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Subaru Impreza Engine Problems

298 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 6:51 PM

You are in the Subaru Impreza Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza, Engine, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 22 of 30

#211 of 298 2007 subaru impreza engine problem update by merogul

Dec 25, 2008 (2:23 am)

I would like to give an update about the engine problem.
After my previous post, the engine did not start at all when it was cold. While turning on the key to start position, I had to step on gas pedal several times to get it started. I took my car to the Subaru service. The mechanic told me that the butterfly valve in the engine got dirty and could not close itself. The angle of the valve should be 0º in closed position. However, it was 0.5º in my car. When I had turned the key to start engine, it had sent a lot of gas and choked the engine. ( I do not understand. If it was sending a lot of gas, why the engine started when I pushed the gas pedal several times and send more gas to the engine) The mechanic changed some part of the valve. He also said that he cleaned the sensors in the engine. The engine works perfectly in warm weather. However, now it is very cold. The engine starts immediately in the mornings and then it quickly stops by itself when I release the ignition key. If I hold the key in start position about 8 seconds (even the engine got started), the engine catches on and continue to work. I do not think that this is a normal behavior for the Subaru engine. I am glad that it is still under warranty and Subaru service is very helpful in Ankara, Turkey. I hope I could express myself clearly. I also hope that no one else is having this kind of problems with their car.
Thanks
Mehmet

#212 of 298 Anyone recommend a good independent repair shop in Sugar Land TX? by aka5505sic

Feb 01, 2009 (1:28 pm)

I'm looking for some good independent Subaru repair shops in the Sugar Land area as an alternative to the local dealership. I have a 2000 Impreza RS2.5 with only 53K miles, but it looks like the dreaded "head gasket leak" has begun, Of course the car is just out of the warranty for the "fix" the factory sent out for this problem, and the local dealership is quoting me $1800.00 for the replacement. Love the car, but I'm going to have a real problem purchasing another Subie based on this experience. Any advice from anyone who's already gone through this process would be appreciated. Thanks.

#213 of 298 Subaru Impresa 2002 WRX Check Engine Light on by jaymary

Mar 17, 2009 (2:00 pm)

The check engine light has come on a few years ago and nobody at the dealership mechanic shop has found out why. When it comes on the performance decreases. We overide the code with a computer and it works good again for 2-3 restarts of the engine, then the light comes back on again. The brake light comes on and off since a few months, too. Sometimes when it is snowy and specially if the heater is turned on and we are waiting at a stoplight there is a sudden smell of gas. Now after our last 600 mile trip the light has started to flash and the engine vibrates when the car is standing. Has anybody out there an idea what is going on with our Subaru ? Does anybody know a good Subaru mechanic in the Greater Antelope Valley,CA, or Bakersfield, CA area ? Please let me know....

#214 of 298 Re: Subaru Impresa 2002 WRX Check Engine Light on [jaymary] by ateixeira

Mar 18, 2009 (8:19 am)

Replying to: jaymary (Mar 17, 2009 2:00 pm)
You forgot the most important part - what was the error code?
 
Could by anything, from emissions to fuel system to electrical.

#215 of 298 Engine Trouble by claudettec

Mar 24, 2009 (12:36 pm)

I own a 2007 Impreza. I have trouble starting the engine sometimes. It does not matter if it cold or hot outside. I wants to start, but stops. I am afraid to give it gas, sometimes I have to, for flooding the engine. What is this problem about?

#216 of 298 Re: Engine Trouble [claudettec] by merogul

Mar 24, 2009 (11:22 pm)

Replying to: claudettec (Mar 24, 2009 12:36 pm)
I have 2007 Subaru Impreza too. I have similar problem too. Dealer cannot fix it. They just change the spark plugs and install a new program. Nothing helps. I have sued the Subaru company in Turkey. I hope I will get rid of this car. It is giving me a lot of headache. I cannot sell this car since I believe that this car has an important manufacturing fault. I do not know where you live but I suggest you to go to court and sue them. I discussed this issue here and some other forms and most people said that my 2007 Subaru Impreza is a lemon. I just hope that all 2007 Subaru Impreza cars are not like our cars. I have heard that some people like old subaru cars better.
Good luck.

