[jacalvi]

Hi all - I recently purchased a 2000 Outback (manual trans) with 175,000 miles on it. It seemed to run fine for a few weeks but I had some issues that came up after the Check Engine light came on. I read the codes and replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and the Neutral Safety switch.

Unfortunately I now get random lurching/bucking when driving the car. The car starts fine but when I'm going into gear and letting off the clutch it seems to lose all power and acts like it wants to die out. I put the clutch back in, and sometimes it'll start acting right. Other times I just have to park it for a while and try again.

I read through the previous posts on this issue and didn't see any resolution listed. I will be performing the following maintenance on the vehicle but want to know if anyone has any more input on what I should be fixing:

1) Full tune-up (cables & wires)
2) Oil change
3) Coolant flush
4) Trans fluid replacement
5) Differential fluid replacement
6) Air Filter replacement
7) PCV Valve

 

[rasterman]

Hi all - I recently purchased a 2000 Outback (manual trans) with 175,000 miles on it. It seemed to run fine for a few weeks but I had some issues that came up after the Check Engine light came on. I read the codes and replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and the Neutral Safety switch.

Unfortunately I now get random lurching/bucking when driving the car. The car starts fine but when I'm going into gear and letting off the clutch it seems to lose all power and acts like it wants to die out. I put the clutch back in, and sometimes it'll start acting right. Other times I just have to park it for a while and try again.

I read through the previous posts on this issue and didn't see any resolution listed. I will be performing the following maintenance on the vehicle but want to know if anyone has any more input on what I should be fixing:

1) Full tune-up (cables & wires)
2) Oil change
3) Coolant flush
4) Trans fluid replacement
5) Differential fluid replacement
6) Air Filter replacement
7) PCV Valve

#1 & 7 could help the drivability problem. Everything else on your list won't have any direct effect, but it's stuff that is good to keep current with.

Two problems that affect drivability in older Subarus: vacuum leaks and bad electrical grounds.

Try cleaning up the ground straps & wires under the hood. This helps make sure that the many electrical sensors on your engine are reporting honest conditions back to the computer, and that the computer's reactions can actually be performed by the injectors, solenoids & plugs.

Vac leaks can screw with you too. If air is getting into the manifold without being measured by the fuel injection system, then the math will always be off and the car won't run right.

Also check your recent work- doublecheck the part numbers installed, re-seat the electrical connectors involved, and make sure you didn't bump/dislodge any adjacent components when you replaced the sensor & switch.