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'95 Outback that won't start

Ok, I need some advice. I 've got a '95 Legacy with the 2.2L engine, and a couple weeks back, as I was driving along, the CEL came on. I detected nothing else amiss, and when I got it home, I shut it down and started it up again, and it fired right up as usual. The next day, however, it wouldn't start at all. The starter turned and turned, but no catch. Two days later, she started up, a little harder than usual, but she did catch, and ran really rough. Then the CEL went out and she's been fine since. Well, yesterday I went out and she wouldn't start again, same as before, this time with no CEL on. Today she did catch, but barely, and again, ran really rough, sputtering, and the idle was uneven. When she did actually catch, there was a lot of white smoke from the exhaust, and it smelled of pure gasoline. I have two questions now. How long does the computer hold the error code, and does anybody have any idea what the problem might be?

Tonyrama '95 Outback

Reply to
tonyrama
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Reply to
Edward Hayes

Hey Tony. Sorry to hear about the Outback there! Mine is still going strong. As Ed suggested, you'll want to read that code. I'm not sure how long it keeps them in memory, but I went out and shelled out money for my own reader a few years back when the Subie dealer was going to gouge me $80 to check the code. I mean, come on the connector is behind it's own panel on the dash, you don't even have to crouch under the dash like on many other cars! Anyway, even though many places read the codes for free it's still nice to have the code reader yourself and you'll be surprised how many new friends you have once word gets out.

The white smoke would have me concerned though, that could be coolant.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker

Coolant wouldn't smell like gasoline, would it? I've always thought that coolant had a sweet smell in the exhaust.

Tonyrama

Reply to
tonyrama

My first gut feeling was fuel delivery, but I'll check the ignition coil. Thanks Tonyrama

Reply to
tonyrama

That is true. I'm not sure what all makes white smoke anyway, I just know that my last car ('92 Mercury Sable) made a lot of it. Head gasket indeed.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker

I asked a friend of mine that's a mechanic, and he said that off the top of his head he thought it sounded like it wasn't getting spark, and it would take on too much gas and flood, which is where the white smoke and smell came from. Intermittent spark doesn't sound that good. I really have to get a hold of a shop manual for this kind of thing. I've had the car for almost

4 years now and haven't need it before now, it hadn't broken before now.

Tonyrama

Reply to
tonyrama

Hope you luck out and it ends up cheap to fix. I've had mine also and aside from the alternator fiasco from a couple years back, and the tire situation tonight (haven't posted about it yet, working on that) I've never had any problems with with mighty Outback. :)

Tonight also, my friend started jetting coolant all over the place from his '89 turbo Probe.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker

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