Hi & thanks for any help you can provide
I have a 2008 Legacy wagon, 2.5L non-turbo.
It hesitates;
when idle: RPMs drop and it wants to stall; sometimes I have to put it in neutral to keep the revs up.
problems first appeared when the car was parked for a few months with the battery out (I was in the middle of some repairs when I was injured and unable to drive/stand for a few months).
I replaced
-- spark plugs with the NGK iridiums
-- plug wires
-- ignition coil (in previous months, I got misfires if the car was undriven for a week and I drove it on rainy days -- the only days I didn't bike commute).
I eventually brought it to a shop that diagnosed it as an EGR valve problem. He cleaned the valve, and I was off driving for a few months.
Then the problem reappeared.
I removed the EGR valve and "cleaned" it with carb cleaner. The liquid darkened, but no big lumps of black came out. I did notice that liquid moved slowly between the two chambers. So when it was dry, I shone a flashlight on one side and could see just a little light on the other side.
I reinstalled the valve and got maybe 20 miles of driving out of it before it started to hesitate again.
When I removed it this time, the valve was stuck open about a 1/4".
I soaked and cleaned it again, this time cleaning through the opening between the two chambers. I closed the valve by prying with a screwdriver and it took a lot more force than I expected.
I scanned codes and have:
PO400
PO420
PO301
PO302
PO303
PO304 (all cylinders... yay!)
PO108 ? (I think that's the right number)
My questions are:
1) how smoothly/easily should the valve move open and closed? mine is quite stiff
2) how do you test an EGR valve?
-- I have access to some bench-top power supplies, but I don't know how to testing the valve. it looks like pins 2 & 5 are +12V (Are these the middle column of pins on the valve connector? what do I connect the other 4 pins to?)
3) how much carbon buildup is normal in the valve?
4) how much carbon is normal in the pipes leading to/from the EGR valve? (photo attached ).
5) what causes the carbon buildup? (is burning oil a source? I've noticed that when parked in a small garage, my car smells like hot oil. The previous owner did rust-proof it every year, could it be that, or do I have an oil leak? I've already replaced all 3 oil pressure sensors. I don't see any drips under the car).
Here are some photos of my valve innards after cleaning.
Thanks again for any help.
With winter in full swing, it'd be nice to have the soobie back in action and not worry about her leaving me hiking in a blizzard...
I have a 2008 Legacy wagon, 2.5L non-turbo.
It hesitates;
when idle: RPMs drop and it wants to stall; sometimes I have to put it in neutral to keep the revs up.
problems first appeared when the car was parked for a few months with the battery out (I was in the middle of some repairs when I was injured and unable to drive/stand for a few months).
I replaced
-- spark plugs with the NGK iridiums
-- plug wires
-- ignition coil (in previous months, I got misfires if the car was undriven for a week and I drove it on rainy days -- the only days I didn't bike commute).
I eventually brought it to a shop that diagnosed it as an EGR valve problem. He cleaned the valve, and I was off driving for a few months.
Then the problem reappeared.
I removed the EGR valve and "cleaned" it with carb cleaner. The liquid darkened, but no big lumps of black came out. I did notice that liquid moved slowly between the two chambers. So when it was dry, I shone a flashlight on one side and could see just a little light on the other side.
I reinstalled the valve and got maybe 20 miles of driving out of it before it started to hesitate again.
When I removed it this time, the valve was stuck open about a 1/4".
I soaked and cleaned it again, this time cleaning through the opening between the two chambers. I closed the valve by prying with a screwdriver and it took a lot more force than I expected.
I scanned codes and have:
PO400
PO420
PO301
PO302
PO303
PO304 (all cylinders... yay!)
PO108 ? (I think that's the right number)
My questions are:
1) how smoothly/easily should the valve move open and closed? mine is quite stiff
2) how do you test an EGR valve?
-- I have access to some bench-top power supplies, but I don't know how to testing the valve. it looks like pins 2 & 5 are +12V (Are these the middle column of pins on the valve connector? what do I connect the other 4 pins to?)
3) how much carbon buildup is normal in the valve?
4) how much carbon is normal in the pipes leading to/from the EGR valve? (photo attached ).
5) what causes the carbon buildup? (is burning oil a source? I've noticed that when parked in a small garage, my car smells like hot oil. The previous owner did rust-proof it every year, could it be that, or do I have an oil leak? I've already replaced all 3 oil pressure sensors. I don't see any drips under the car).
Here are some photos of my valve innards after cleaning.
Thanks again for any help.
With winter in full swing, it'd be nice to have the soobie back in action and not worry about her leaving me hiking in a blizzard...
