Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Friday March 29, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
NASIOC
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC Technical > Service & Maintenance

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-07-2006, 07:23 PM   #1
wwiifanatic
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 104421
Join Date: Jan 2006
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Rockville, MD
Vehicle:
2002 WRX
WRB

Default CEL-misfire on Cyl 1 and 3

Started my car about 10 minutes after finishing a 30 mile drive home.... A/C was on and the car was idling rough. Turned off the A/C and the idle balanced out. Drove down the street and it threw a CEL.

Car's only got 45,000 miles. Seems to run fine, it's just hat the CEL is on now. After scanning it, the code indicated a misfire on cylinders 1 and 3, both of which are on the right side of the car. Just had the ECU voluntary recall done where they replace the ABS ECU. Could the mechanic(s) have knocked something loose? I scheduled an appointment at the dealer (only a few days after the ABS repair), and they were inconclusive if this would be covered under any part of the warranty (I'd assume it'd be under powertrain/emissions or something).

Thoughts before I head down there?
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
wwiifanatic is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 02-07-2006, 07:47 PM   #2
specialev
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 90156
Join Date: Jun 2005
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Auburn, Wa
Vehicle:
1986 Syncro Vanaru
07 SV650

Default

Welcome to the club!

This is a common affliction with these cars. Search for misfire and/or P0301-P0304 and you can find a lot of information. It is doubtful that they screwed anything up while performing the ABS module TSB.
specialev is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 02:03 AM   #3
wwiifanatic
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 104421
Join Date: Jan 2006
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Rockville, MD
Vehicle:
2002 WRX
WRB

Default

Well at the dealer they said it'd be $150 just to look at the damn thing.... Screw that.

I cleared the code...it's been running fine since. I'll probably replace the spark plugs for the hell of it.
wwiifanatic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 09:20 AM   #4
Jon [in CT]
*** Banned ***
 
Member#: 2992
Join Date: Nov 2000
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Connecticut, USA
Vehicle:
02 WRX Sedan
Silver

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by wwiifanatic
Well at the dealer they said it'd be $150 just to look at the damn thing.... Screw that.

I cleared the code...it's been running fine since. I'll probably replace the spark plugs for the hell of it.
Your misfire trouble codes were probably due to a mis-calibrated ECU, which should still be under warranty (Federal Emissions Extended Defect Warranty). Subaru can reflash your ECU to correct this defect.
Jon [in CT] is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 10:50 AM   #5
poison
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 37678
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: SCIC
Default

Do you have any more info on that, Jon? My car's going in for a constant CEL, which I'm sure is the same as the other 3 times, P0304. If there's an official statement somewhere, I'd like to print it out and take it in.
poison is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 12:23 PM   #6
specialev
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 90156
Join Date: Jun 2005
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Auburn, Wa
Vehicle:
1986 Syncro Vanaru
07 SV650

Default

I'd like some more info on this too, Jon. If there is a TSb #, or any sort of proprietary documentation I would love to know what it is. I am living closer to a very friendly dealership now so I may be able to actually get this damn light turned off.

Thanks!
specialev is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 12:56 PM   #7
sonic_boost_wagon
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 30263
Join Date: Nov 2002
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Mount Pleasant, WI
Vehicle:
2012 STi
Plasma Blue Pearl

Default

you are probably right that a subaru dealer can reflash the computer but what if you have a reflashed computer in the car for performance reasons?
sonic_boost_wagon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2006, 01:18 PM   #8
specialev
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 90156
Join Date: Jun 2005
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Auburn, Wa
Vehicle:
1986 Syncro Vanaru
07 SV650

Default

For the case of a reflashed computer, if you were to have the dealer do something like reflashing your ECU to a later edition firmware, you would want to remove whatever maps you had installed. For the case of the AP, that just means un-marrying it, you can then re-marry it once the reflash is done.

The spurious misfires that many of us 02/03 owners get seem to be from an error in the the tolerance that the ECU is set to accept for crank position sensor angle. I suppose if you had a good tuner he could play with constraints and allow a little larger tolerance in this area.

I'd like to have the dealer reflash my ECU for free, otherwise, I guess I can keep living with the CELs. They don't really bother me that much anymore as my car runs very well.
specialev is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2006, 05:12 PM   #9
wrxfanboy
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 45013
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Fox Lake, IL
Vehicle:
2004 Impreza WRX
Platinum Metallic Silver

Default

I am going through this right now. Dealer recommended that I try the "Top Engine Cleaner" kit ($120 to pour it in). If the code came back on they said they would have to pull the valve covers to measure the tolerance. If it was out of spec - they would consider it a valve adjustment and this would not be covered under my standard or extended warranty. 7 - yr , 100,000 mile.

My car has about 53, 000 on it. Dealer told me if they were out of spec, it could cost up to $1200 - $1500 out of my pocket for and "adjustment".

If they are in spec, then it's a deeper engine problem and this would be covered under warranty. But regardless - they say they have to charge me to pull the valve covers, which in turn could cost me the gaskets as well.

I am really pissed as it's been a week since I did the Top engine cleaner and now I got the code again. Im thinking of raising some hell if they try to tell me I have to pay $1500 for and "adjustment".

I don't know what to do really, as the car seems to be driving fine just that I have the CEL. ANy help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Last edited by wrxfanboy; 02-14-2006 at 05:22 PM.
wrxfanboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
misfire cyl 1 and 3..fuel or electrical? v7 motor fliped wrx Subaru Conversions 10 08-17-2009 07:52 PM
Misfires on cyl. 1,2, & 4 after new Timing belt. Scottie Service & Maintenance 11 03-31-2009 07:57 AM
Misfire on cylinders 2 and 3 after reflash Farns801 AccessPort 2 04-21-2008 09:09 PM
2006 wrx misfire in cylnder 1 and 3. mdd1986 Factory 2.5L Turbo Powertrain (EJ Series Factory 2.5L Turbo) 5 05-31-2006 02:44 PM
HELP - CEL P0302 and P0304 = Misfire on Cyl 2 and 4! dexterous Normally Aspirated Powertrain 8 04-14-2005 11:38 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.