2004 WRX misfire in cylinder 4 and sometimes 2.

Asked by rarcangeli Jan 24, 2013 at 03:54 PM about the Subaru Impreza

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

2004 wrx 177,000 miles.
Cylinder 4 misfires at low rpm. CEL blinks at low rpm then goes out at around 3000. Will do this a few times before cel stays on. Have replaced coil packs and plugs. Bought a scanner and everytime cel is on its for a cylinder 4 misfire. Compression in cylinder 4 is also about 20 psi lower than others 120 vs 140. Car runs well, no backfires . doesnt smoke or burn oil. Mechanic thinks it may be a bad exhaust valve.
Your thoughts?
Worth fixing?

5 Answers

'Worth fixing' is partially a personal rather than a pragmatic question. Depends on cost, and at 20psi lower, I think no worries, I wouldn't put a dime in it at this stage, might as well do a valve job if head is coming off not one exhaust valve, and only slightly bad at that, Nah. Drive 'er to the moon

1 people found this helpful.
115

I had that issue, then it got worse and would misfire constantly, a new O2 sensor sorted that out. I wouldn't worry about doing a valve job unless you were seeing a number under 100psi.

1 people found this helpful.
1,105

100 bucks says you have a bad ringland. Oil will seep past the rings and lower the octane of the fuel, which causes knock and misfires. Shortblock will need to be rebuilt, the issue will only get worse. It is better to do it now while you still have a usable block.

Hey did u ever find out what was causing ur miss fire I have the exact same issue going on and I can't figure out what's going on with!!

Your Answer:

Impreza

Looking for a Used Impreza in your area?

CarGurus has 473 nationwide Impreza listings starting at $3,850.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    3,550
  • #2
    Nick Eidemiller
    Reputation
    920
  • #3
    Guybrarian
    Reputation
    840
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Crosstrek
26 Great Deals out of 912 listings starting at $5,995
Used Subaru Forester
22 Great Deals out of 1,056 listings starting at $2,695
Used Subaru Legacy
6 Great Deals out of 172 listings starting at $4,977
Used Subaru Outback
28 Great Deals out of 871 listings starting at $1,895
Used Subaru Impreza WRX
15 listings starting at $4,995
Used Honda Civic
176 Great Deals out of 3,690 listings starting at $1,995
Used Subaru WRX
24 Great Deals out of 515 listings starting at $8,990
Used Toyota Corolla
122 Great Deals out of 1,994 listings starting at $2,795
Used Mazda MAZDA3
73 Great Deals out of 1,498 listings starting at $2,495
Used Subaru Impreza WRX STI
16 listings starting at $13,999
Used Toyota Camry
48 Great Deals out of 979 listings starting at $2,212
Used Honda Accord
43 Great Deals out of 907 listings starting at $1,599
Used Toyota RAV4
100 Great Deals out of 2,089 listings starting at $3,888
Used Honda CR-V
99 Great Deals out of 3,843 listings starting at $1,795
Used Honda Civic Hatchback
24 Great Deals out of 365 listings starting at $11,677

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.