spuddering when driving?

[lownslowvw]

drove 11 hours today from philly to charlotte, NC. half hour away from charlotte, my 2000 Subaru Legacy L Wagon started being spuddery when i was in traffic and starting to drive and shift. It has a small exhaust leak and i noticed it seems louder than usual and the exhaust was also spuddering when it comes out like spuddering/put-put. Not sure if the exhaust leak being worse would effect the car's performance/shifting being spudder/shaky.

what does anyone think? i have a 11 hour drive back on monday. any help much appreciated, thanks!

[chuckthefuk]

Exhaust leaks willn not cause your car to sputter in a way that the shifting / driving shakes the car.

Does the check engine light come on? (CEL/MIL) ?

-Chuck

[lownslowvw]

Exhaust leaks willn not cause your car to sputter in a way that the shifting / driving shakes the car.

Does the check engine light come on? (CEL/MIL) ?

-Chuck

it came on after being shaky/spuddery for a little bit in traffic..it flashed 3 times then that was it. what is MIL? thanks

[chuckthefuk]

MIL = Malfunction Indicator Lamp or CEL = Check Engine Light.

A flashing CEL/MIL means your car is Misfiring.

It could be:
-Spark Plugs
-Wires
-Fuel Injector
-Timing

.. not really easy to diagnoses.

[lownslowvw]

MIL = Malfunction Indicator Lamp or CEL = Check Engine Light.

A flashing CEL/MIL means your car is Misfiring.

It could be:
-Spark Plugs
-Wires
-Fuel Injector
-Timing

.. not really easy to diagnoses.

my plugs and wires and coil were just done last week. i still have a 10.5-11 hour drive home monday thats why i'm worried. its resting in the garage here all weekend.

[chuckthefuk]

Honestly without a true diagnosistic I cant narrow anything down for you.

is there an autozone or garage that can pull the codes with a code reader?

if you can narrow down the p**** code you can check things off the diag list.

Simple things to check is removing the spark plugs and looking for oil. Oil leaks through the o-rings that protect the spark plugs themselves. So if there is oil on the plug then there is no way a spark will be generated.

I know that you said it was serviced recently but you never know... honestly.. considering that valve cover gaskets and spark plug o-rings are common failing items when the mileage is high.

Keep me updated.. I am here to help
-Chuck

[lownslowvw]

Honestly without a true diagnosistic I cant narrow anything down for you.

is there an autozone or garage that can pull the codes with a code reader?

if you can narrow down the p**** code you can check things off the diag list.

Simple things to check is removing the spark plugs and looking for oil. Oil leaks through the o-rings that protect the spark plugs themselves. So if there is oil on the plug then there is no way a spark will be generated.

I know that you said it was serviced recently but you never know... honestly.. considering that valve cover gaskets and spark plug o-rings are common failing items when the mileage is high.

Keep me updated.. I am here to help
-Chuck

there was oil on a few of the plugs when we did the tune up..as soon as i get back i'm doing my valve cover gasket and spark plug seals. do you think if oil got onto the new plugs and is causing them to not spark that would be causing the spuddering/shaking?

[lownslowvw]

and there is an autozone down the road but can they read the code if it only flashed and isnt staying on? thanks for your help, appreciate it

[ouch1011]

and there is an autozone down the road but can they read the code if it only flashed and isnt staying on? thanks for your help, appreciate it

Yes, if the CEL was on at any point within the past month or so and wasn't cleared and the battery wasnt disconnected, the code should still be there.

[lownslowvw]

and there is an autozone down the road but can they read the code if it only flashed and isnt staying on? thanks for your help, appreciate it

Yes, if the CEL was on at any point within the past month or so and wasn't cleared and the battery wasnt disconnected, the code should still be there.

thanks i'll head over to autozone today and get it read, my code reader is at home. thanks

[lownslowvw]

it's a cylinder 3 misfire. probably due to the oil on the plugs. i'm ordering valve cover gaskets for both sides, spark plug seals, and o-rings right now so when i get home i'll be able to do them.

the guy at advanced auto seemed pretty knowledgeable and said i should be fine to drive home, i'll just be using more power bc of the 3rd cylinder misfiring and ill be getting worse fuel economy.

while driving, once up to 5th gear the car seemed to be driving fine so i think i should be fine.

[lownslowvw]

does anyone know where i can find new o-ring seals online?

[chuckthefuk]

Just go to the dealership. O-rings cost nothing.. the gaskets cost a little bit. At the same time you need to get the oil filler neck o-ring/seal.

-Chuck

[lownslowvw]

Thanks. Do you think I'll be fine to drive the 10/11 hours home with the cyl3 misfire?

