Engine in my Legacy keeps cutting out as I drive

[Guest Bjcnz]

Heya Guys how are ya all? I imported my TS-R manual Legacy (50,000 k's)over from Japan end of 2007 but got it in my hot little hands feb 2008 (thanks to the LTSAs change in frontal impact laws everyman and their dog was importing as many pre 2000 cars as they could in, hence the hold up).

All was sweet running well, and then the engine (EJ20) decided to die on me as I was driving and I couldn't start it up by dropping the clutch or ignition until I had it stationary. Brainstormed for a bit, at first I thought it was fuel starvation as it happened as I was driving up my friends steep driveway and I had a near empty tank, but then it happened again (at the same place) but with a full tank. Kept happening (always at the same place, though I'm pretty sure it was a coincidence) and so I ran I diagnostic and it came up my crank sensor was spitting the dummy, so I pulled her out and replaced her, and all's well for the next four months. Then it happens again this time in the flat streets of Howick and it happed a further 3 times, so I ran another check and this time it was my cam sensor, so I pulled her out, replaced her, runs fun, and then a month later happens again, and it turns out I had a faulty cam sensor again pulled the new old one out and after checking it seemed it was faulty, so got a new one under warrenty and put it in.

Success! Its finally solved (or so I thought) 6 months later and I've moved to gissy and its just started happening again! Its baffling me, I cant work out whats wrong with it, now I'm thinking its my ecu, might try a restart of it this week, but has anyone else had similar problems or got any ideas?

From a confused Subaru Driver

[Guest Bjcnz]

Any Takers? Pleeeaasse? haha

[Guest loren]

Are you clearing the codes once the cam angle sensor is replaced? I think there is a "current error code" and a "historic error code",

and you have to clear the historic one. Doesn't explain why it keeps dying though. sorry.

[Guest Bjcnz]

Yeah I'm clearing it each time, I dunno its weird, I didn't used to get too annoyed as it only happened once every few weeks, but now its happened in a few situations you kinda dont want your engine dying on you, I think I should just bolt the GT engine in it haha that would solve all my problems and more, but insurance is bad enough as it is. But thanks!

[Durty-Sanchez]

You keep replacing the sensors, yet it keeps coming up.. maybe it's a bad electrical connection between the sensors and the ECU (or as you mention, maybe the ECU itself)? Cam/crank sensors aren't really wear and tear parts, so from new they should last several years. The fact that it initially only happened on a hill has me backing bad wiring connection somewhere

[Guest Bjcnz]

Yeah well thats what I was thinking, but then it started happening on the flat unless the connections just gotten worse hmmm. But then I would have thought at least some of the times I could drop the clutch and it would start up again. I dunnoooo, but thanks for ya help! Think I might try reseting my ecu and see what happens from there, maybe I have a broken connection in my ecu somewhere. Its just annoying its happening on a car with only 50,000 kays on it. But thanks!

[Guest Bjcnz]

Just checked my ECU and its my good old Crank Sensor again ooh goody, thought I had fixed it 6 months ago. So I'm thinking Durty-Sanchez is right in being that theirs probably a short somewhere in the wiring, please don't let it be the ECU packing up.

Oooh well, just cleared the codes so hopefully it will let me drive around for a little while uninterrupted until I can test it further. Anyone in the gissy area keen to help me test it? Never tested for a short in the ecu b4, I'll get the box of beers

[Guest]

 Bjcnz said:

Just checked my ECU and its my good old Crank Sensor again ooh goody, thought I had fixed it 6 months ago. So I'm thinking Durty-Sanchez is right in being that theirs probably a short somewhere in the wiring, please don't let it be the ECU packing up.

Oooh well, just cleared the codes so hopefully it will let me drive around for a little while uninterrupted until I can test it further. Anyone in the gissy area keen to help me test it? Never tested for a short in the ecu b4, I'll get the box of beers

sorry to bring up an old thread, did this problem ever get resolved??

Cheers Dave