#217 of 298 Re: Engine Trouble [merogul] by claudettec

Mar 25, 2009 (10:33 am)

Replying to: merogul (Mar 24, 2009 11:22 pm)
Thank you for your input. I just came back from the Subaru dealer today, they cannot find anything wrong with it. Figures. I think they think I am crazy. I had it checked before in the past. The car is only 2 years old. They suggested using a different key to start the car. Sometimes there is a chip inside the key that is bad. They checked the starter, everything. The car does not always have trouble starting. It is very weird, I saw you post and was happy someone else had this problems. I thought it was something I was doing wrong. The car wants to start, but it just quits, Almost as if there is not enough gas getting to the engine,
 
I guess I'll just wait until it happens again, I'm sure it will. I really like the car, I've had Hondas in the past, and no such problem ever happened. I really don't want to go down the legal path.
 
Thanks again Merogul.

#218 of 298 Re: Engine Trouble [claudettec] by merogul

Mar 25, 2009 (11:50 pm)

Replying to: claudettec (Mar 25, 2009 10:33 am)
I think that I used the spare key a couple times and it did not help. I will try again. This is an interesting suggestion though. The dealer in Turkey is accusing the dirty gas. However, other cars in my town using the same gas are working just fine.
If the winters are not severe in your town you might be okay. I have to get up at 12:00 or 1:00 am and go to the street, start the engine, and drive my car about 15 minutes every night in winter so that my car starts in the morning. Otherwise it won't start. Dealer says that the car is working fine in summer. So it does not have any problem. (Actually, it does not work well in summer either. The RPM of the engine of other cars go to 2000rpm as soon as they start. However, the RPM of my car stays around 0 a couple of seconds before going to 2000rpm in summer when the engine is cold.)Their computer cannot show any errors either. The dealer is having a lot of computer readings and sending them to Japan. I think that those Japanese engineers are trying to figure out SOMETHING. If there is something wrong with some of 2007 Subaru Impreza cars, this respectable company should not torture their customers.

#219 of 298 Re: Engine Trouble [merogul] by claudettec

Mar 26, 2009 (5:36 am)

Replying to: merogul (Mar 25, 2009 11:50 pm)
Dear Merogul,
 
I have not tried the different key yet. The dealer said they called Subaru and they said to try a spare key when the engine does not start. I never noticed the RPM's on the car when I start it, or attempt to start it. I just can't understand why it is so random, and not all the time. I know the mechanic though I was starting it incorrectly. I live in the USA, I kind of wonder about these Subaru mechanics, they sort of look like hoods!!! I even showed them your E-mail messages about the butterfly valve, they said they never heard of it!
 
My car is not as bad as yours though. I hope you find a good lawyer. Let me know what happens. If it gets worse, I might have to sue. Thanks. /You certainly are being tortured!

#220 of 298 Re: Engine Trouble [claudettec] by merogul

Mar 26, 2009 (11:49 pm)

Replying to: claudettec (Mar 26, 2009 5:36 am)
Hi Claudettec,
 
I asked a subaru mechanic in Turkey about using different ignition key. He said that if the problem is random, the ignition key should be checked. However, in my situation, the ignition key is not a problem since I am having this cold start problem all the time. He asked permission to come to my city and get some more readings to send to Japan. I feel like I were a guinea pig in a freezer experiment. On the one hand, Subaru mechanic and the company claims that there is nothing wrong with my car. On the other hand, they are getting computer readings from my car and sending them to Japan. I regret for trusting them. I wish I had sued them last winter. I will not let them use me like this. There will be a hearing at the court next month. I will post here the result.
I also think that your car is not as bad as mine. I thought that I was doing something wrong when my car did not start last winter. However, some of my friends tried and they could not get it started either. I would like to remind you to get papers for everything the Subaru mechanics do. The Subaru mechanic in Turkey tried to fix it many times but they did not give me any papers and this might cause some troubles for me at the court.

Messages Page 22 of 30

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