engine cutting out
 

I just bought my first SVX. It's a '92 and I LOVE it. The only problem I have encountered thusfar is this. If you drive the car, then you stop for a while, when you start it back up and drive it the engine will cut out sometimes. It feels as though you have taken your foot off the gas. Sometimes it just kind of stalls for a second, but a couple of times it has actually shut off, and had to be cranked up again. After it does this once or twice, it's just fine. I drove the car over 500 miles the first day with no problems at all. Any ideas?

Is the Check Engine Light on?

Nope!

Hmmmmm. Could be a number of things. Possibly a fuel filter? That is something that is cheap and probably needs to be replaced anyway. Any other symptoms?

No, runs great other than that. Wouldn't you think a fuel filter problem would be more of an "all the time" thing? this only happens in the exact circumstances I described. Really weird.

Definitely sounds weird. I wouldn't know what to do. I would start doing general maintanence replacement of parts and hope it goes away.

MAF
 

A Mass Air Flow will do exactly that. If there is another SVX in your town with a spare MAF that would lend it to you to check:confused: ? Just a suggestion.:) Tom

I don't know. I live outside of Raleigh North Carolina. Any takers? Now, tell me what a "mass air flow" is, if you don't mind. Thanks.

MAF
 

The MAF is the black 3 inch in diameter tube, with a shiny black 2.5 X2.5 inch square on the top of it , bolted to the airbox, on the passenger side, under the hood, and right in front of the washer reservoir. What it does, is measure the amount of air going into the engine intake. Tom

ps, 1 hose clamp, 4 bolts, and 1electrical connector hold it.

Thanks. Any idea of replacement cost, if needed?

If cost is an issue, get a used one from a junkyard for a 97 Subaru Outback with a 2.5 liter motor. It shows a different part number, but its a drop in replacelemt. My MAF went bad and I couldnt wait for the dealer to locate me one, so after extensive research, I have found that this part has the same diameter, plug, bolt holes, and the electrical output matches that of a good working SVX MAF. I dropped it into mine for $37 and the check engine light went out imemdiatly and it runs great again. Hope this helps.

PS - I ran a K&N air filter and I am reading a bunch of internet research that shows that the fine oil from the filter is the possible cause of early hot wire MAF failures. Just a FYI.

Thanks so much. Is it possible that this part could cause problems without the "check engine" light coming on?