I'M DYIN HEAR!!!!!!!!! PLEASE help...

My SVX is driving me completely nuts, so much so that my dealer said just to sell the thing. Now, i'll have to consider that, but this is the biggest problem I seem to have. PLEASE help me with this.

My SVX hesitates 1/2 the time if i'm not pressing it full throttle. From stop, or in any gear, it seems to hesitate below 3,000 RPM. Not only loss of power, but a total horsepower deficit, like I had a 120 HP 4 cyl under the hood.

History:

- 1992 SVX LS-L manufactured 9/91.
- FULL 60k tune-up done at 99k miles.
- Car currently at 101k.
- Pre owned by a woman that filled it with 89 since new; nobody told her that it required premium...what the F does the dash and fuel filler say...yes, in all capitals...PREMIUM!!!
- Car runs the same with 87, 91, 93, or 94 in it. Idle fairly smooth. Sometimes it shakes, but nothing major. In fact, I SWEAR, the car feels more powerful and smoother with 87 than with 91, 92, 93, or 94. WTF???
- With 93, I get about 12 MPG, no joke. The best I ever got was 16, all highway. I will soon find out what it gets with 87 by the end of the week.
- Car ALWAYS got horrible gas mileage since 96k, but didn't start hesitating until I cleaned the throttle body, I cleaned it with some spray stuff, and there was no difference for 3 days. However, I got some of it painted, and the car sat for 2 days. When I went to get it, I was flooring it, and the car downshifted to first, but there was like NO power. Floored, in POWER mode, auto in 1st gear, I went 20 MPH. This mostly wore off in a day of driving, but I still have the below 3,000 RPM power deficit.
- No strange noises from engine.

Subaru hooked it up to the SelectMonitor, and it pulled no codes. According to that POS, the car was running perfectly.

I've tried many different fuel system cleaners, and one of them made a high end power difference, but no low end power cure.

PLEASE help. I'm really stumped here. PRAY for my SVX!!!

Thanks in advance.

Oh, and please ask questions...i'll tell you anything if it'll help!

reset the computer, remove the battery cables and touch the two cable together (while they are both disconnected from the battery). When you get back in the clock should be reset and all your stations should be unprogrammed. I read a while ago that when it is run on low octane for a while the timing changes to make up for the premature detonation. the car may still be set to this mode.

Jeepers, I wonder if your timing belt has jumped a notch.

(the ecu adjusts the ignition timing via the knock sensors "on the fly" to accomodate octane)

You will probobly have to re programm the remote as well, if you have one. When I did this to mine I held the cables together for a good 30 seconds to make sure everything was reset. I really hope your car starts running better, and if not I hope you sell it and buy another SVX.

I tried all the ECU crap. I reset it 3 times with the SelectMonitor, and did the battery thing, and left it unplugged, etc.

Subaru said the same thing about the timing thing. When they replaced the belt, they said everything was fine, and the new belt is perfect in there.

Jeepers, I know...

<<the ecu adjusts the ignition timing via the knock sensors "on the fly" to accomodate octane)>>

LOL!!! That thing does NOTHING on the fly

BTW, there is no knock I can here on 87, but I think I heard it on 93. YOU'RE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE NOW!

<<remotes>>

What remotes?

BTW, the ECU ROM update was never performed...anything? No, I didn't think so.

I don't know if I'd trust a dealer that tells you they can't find such an obvious problem. Get another opinion. Sure sounds like the timing is off. Good luck.

Timing off...please explain a bit if possible...causing weird gas performance, mileage, hesitation????????

that really sucks. Try adding some toulene, not sure if thats the right spelling. Apparently you can get it at a hardware store. Dump a quart into your tank, or more if you'd like, it wont damage the gase tank lining at all, and it cleans really well. Maybe something got into the injectors and is half clogging them. That's the only other thing that comes to mind right now.


and about the remotes, I didn't get one with my car either. In fact the only key I got is one of those universal keys they use for nissan and subaru.

Wouldn't the SelectMonitor say something about the timing?

... or a bad ECU.

I don't think the select monitor (OBDI) would detect anything...

Originally posted by I_Alcyone_I
that really sucks. Try adding some toulene, not sure if thats the right spelling. Apparently you can get it at a hardware store. Dump a quart into your tank, or more if you'd like, it wont damage the gase tank lining at all, and it cleans really well. Maybe something got into the injectors and is half clogging them. That's the only other thing that comes to mind right now.


and about the remotes, I didn't get one with my car either. In fact the only key I got is one of those universal keys they use for nissan and subaru.

I used industrial strength fuel system cleaners, 5 of them, in 5k miles:
RedLine SI1 96k
Redline SI1 97k
Redline SI1 98k
Chevron Techron 100k
SHOGUN ImportMax Pennzoil 101k - This is the only stuff that made an appreciable difference...especially at 4-6k RPM...I would recommend it.

I went to 3 hardware and paint stores...no one sold Toluene.

Originally posted by Boone
... or a bad ECU.

I don't think the select monitor (OBDI) would detect anything...

Bad ECU...hummm...did I mention it never had the ROM upgrade?

I AM correct in thinking 12 MPG is beyond horrible, right?

Originally posted by CopsodyX
Timing off...please explain a bit if possible...causing weird gas performance, mileage, hesitation????????

If the cams are out of synch with the crankshaft just a tiny bit you could have these problems in theory. See what others here think but a second opinion is in order. B.