Need some help with my engine misfire problem

Cappy · #1 03-31-2006, 06:03 AM

My '94 SVX Lsi has been running bad lately. When I start the car and put it in gear (R or D) it occasionally hesitates, and the RPM's drop for an instant (like a mis-fire). In neutral I don't notice a problem. Then when I'm driving, and the car's going about 50mph at 1800 RPM's if I try to lightly accellerate, I get a pronounce shake, and misfire again. It's actually a whole series of shakes, like the car doesn't want to go any faster. If I punch the gas a litlle harder, it downshifts (or at least shifts out of overdrive) and seems to accellerate OK - well, at least better than before & without the shake, rattle & roll. I've also noticed that it doesn't do the shaking when I'm driving in 3, instead of D between 40 and 50. I tried running code checks, and it's throwing a 33 (Vehicle Speed Sensor 2), a 51 (Neutral Inhibitor Switch), and a 52 (Parking Switch). What's up with that?

I've been using the "Shift kit" that I bought, but lately I was throwing the 16 flash Power light on startup, so I diconnected it and bypassed it. Now I don't get that anymore.

I took it to the Subaru Dealer in Carrollton, and they sold me a bottle of injection cleaner, charged me $70 for a "diagnostics test", told me they couldn't say for sure what was wrong, and suggested I upgrade to an ODBII car, so they could fix it. (Their new "Tech" doesn't know much about ODB1 cars.)

So here I am seeking help from the experts on this forum. You guys have certainly bailed me out in the past.

See you all in Reading (if the Suby makes it that far!).
Cappy

Earthworm · #2 03-31-2006, 11:22 AM

It sounds like you notice the issue only when the torque converter is locked. I'm thinking it's either driveshaft or coil related.

AutoTchr · #3 03-31-2006, 01:19 PM

Could be as simple as a tune up, but I don't know the last time you had one. BTW for future reference injection cleaner ALMOST never fixes anything.

Beav · #4 03-31-2006, 07:54 PM

Sounds like spark leakage to me, or as auto teach said, a tune up (spark plugs.)

Cappy · #5 04-03-2006, 06:58 AM

Thanks guys,

I think you're right, Beav. The car's started acting up all the time now. Not just in Drive...even in D3, R, ect. Plus it's even started "missing" in neutral when I start it up. Still no codes though, other than the 33, 51 and 52. I figure it's time for a tune up. The guy I bought it from says he put platinum plugs in at 125,000, and it's now got 158,000. I thought I was good to 200K. I was going to let Huebner's do it, but Jeez, I better at least take it to a mechanic who knows how to diagnose a bad coil, huh?

Thanks,
Cappy

Budfreak · #6 04-04-2006, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cappy

Thanks guys,

I think you're right, Beav. The car's started acting up all the time now. Not just in Drive...even in D3, R, ect. Plus it's even started "missing" in neutral when I start it up. Still no codes though, other than the 33, 51 and 52. I figure it's time for a tune up. The guy I bought it from says he put platinum plugs in at 125,000, and it's now got 158,000. I thought I was good to 200K. I was going to let Huebner's do it, but Jeez, I better at least take it to a mechanic who knows how to diagnose a bad coil, huh?

Thanks,
Cappy

So what am I, Chopped liver?!

Sounds like we need to get together and do some work my friend. Hit me up and we'll get her running.

When I drove it we couldn't get it to act up, But if it's doing it all the time now that may make it a little easier to diagnose. How's next week sound?

Cappy · #7 04-04-2006, 11:13 AM

Haha! OK Jason, the Tech at Waikem swears he knows these cars, so I'm letting him take a look. If that doesn't work out, I'll give you a holler. In any case, we will hook up in Reading in just a few short weeks! This will be FUN!
Cappy

Budfreak · #8 04-04-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cappy

Haha! OK Jason, the Tech at Waikem swears he knows these cars, so I'm letting him take a look. If that doesn't work out, I'll give you a holler. In any case, we will hook up in Reading in just a few short weeks! This will be FUN!
Cappy

Waikem?!

OK, but let me know how it goes and if he doesn't figure it out, I will.

(Well,This is coming from a guy who still hasn't figured out his sudden high idle that won't go away

)
Good luck.

OH CRAP! I'M REALLY RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO READING!

TomsSVX · #9 04-04-2006, 02:58 PM

we can always help at reading. I am sure I will have a few good coil packs among a million other parts there. Reading is a good time to get ur car looked at, many good guys there with a lot of knowledge on the SVX's mechanical quirks

Tom

Budfreak · #10 04-04-2006, 03:07 PM

I hope someone can listen to mine and tell me whether it's a rod bearing or piston slap. I'm still leaning towards bearing myself.

Budfreak · #11 04-04-2006, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cappy

My '94 SVX Lsi has been running bad lately. When I start the car and put it in gear (R or D) it occasionally hesitates, and the RPM's drop for an instant (like a mis-fire). In neutral I don't notice a problem. Then when I'm driving, and the car's going about 50mph at 1800 RPM's if I try to lightly accellerate, I get a pronounce shake, and misfire again. It's actually a whole series of shakes, like the car doesn't want to go any faster. If I punch the gas a litlle harder, it downshifts (or at least shifts out of overdrive) and seems to accellerate OK - well, at least better than before & without the shake, rattle & roll. I've also noticed that it doesn't do the shaking when I'm driving in 3, instead of D between 40 and 50. I tried running code checks, and it's throwing a 33 (Vehicle Speed Sensor 2), a 51 (Neutral Inhibitor Switch), and a 52 (Parking Switch). What's up with that?

