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  #1  
Old 03-09-2003, 08:06 PM
2 times 4
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Question flameouts

I'm new to this with a big problem. I've already checked the archives without sucess. My 94 SVX
runs perfect until suddenly, for no particular reason,it flames out and almost all power is gone.
If I lightly pump the gas as fast as I can for 5-10 minutes it'll suddenly catch and take off like nothing
was ever wrong. At some later date, maybe a day, maybe a week, or maybe 10 minutes it'll do it all
over again. Kind of difficult to take a leasurely drive when it usually gives me a leg cramp. Could it be
a coil boot brakedown? Why would it come back running like normal? Please don't let it be the CPU!!!!!
Can you help?
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  #2  
Old 03-11-2003, 03:17 PM
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Earthworm Earthworm is offline
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If you don't touch the gas when this is happening does it just stall?

Maybe something with the TPS?

Worst case would be the ECU.
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Old 03-11-2003, 07:00 PM
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Thanks for the response. Thought I was alone there for a while. Yeah, most of the time it will
just stall though sometimes it'll idle good for awhile first. Sometimes it'll continue to idle really rough.
It did this once before a couple of years ago and Subaru said it was a coil so I replaced it and didn't
have a problem for almost a year. I got to thinking it was a boot breakdown because I've read of that
but wondered how I could tell what coil without going to a shop. They get me for $85 just to look at
the thing. Last time they said they'd have to fix the exhaust and a front oil seal before they'd even
diagnose the problem. They wanted around $600. I took it home and changed the exhaust gaskets
for $$85 and found the oil leak was power steering not engine like they said. Don't have much money
or confidence, know what I mean?
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Old 03-11-2003, 07:35 PM
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Very well could be the TPS. Very easy to clean and re set at no cost and well worth a try and it is worth doing in any case.

I was involved in a thread re this just recently which gives some how to info. Sorry no time at the moment to look it up. If you can't find it come back to us.
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Old 03-11-2003, 10:37 PM
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Just a thought and I'm more than likely

Wrong...
but have you checked the fuel filter? It also has symptoms of bad fuel pump...... Good luck
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Old 03-13-2003, 06:36 AM
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I have played with the fuel filter because that was my first thought but found the pump was doing it's thing and a new filter made no dif. I'll do some research on the TPS but at this point I don't even know what that stands for. Thanks for a new lead.
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Old 03-13-2003, 08:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by 2 times 4
I have played with the fuel filter because that was my first thought but found the pump was doing it's thing and a new filter made no dif. I'll do some research on the TPS but at this point I don't even know what that stands for. Thanks for a new lead.
The TPS is the throttle position sensor. This sensor helps the ECU determine how much fuel it needs to add by detecting how much you're opening the throttle with the pedal. Your problem sounds a lot like the problem I have with my stereo receiver at home.

No, really, bear with me.

The left channel sometimes goes out. I have to get up and turn the volume knob up and down over and over and over again and eventually the left channel comes back. My volume knob works a lot like your TPS, and you're doing the same thing by pumping the gas (when the car's off, pumping the gas only opens and closes the throttle body - it doesn't actually pump any fuel), so it's not that far-fetched.

Since the ECU determines how much fuel to add by combining the info from the TPS and the MAF (mass air flow sensor), it's also possible that the MAF is bad and pumping the gas over and over again has nothing to do with the problem. On a properly running car, if you suddenly disconnect the MAF while the car is running, it'll die pretty much immediately - much like your car is doing.

In the end, of course, it could be any one (or more) of a number of sensors, but like Earthworm I suspect the TPS right now.
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Old 03-13-2003, 05:48 PM
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O/T Some CRC, or equivalent, works even better on a volume control pot. than it does on the TPS ! Squirt it in where the connections leave a space through to the wiper and carbon element.
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