99 Legacy Runs but won't idle

[riverrambler]

Hey considering buying a 99 Legacy with 199,000 miles for $1200. Listing says it runs but won't idle?
Any information on this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[harrymaneuvers]

Um...


there could easily be 100 things that this is caused by.


Lets start with the Check Engine Light... is it on? What codes?


You are going to need to start getting pretty specific if you want answers that will mean anything to you.

[riverrambler]

Oh, thanks man I don't know details since its just a car I saw listed on craigslist. My 96' legacy just stopped running on me last night wit 219,000. I was cruisin down the highway at 70 mph and it just lost power all of a sudden and died and wouldn't start back up. I'm suspecting the timing belt broke since It was never replaced that I know of. I towed it to a mechanic and he's supposed to look at it tomorrow and tell me what went wrong. I love that car, I've been camping in it for two years traveling all over the country kayaking and raft guiding. It's the second Legacy I've owned(I probably won't buy anything but legacy's ever again) and I've done basic repairs, but I'm not super mechanical. So I've been on craigslist putting my feelers out there for a used legacy for under $2500. I'm stranded until I can figure something out. Is it usually expensive to replace the timing belt once it has broke? Again I apologize for my lack of mechanical skills just in a dire situation.

[Huffer]

Ok, so here's the deal.

Craigslist car: runs but won't idle. Could be anything. Could be a bad airflow sensor, could be something really simple like a too loose throttle cable.

Your car: the car just lost power and won't start up. Unless you heard a total racket and the engine was banging around, I doubt it was a broken timing belt. It sounds more like your alternator died and the battery ran itself down while you were driving. Or, your ignition switch went bad (loose wiring) and shut the car off.

[riverrambler]

Thanks Huffer, gives me a little hope that my car will survive. Yeah it didn't make a racket just peacefully stoped running. It had some cranking power but the engine just wouldn't fire? I appreciate the responses. Come on Subbie your to young to die.

[harrymaneuvers]

If after it died, it still had cranking power did it sound weaker than normal?

If so, I would highly suspect the electrical system.

If it was head gaskets, you would have seen the temps shoot up... but it is a 2.2 so a headgasket is unlikely.

The only thing that I could think of that would cause a catastrophic failure on a non-interference 2.2 would be oil starvation...

Is your car a 2.5 or 2.2?

[riverrambler]

It is a 2.2 and I found out the timing belt failed. Thanks

[harrymaneuvers]

99 2.2L is an interference engine... so I would stay away if you know it busted a timing belt.

[riverrambler]

It is a 96 Legacy 2.2 L Wagon 5-speed forest-green. Its nick name is El Rio Verde.

[Dead91silvia]

I had a 97 BD that had a weak fuel pump that made the car not start at all... A friend whacked that fuel pump whale I tried starting and she started.....

It could be a number of things. T-belt or a bearing, TPS, fuel pump, coil pack.... the list goes on.. The CEL should tell the tail...