whats wrong with my impreza?

[93imprezalwagon]

i have a 93 impreza L wagon that i love to death the body is nearly mint and it ran perfect until recently,it has 170,000 mi with much more to go in my eyes...its been sputtering when i press the gas but not while cruising and feathering the pedal..it has new plugs and wires and i dont know what the problem is? .....

also its been smoking from under the engine after rides,not bad but it only does it when i come to a stop or turn the car off ? it doesnt overheat or idle rough its an ok car and i love it and wont get rid of it, its my first subaru and i fell for it ,ill never buy a different make again! can anyone help me out ?

[spytearbite]

First, you are going to make sure your door and seat belt are functioning properly because baby, that thing is going to catch fire if you do not address that smoke out the hood.
Now, there might be oil on the spark plugs if not oil in one of the cylinders that might be giving you that hez at the throttle.

Feathering the throttle up is more a lean/rich stumble, so it is hard to tell both act almost the same. Did you check to see how clean your air cleaner is? Throw pedal at the engine and a clogged A/C can nose the front of the car rather than lift you up and propel.

[93imprezalwagon]

i have a new air filter so its not that , it almost feels like im gonna stall out when i take off ? how would i know if theres oil on my plugs or in my cylinder ? and how do i fix that ?....................................to adress the smoke theres something leaking on my exhaust and burning off but only when i turn the car off ? im so confused its almost pathetic! my mechanic skills are limited and i really dont want to lose my impreza and im too broke to pay a mechanic im in trouble

[spytearbite]

Two things. One is pull the plugs. Note which one is oil wet if any. Next is to address the burning is because you are driving, the air is blowing that burn under the car say.
But you stop is that oil burning as is, meaning, as we speak, that leak is going to cook one GM product is find the leak. Look for leaks starting at the highest point.
So, say drop travels over a part or many parts and now it not a shot straight down is the leak, but can throw you off thinking it is coming from a path the drip took and not the leak as the direct leak you see it dripping off of.
Sorta play detective by looking higher on the engine parts is it might be a valve cover or an intake manifold and those take a lot of time, tools, and know now.

[93imprezalwagon]

hey anyone wanna buy an impreza L with a few minor defects ? LOL

[93imprezalwagon]

lets say i do have oil on my spark plugs whats wrong and how do i fix same for the cylinder ?

[spytearbite]

If you have oil in the cylinder, you need a new engine. It needs freshening up more or less. New rings, valve guides, maybe the bore is too much out of taper and you can't really throw parts at it, rather now you need a lot of machining like a valve job to compliment the warn guides that fill the cylinders with oil.
Your next oil to the chamber is the rings are worn and/or the bore taper is not round to keep the rings sealed for compression and the oil out of the cylinder. So, if you see wet oil foul plugs in a few cylinders, consider a rebuild or better yet is to buy a new GM crate engine and it might be a huge difference to you as it is cheaper to plug in a new engine than all the man hours to rebuild your own. Plus, how much of a guarantee can you have against a GM 36,000 mile guarantee and an independent can't match that mileage is I doubt it.

Probably 1,500/1,800 dollars for the engine and maybe a few hours of R&R shop time is whatever the dealer charges. Or, buy the crate engine yourself and put it in. Lots of options.

[93imprezalwagon]

ok lets say its not those probs. could it be an o2 sensor because i noticed today that it sputters at idle now not constant but a quick bog like fealing ?am i making sense ?

[93imprezalwagon]

or maybe air in my fuel line?

[93imprezalwagon]

or fuel pump going?

[spytearbite]

Or say you have the wife start the car in the morning. You stand behind the exhaust and if that puffs smoke > REBUILD!

Idle is emissions IAC if I'm sounding obsessed with this is I would look at the IAC is any idle problem from initial start.

1. Car start right up and keep driving like it is not running out of gas? Then no, not the fuel filter.
2. Fuel pump will act like a filter is clog or no pump to the injector throttle body or injectors is either fuel system is check answer #1.

[93imprezalwagon]

No smoke or oil at all when I start the car.... So there's no problems there, it kind of feels like the car is running out of gas when i press the throttle, that's what the sputtering feels like ?

[spytearbite]

Did someone say scope your engine? It is more like pin point that one guy that is the misfire.
Take a spry bottle and make it have a mist spray to the tip. This is where the fog will spread like a cloud is cover a lot of territory is you want to pull some current out in the open air.

So, you let the car idle, spray that water mist over the spark plugs is not soak the engine down and steam clean it... I mean you are just peppering a little bit of mist over a spark plug wire or a broken spark plug is it might have a weak wire and arc before it goes down near the plug and expose a cracked porcelain; is it might show a misfire that fashion.

If the "spark mist" is not showing a misfire that way, it might be a plug with a bad or feathered tip at the side or who knows is how is the compression? Not that we are chasing a poor idle but a spark misfire not firing a fuel.

How long ago since a plug change?

[YAMMAN]

does the check engine light come on when driving?

[93imprezalwagon]

no lights on...everythings good with sensors and all that ...i think its a combo of my fuel filter being bad and my exhaust needing to be welded..im just gonna sell it and get a newer one i think... anyone want to buy it, it has new cv joint, pads, rotors, drums, serpentine belt, tires, w/snows for winter, still running good just needs little to run great! book in good is $1900, fair is $1600 car has no rust ok paint and no major mechanical problems very strong running car 167,000 mi awd and fwd, automatic w/manual option....