sad. Is there an "engines for dummies" kind of site that might
provide simple labeled pictures???)

Thanks again,
Emily

Super news.

I _hate_ working on mechanical thingies in the cold; my lower limit is
40F and sunny except in the most dire emergencies. (Usually about
twice a week when it's really cold ;-)

A quick tip; warm the engine/engine compartment a bit before trying to
work on it in cool weather. Run it for long enuf to get the temp.
gauge to move off the bottom, or if it won't run at all, be creative
(and safe) with a heat lamp(s) and old blanket.

If you watch while some one works the gas pedal, you'll see a small
pulley/cable arrangement move in response. That chunk of hardware
(usually the first metal component the incoming air hits) is the
throttle body.

I have the service manual for the Imprezas of the same vintage as your
OB; probably the throttle body and IAC will be the same. The SOHC will
be different from the DOHC, so it will be helpful to know which you
have. Maybe a foto? The manual is a ~200MB .pdf file, so sending it
intact isn't gonna work, but if you will send an email, I will see if
I can't extract the appropriate pages and send them along.

And, since you asked, there are many good resources available for free
on the web. Try this:
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h20.pdf
for some reasonably digestible info on the intake/fuel injection
system as found in (more or less) contemporary autos. Thanx Toyota!
This is circa '90 ish, I'd guess. Toyota calls the IAC an ISC valve.

ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[latitude xt]

Victory! I made it to work without stalling!

So, dropping the kids at school, engine running the whole time,
probably 35 minutes total running time, a mixture of suburban roads
and highway, including some stops and starts as I got close to my
office at the end. The hubby thinks I'm overly optimistic, but I feel
like he's a mechanical genius and the ol' Subaru is a real trooper.
And this was a good morning for those heated seats.

Next up: fixing the rear hatch, which hasn't opened in two years. I
saw some tips earlier on this board, so I'm going to try. Thanks
again, SO much!

Emily

 

[bugalugs]

Victory! I made it to work without stalling!

So, dropping the kids at school, engine running the whole time,
probably 35 minutes total running time, a mixture of suburban roads
and highway, including some stops and starts as I got close to my
office at the end. The hubby thinks I'm overly optimistic, but I feel
like he's a mechanical genius and the ol' Subaru is a real trooper.
And this was a good morning for those heated seats.

Next up: fixing the rear hatch, which hasn't opened in two years. I
saw some tips earlier on this board, so I'm going to try. Thanks
again, SO much!

Emily

We'll make a mechanic out of you yet.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

1998 Subaru Outback with stalling problem: exciting improvement!

You've discovered the car now has Lexus-like runaway acceleration?

Sorry...couldn't resist...

Pesky damn hoses. I had an '83 Tercel AWD wagon I got in 2004 for nothing,
and the first thing I did was a complete tune up. Car ran like absolute
crap, until I took the air cleaner off (at a number of people's urging)
and noticed a small rubber tube I had knocked off replacing the air
cleaner the first time.