[flipjarg]

Just got my "new" 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Wagon rolling (with some CV joint popping) and am wondering what some causes may be for poor performance... I know this is an old engine but it seems like it should have more power. Here is what I'm talking about...

When idle, it sounds like it is running well. When I rev the engine (in park) it sounds good too. When I put it in drive and floor it, it takes off like I am a conservative driver passing by a playground. To test whether the AWD kicks in, I've tried shifting down to gear 1 to get the wheels spinning on a dirt road... just not enough power to get those tires to break loose.

This car has been sitting in northern Minnesota, uncovered for at least a year (probably longer). I still have not put new gas in since I just got it running yesterday and its not registered or insured yet. I was on "private dirt roads" by the way. There isn't much in the tank and I know its probably smelling more like varnish than gasoline. Could the poor condition of the gas be the cause of such bad performance or is there something you would suggest checking on since the car had been sitting for so long?

Did I give enough details? What is your idea?

 

[sixfifty]

try a full tank of fresh gas and a bottle or two of seafoam.

 

[flipjarg]

One note (and I am a computer geek): always make sure you have everything plugged in. :bonk:

I stopped by my friends place to drop of a tool he borrowed me and we used his scan tool to see what codes were

triggering my check engine light. My throttle sensor was malfunctioning. He told me how easy it was to replace and when

we opened the hood for him to show me where it is located we noticed that it was not connected! After plugging it in, it is like a new car! What an easy solution!

 

[Novablue]

If you let a car set for more than year you should always drain the gas tank and I mean remove the tank and then remove the gas, don't even start it. Personally I would not even start my car if it sat for six months, but I'm crazy like that.

I can't even begin to tell you what is wrong with what just happened here. I'm not saying, well your screwed... throw the car away but taking the car to a proper mechanic is what you need to do next.

Removing the gas, clearing the gas line, changing the oil would be the top of my list.

Aside form that I would highly suspect brakes are rusted. Put the car in the air and while in neutral and spin the tires by hand. The wheels should spin freely for at least a few moments with out you pushing them.

Not being able to "peel out" is not necessarily a symptom of poor engine performance but the car should move like any other in it's weight/HP bracket. There nothing to say that there wasn't something wrong with the car that it sat for a year either. You might be trying to fix a year old problem.

Take it to a mechanic.