Problem with 92 Loyale

[Connie]

Just found this group and thought you could help me with my beloved
old 92 Loyale wagon. Motor picked up bad misfire this weekend..just
put new plugs,wires,cap and rotor not evan 6 months ago. If it helps
its a 1.8L 5 speed FWD with 183,000 miles on it. Hystory of car has
been ..bought it in Oct.have had no problems with it except an axle
shaft (typical subaru there)Have put about 25,000 miles on it. Check
engine light has been on since I bought it and when it is cold the one
lifter taps for a bit till it gets warmed up.And its a
leaker..oil..brake fluid.
I pulled the plugs today and they were white.Also the plug wire on
the #1 cylinder had alot of black carbon dust fall out.You can also
smell the unburnt fuel coming from the exhaust. This is my 3rd Subaru
and I just adore this car..want to keep it around till nothing is left
of it. Am I looking at something major with it or am I just over
reacting. Did I overlook something?
Thanks for any help.

Connie.

 

[Rick Courtright]

I pulled the plugs today and they were white.Also the plug wire on
the #1 cylinder had alot of black carbon dust fall out.You can also

Hi,

Plug wires aren't that expensive--sounds like another new set's in
order, for testing if nothing else. I had a similar situation with a set
of Subaru OEMs after about a year and a half (only time I've had OEM
parts perform worse than aftermarket on this car.) Put a set of cheapo
Autolites on until I could get to the Subaru store. They've lasted
longer than the OEMs! A new set of plugs isn't too expensive either even
though you just replaced them recently. It's possible to get a weak one,
though I'd suspect wires first with the carbon symptom.

You can reset the ECU and turn off the CEL by disconnecting your battery
for a while (I usually let mine sit ~30 minutes while I do something
else.) If it comes back on, do you know how to read the code? Let us
know and we can talk you thru that process if necessary. The codes can
often tell you about temp sensors and other items that are
electrical/electronic.

For mechanical problems, a compression test is probably in order. Leaky
valves, leaking or blown headgasket and some other causes of low or
uneven compression should show up there. There are many other things to
check, but these should give you a start.

Good luck!

Rick