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2001 surging, sputtering, trying to stall - multiple things failing? (merged thread)

1749 Views 12 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  LeRM, 
J
My wife informed me the other day that our Forester was having problems filling up. She could hear it bubbling in the filler neck and the pump would shut off every gallon or so uness you pumped very slowly. The car would also by want to idle right after getting gas and would occasionally be hard to start.

Now I have read some of the threads on this issue but a new issue popped up and based on the codes seems to be related. Last night I drove the car and out of the blue while driving it started surging, sputtering, trying to stall. A few times it did stall. Usually by the time I pulled over and stopped it would be running fine again. I stopped at the parts store and had the codes read. One was "right bank running rich", something about a"emissions, small leak detected EVAP" something (i should have wrote them down), and P1443. I've read threads about all of these issues but I haven't seen all these together or the cutting off while driving.

Am I having multiple things fail? Is one issue causing the other? Is it one issue? Is it just the purge control valve? There were 2 other valves the parts guy showed me but their names escape me. Or does it sound more like something at the tank, one of the canisters or vents? I read some prcedures on threads to help diagnose these issues so I'm going out to try those now, it's just the many symptoms I'm having that's throwing me off. Any help is appreciated.

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J
Update. The PCV valve was pretty bummed up. I took it off and cleaned it and it move correctly now. I plan on replacing it but for the sake of diagnostics I wanted to see how it ran after ceaning. But in the process of taking the vacuum lines off I found the plastic T for the vacuum lines was cracked in about a hundred different ways. In fact it fell apart at first touch. So I'm thinking the gas filling issue and the stalling is in fact 2 separate issues.

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J
Ok, when I Google the PCV valve the pictures are all the block with a plug in and multiple places to attatch hoses. What I took off was a 19mm threaded piece with a thing that slid back and forth inside it. So what is that piece called?

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J
.Ok so I got the pcv replaced, the plastic "T" and the hoses. That did NOT fix the problem. At all. It for sure needed to be done. The hoses were cracked. The plastic "T" was falling apart. The PCV was very dirty. So my next thought is perhaps whatever the little solenoid thing directly under the passenger side intake is.

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2.5x_sleeper
Perhaps these threads will help: :confused:

• Car not filling with gas at pump
• Fuel Tank Vent Valve Location

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]
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J
I appreciate the links. One of those I have read, the other I hadn't seen and had some helpful links. But the gas filling problem/stalling after fill up is the minor one of the issues. At first I had thought maybe the stalling and driving poorly off and on was maybe related but it doesn't appear so. I think that is a separate issue. But I do appreciate the links.

I might even repost this without the gas tank filling issue in the title because if that problem isn't related to the stalling/emissions codes/running rich codes I'm not cncerned about it at the moment

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2.5x_sleeper
@Jgage916 I "tweaked" your thread title a bit. Perhaps that will help get you more replies. :confused:

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]
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J
@2.5x_sleeper thank you sir

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2.5x_sleeper
Perhaps something in these Google custom forum search results for "surging, sputtering" will help? :confused:

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]
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J
Than you again. After replacing the purge control valve and putting a couple miles on it it is SOME better but not good. I did have the codes read again and the only one is fuel mixture rich. Hmmm. I'll check those links when I get home.

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J
Help! 2001 Forester CELs, stalling, running rough intermittently

Over the weekend our 01 started running very poorly and stalling or almost stalling while driving. I stopped at the parts store and had the codes read. One was "right bank running rich", something about "emissions, small leak detected EVAP" something (i should have wrote them down), and P1443. I searched on here and Google and found a lot of possibilities but nothing that was for sure the problem.

I did find the plastic "T" fitting for the vacuum hoses conected to the PCV was cracked, the hoses were in bad shape and the valve was barely functional. I replaced the valve but no parts store had the "T" or pre bent hoses but I was able to buy a universal "Y" fitting and hoses to make it work.

That did help. And now the only code is that it it running rich. It only occasionally tries to stall and off and on it bogs down and drives poorly. If you get off and back on the throttle t will sometimes go back to running normal again. Sometimes for a while. Sometimes it doesn't even help. This car has been having the apparently common issue of not wanting to take gas when you fill up sonar first I wondered if the issues were related but that doesn't seem to be the case. The car has 275k miles on it so theres no telling what else is wore out. But it ran very well until this issue started. Any help in the right direction is appreciated.

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2.5x_sleeper
@Jgage916 your threads have been merged. There's no need to start a new thread... against forum rules, when you already have an active thread on the same subject.

It's better to keep all the troubleshooting together, then to start all over again. :wink:

Bobby...

['07 FSXT MODding Journal] ['03 X MODding Journal]
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LeRM
Don't know if this helps, but my Tacoma had a similar problem: lunging, stalling on startup, usually right after gassing up. It was a vacuum valve over the engine that dealt with air flow to/from the gas tank, and it was opening/staying open. When replaced, it solved it. I have no clue about Subaru engines yet....
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