I've been using the "Shift kit" that I bought, but lately I was throwing the 16 flash Power light on startup, so I diconnected it and bypassed it. Now I don't get that anymore.

I took it to the Subaru Dealer in Carrollton, and they sold me a bottle of injection cleaner, charged me $70 for a "diagnostics test", told me they couldn't say for sure what was wrong, and suggested I upgrade to an ODBII car, so they could fix it. (Their new "Tech" doesn't know much about ODB1 cars.)

So here I am seeking help from the experts on this forum. You guys have certainly bailed me out in the past.

See you all in Reading (if the Suby makes it that far!).
Cappy

The vehicle speed sensor is easy to replace, and the rest sounds like someone may not have hooked something back up when you had that tranny serviced. Let me know what gets found out.

Cappy · #12 04-06-2006, 09:09 AM

I had the Waikem Tech look at the car. He pulled a spark plug and told me it wasn't a plug that was designed for this car. It was a Bosch Platinum, but he says the plug is too hot for the engine, and they're fouled. So he wants to start by changing my plugs, and he thinks that'll do it. Sounds OK to me. My shoulders are hurting so badly these days with Bursitis (it's hell gettin' old) that I can't even twist my arms to do hardly any work under the hood for a while.

But that's not the end of the story. When I drove the car home (mind you, he hadn't changed any plugs yet...just pulled a couple & inspected them & put them back) the car ran PERFECTLY. I mean, it hasn't run this well in over a month. So I'm feelin' pretty good, right? Until later that night when I pull in the garage, and my abs light comes on. I shut off the car and restarted it, and it cranks really slow, so I left it run, and checked the voltage between the alternator and the negative terminal. i've only got 8.61 volts! I check it again between the alternator and the engine block, and it's still 8.61. I checked it between the hot terminal and the body of the alternator, and it really IS only 8.61 volts. OK, so I put the battery on a charger overnight, and checked it again in the morning. Now it's 11.98 volts. I'm thinkin' alternator, but the battery light doesn't stay on after I start the car, or even when I turn on the lights. (Neither does the abs light now that it's recharged.) So how can the alternator be bad? So NOW I'm thinkin' Ignition Coil regulator. And I'm wondering if the Tech screwed something up when he pulled the plugs? I know he has to pull the secondary coils first, and I also know he didn't disconnect the negative battery terminal before doing this (I still have all my radio presets), so could he have created a spark or somethng that might have trashed my regulator?

Now the DUMB question...where IS the IC regulator? Is it part of the alternator, or is it a separate module somewhere?

Thanks,
Cappy

Cappy · #13 04-18-2006, 07:15 AM

Ok it turns out that my electrical problem was the alternator. After verifying this with the alternator from my Teally, I put on a new one and things are right with the world again. But I still have this terrible misfire! Now it's doing it all the time...even when I'm just idling in neutral. Even when I start up the car and it running at 1700RPMs instead of the normal "warm" 1000RPMs. So I decided to check the coils. The Subaru Tech put in new spark plugs, but never bothered to do this critical test!

I've gotten the three coils out on the passenger side, and tested the resistance on the primary side of each coil. They're all registering 0.8 ohms, so they're right in spec (0.68 to 0.83, I think). But I can't get a reading on the secondary side at all. I put a 12 volt positive input on terminal 1, ran the negative side of the 12 volt source into a digital ammeter, and then ran the output of the ammeter into the tip of the coil. But I get "zero" millivolts. I was hoping to see SOME current flow. Now I know all three can't be bad, so I must have something wrong with my test method. Either that or my 12 volt source isn't strong enough. (I'm thinking I should have used the car battery instead of a 1 amp recharger as the 12v source.) Interestingly enough, I actually am registering an "AC voltage"(?) of 24 volts thru my meter, so I figure they must be good coils, since they're not dead shorted or anything. I don't know enough electricity to understand how I can be showing an AC voltage, though. So as soon as I figure out how to get them out, I'll try the other side next.

Oh by the way, the car threw a CE yesterday! It's code 28 - knock sensor 2. I'm trying to decide if it's really a bad knock sensor, or just the fact that my engine has this shudder when it misfires.

any help is appreciated, as always. see you all in Reading!
Cappy

Ricochet · #14 04-18-2006, 07:50 AM

This is the infamous svx problem. I have it, others have it, and I've never seen a solution. Please keep us updated.

Cappy · #15 04-19-2006, 06:15 AM

Ok, last night I kissed my right hand goodbye, and went after the coils on the drivers side. I was able to check out two of them...the ones towards the front...and they checked out OK on the primary side of the coil. Again, I get "zero" milliamps when I try to hook them up with an ammeter and 12v source (I used the car's battery this time) in series. I must be reading the manual wrong or something. But I still get the AC voltage (It's actually around 17 VAC, not 24 - I get 24 when I go directly off the battery with the AC tester), so I'm still guessing that the secondary side of the coils are OK, too. That leaves me with that one bastard coil (you know which one, if you've ever changed your plugs), or else it's another problem. Any final suggestions before I head out to Reading? I seem to have good vacuum, and I don't see any loose connections or lines, so now I'm at a total loss. maybe I can get someone who knows these cars to drive her this weekend.
Thanks,
Cappy