2nd and 3rd gear- hesitation mid acceleration

2nd and 3rd gear- hesitation mid acceleration

Author
Discussion

Oldandslow

2,405 posts

205 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
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Do the revs jump up? If not and it's the actual engine stuttering I've had similar from poorly gapped/old plugs and bad HT leads.

Oldandslow

2,405 posts

205 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
quotequote all
If the revs jump up it's clutch slip.

If the needle wobbles about a bit it's the engine stuttering which could be what I've suggested or another ignition problem or something else entirely.

peter8171

183 posts

142 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
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My dad has a 2.0 NA engine in his Impreza and has had a similar issue in the past. It was sorted by having the latest tune downloaded by the supplying dealer, so may be worth getting it checked that the latest tune is installed.

Manufacturers do update the tunes in vehicles from time to time as issues in the field get raised.

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
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Im guessing its the later 2.0 with increased power, the one with the 2 egr valve things and assorted gubbins? If so, good luck, these seem to be hit or miss, symptoms tend to be best described as flat / fuel starvation type symptoms which can be powered through? there is an update Subaru can do to the softwear which sometimes cures the fault..... changing plugs can help, cleaning out both egr valves things can help....better petrol can help, sometimes nothing seems to help...the problem might go away...and then come back again...I have 2 that we have so far not been able to fix...custmoers are living with it. What makes it all the more frustrating is that the usual "super sensitive" Subaru eml light, in these cases refuses to make an appearance.

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
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plugs can help, and on the non turbo not too tricky... I guarantee it wont be your clutch, it will be the mysterious 06 onwards 2.0 non turbo flat spot. https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=aFX3U9X...

some reading. I haven't read through it all for a while now, so a "fix" might have been found by now. let me know if it has.

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
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don't get too hopefull..... smile you might be lucky...but you might also want to try and adapt your driving style to avoid that particular area of rev range, those engine do rev lots higher than the older ones, 7.500 red line from memory, where as the earlier ones were 6 ish, they do feel flatter than the earlier ones when not revved.

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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Reading you live the "yay i have fixed it" life, is oh so familiar.... It will run better after a thrash though. Shall we have a small wager the flat spot returns? wink

P4Pistonhead

24 posts

115 months

Monday 25th August 2014
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Had a similar problem like yours but not on a Subaru but a Toyota :P, the O2 sensor was at fault and was hesitant on about 2k acceleration/flat spot.

ingrowtn

230 posts

252 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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I'm having exactly the same problem with my Impreza T2000. Fine on anything other than full boost where it'll rev - miss - rev - miss - rev - miss in 3rd, 4th & 5th. Run less than full boost and no issue at all.

I'm definately thinking ignition related - HT/Plugs/Coil pack/injector going faulty (had new MAF and new fuel pump) given it's only recently started. For some reason it also wants to tick over at 200 rpm intermittently. Going to try new HT leads first.

JM

3,170 posts

205 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I have similar on my Turbo 2000, leads etc look ok.
But I've not changed the plugs since I got it and advice from elsewhere is that that is the likely source of the problem.
And as they are due a change it's effectively a no cost fix (if it fixes, and no loss if it doesn't)

Foxeh

1,114 posts

131 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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My Legacy 2.0R has been doing this since I bought it last December. The issue seemed quite intermittent at first, but this time seems worse than ever.

I tackled the MAF last weekend with contact cleaner - however, this made no difference; so decided to replace 1st lambda sensor today (was actually showing a fault P0030), hoped it would solve the issue, especially with the fault registered - but no.

So EGR valve clean next, but perhaps a visit to Keith Price Subaru for an ECU update first, and try that before attempting the EGR.

smile

JM

3,170 posts

205 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Have you checked the plugs?

And that they are the correct gap?


ingrowtn

230 posts

252 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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Yeah, new plugs less than 5000 ago. I think if it had been plugs then the misfire would have been more constant and it isn't (a plug either works or it doesn't). It happens only on load; to my thinking that means weak spark either on delivery or on production. Changing the coil pack and the leads this next weekend. Eliminate spark as the problem (since it's easy and relatively inexpensive) and then look at electronics system/sensors and fuel delivery if that doesn't work. MAF is already replaced as that failed separately along with the fuel pump. New plugs put in after the MAF and fuel pump replacement.

At 135k I can forgive it needind some tlc but I just wish the problem could be more pronouced. Plugged it into disgnostics and nothing showing so at least it has to be something simple - just got to nail it down...

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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^^^^

hora said:
leefee said:
Reading you live the "yay i have fixed it" life, is oh so familiar.... It will run better after a thrash though. Shall we have a small wager the flat spot returns? wink
It wont. I cleaned the MAF and Im convinced due to the geographics of where the car comes from its never been above 25mph.
Has the problem returned? Or you just fancy changing some bits for fun? smile i have another 2006 legacy 2.0r just been returned with all the above symptoms..... Here we go again....

leefee

633 posts

128 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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I will wait with baited breath for your "fix", and then again for it to come back..... smile glad we didn't have that wager ? smile

Foxeh

1,114 posts

131 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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hora said:
Ok I was missing the latest update:

Hesitation
Cold start
Hill start

Pak file update:
Old code ci=dis84eco cvn=abd664bo

New code ci=ds684ec3 cvn focebfdb

They also turned the ignition? 30degrees if that makes sense? Didnt quite hear if he meant timing or the ignition.
Was there a part number for that update? If the your Forester's engine is the EJ204, its likely to be the same one as my Legacy.

Foxeh

1,114 posts

131 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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hora said:
Mines the EJ20? 05-07 160bhp 2.0R engine if that helps you?
Yeah that's the same as mine.

smile

Foxeh

1,114 posts

131 months

Friday 10th October 2014
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Well after taking it to the dealer, the Legacy appears to have an up to date ECU; so there is nothing they can do - apart from running some diagnostics on the car, for a couple of hours, to find the problem.

However, it seemed that they had no idea of a hesitation issue relating to the EJ204 engines.

If anyone has had the update, was there a part number or do you know the .pak file exact name/number, so I can try again with them?