92 Subaru Legacy. Sporadic clicking sound coming from behind dash followed by engine RPM fluctuatio

[slmoore5000]

Hi.
This started happening to my Subaru last week after an oil change and
300 mile road trip.

When the engine is first started after sitting for a while I hear a
clicking sound (like a switch flipping back and forth ) coming from
behind the drivers side dash followed immediately by engine power
fluctuation and occasionally engine shut off at idle.
The problem was only sporadic at first but now it has gotten much
worse and happening at every startup and even after the engine is
warm. It is also happening while driving at speed sometimes.

Just wondering what you guys think might be causing this before I take
it into the mechanic. Hoping it might be something simple that I can
fix myself.

Also, I just changed the oil again and it didnt help the situation.
thought that might have something to do with it but i guess not.

thanks for any ideas.

 

[Todd H.]

Hi.
This started happening to my Subaru last week after an oil change and
300 mile road trip.

When the engine is first started after sitting for a while I hear a
clicking sound (like a switch flipping back and forth ) coming from
behind the drivers side dash followed immediately by engine power
fluctuation and occasionally engine shut off at idle.
The problem was only sporadic at first but now it has gotten much
worse and happening at every startup and even after the engine is
warm. It is also happening while driving at speed sometimes.

Just wondering what you guys think might be causing this before I take
it into the mechanic. Hoping it might be something simple that I can
fix myself.

Also, I just changed the oil again and it didnt help the situation.
thought that might have something to do with it but i guess not.

That an oil change was no help doesn't surprise me-- clicking and loss
of power and dying all sound strongly electrical in nature to me.

Mentally I'm trying to envision what relay might be chattering that
could possibly kill power or even shut down the engine though. Hrmm.
That's a thinker.

Get it in quick though--losing power at speed is not cool since power
brakes and steering don't work so well without engine power!

 

[D&SW]

You need to find a shop manual that would tell you if the car has a fuel
pump relay and investigate that avenue. '92 sounds too old to have a
security system with a fuel pump cutoff, but it is a thought.