[chuckthefuk]

Its not recommended but you do what you have to do..

[lownslowvw]

Its not recommended but you do what you have to do..
Yeah I have to get home tmw for work Tuesday. I'm picking up the valve cover gaskets and everything Tuesday then doing then at the dealer I work at.

[ouch1011]

If the CEL starts flashing or you feel a significant loss of power, then pull over and stop the engine, let it cool down for a while. The CEL flashing specifically means that the engine is misfiring bad enough to cause catalytic convertor damage. Other than that, take it easy on the go pedal, and if you hit a hill, shift down. Ignition misfires (such as oil on the plug wires) are more likely to occur under higher engine loads, and its much easier to hit high engine loads at low rpm.

[lownslowvw]

alright so i drove home with the cel flashing almost the whole time. no major lack or power so that wasnt bad. but my exhaust leak sounds alot worse, i work at a chevy dealer so i had my one friend whos a tech look at my exhaust after we did the valve cover gasket and he said its clogged because on the way home my exhaust started rumbling and being real loud banging around so im getting a new muffler tomorrow.

on to the CEL/misfires. we did the valvecover gasket and spark plug seals and grommets on the side with olugs 1 and 3 today. the other side will be done tomorrow. the CEL is still on and flashing. could that be because of only one side being done or?

[Baddog]

What type of plugs?

[chuckthefuk]

If your muffler is clogged then your cats are probably clogged....

Did you check the codes?

Is it still cyl 3 missfire ?

-Chuck

[lownslowvw]

I stopped at Autozone on the way home from work and they couldn't read the code but I'm at work now and I'm gonna finish the other valve cover gasket and plug seals today and I got a new muffler to put on. The plugs are the Ngk v power plugs

[lownslowvw]

Cylinder 3 is still misfiring after both valve cover gaskets, all the plug seals and grommets were replaced and everything cleaned out. Any ideas? Thanks

[chuckthefuk]

:-(

- is it flashing constantly or is the code just there when you check it?
- check your coilpack
- check you plugs

[lownslowvw]

It'll be on hen flash then be on then flash. And the coil pack looked fine it's a week old. And I'm getting a new plug tonight to put on cyl 3 tmw ( all plugs are a week old as well).

[lownslowvw]

Could it be the fuel injector?

[Huffer]

What codes are you getting? Throwing parts at it isn't going to work forever...

[lownslowvw]

What codes are you getting? Throwing parts at it isn't going to work forever...
Cylinder 3 misfire. Everytime.

[chuckthefuk]

Huffer is asking for the exact code and if there are any other code that comes up.

If u think its an injector you can swap one injector with another if it is the injector then you should be getting a missfire on a different cyl.

[lownslowvw]

My buddy looked at the code and said it's cyl3 I'd assume p303 or w.e cyl3 misfore is. But we swapped 1 and 3 injectors and fuel started spewing everywhere bc the o-rings are very worn. So I had to order two new injectors. I overnighted them and am gonna put them in Saturday at work I just left my car there.

[lownslowvw]

Bump

[chuckthefuk]

How did the fuel injector swap go?

[lownslowvw]

How did the fuel injector swap go?

they wont be here until tomorrow morning :-( so i have to wait until tomorrow to do them at work. fingers crossed that they (well the one for cyl 3) will fix the misfire..if not idk what it could be

[lownslowvw]

New fuel injectors are in. Still spills out fuel. The cyl 3 one looks fine I think but not 1. My buddy is going to try and put some gasket sealer or something on them tmw since I won't be there. If that doesn't fix it we have absolutely no idea.

[chuckthefuk]

O-ring on the injectors have to be installed in order for a proper seal!

-Chuck

[lownslowvw]

O-ring on the injectors have to be installed in order for a proper seal!

-Chuck
How do u install them?

[chuckthefuk]

http://weidefamily.net/VANAGON/Pending_ ... lation.pdf (http://weidefamily.net/VANAGON/Pending_Content/Engine_Conversion/11Fuel_VacuumLine/SubaruFuelInjectorRemovalAndInstallation.pdf)

[lownslowvw]

http://weidefamily.net/VANAGON/Pending_Content/Engine_Conversion/11Fuel_VacuumLine/SubaruFuelInjectorRemovalAndInstallation.pdf

Thank you! Will do that tmw.

[lownslowvw]

Fuel rails cleaned out, fuel injectors lubed w oil and installed, seems to be running good with no shaking or anything and he cel is gone for now. Thanks for all the help

[chuckthefuk]

YAY! Keep us updated in this thread please. DO NOT start a new thread.. I hate spring cleaning the FORUM if you know what I mean.

Cheers
-Chuck