2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Hesitation & Bogging Down

10

Asked by not2shabby Nov 07, 2018 at 09:27 AM about the 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I'm close to 200,000 miles.  CVT was replaced by Subaru about 6 months
ago.

CEL popped up about a month ago.  P2096 - Lean Fuel Trim Bank 1.  No
noticeable performance issues at the time.  Replaced both O2 sensors.  CEL
persisted.  Two weeks ago, I started feeling a little bit of lagging / hesitation
when going to work @ 40mph.  Not stuttering, but just a little lag in the
power.  I cleaned and oiled my K&N air filter.

Last week, on my way home, car started lagging really badly.  From a stop
light, I could not get the car above idle and it would hesitate/bog down and
then sometimes lurch.  I idled home about a mile and barely made it into the
driveway (sloped uphill).

After some research, I thought it could be a fuel issue and replaced my fuel
pump yesterday.  A test drive resulted in the same hesitation/lag as I lurched
around the block.  It died one time at a stop sign.

I've read several forums and am considering changing the following:

1. Mass airflow sensor.
2. Plugs & wires (test coil pack)
3. Throttle Body (bad TPS maybe?)

Is there a fuel pressure regulator?  I can't seem to find one.

3 Answers

I would clean the MAF as oil from the K&N may have contaminated it. New spark plugs might be in order. Cleaning the throttle body is a good idea. Any more codes?

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I haven't had time to clean it yet, but I unplugged the MAF and the problem seemed to go away. I will clean it this weekend and go on a longer test-drive to make sure it's fixed. Thank you for the help! No more codes. I will keep an eye on it and update this thread.

10

Update. The Outback ran perfectly while the MAF sensor was unplugged. I ordered a new MAF sensor and installed it yesterday. I went through the ECU reset process in hopes that it would "learn" the new sensor. I did the following: 1) Turn off the lights, aircon, stereo or any system in the car that draws extra current on top of the engine. 2) Disconnect the battery for 30 mins. 3) Reconnect the battery. 4) Before you start the car for the first time, turn the key to the ON position but do NOT turn the engine over. Wait 10-15 seconds so the electronic throttle body or IACV has time to go to the factory programmed home position. 5) After waiting, start the car and let it idle without any load, lights, A/C etc. 6) Every 20 seconds or so the idle will be adjusted up and down as the ECU tries to adjust it towards a stoichiometric fuel / air mix. 7) Leave the engine running for a full 10 mins but DO NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR during this time or turn on anything that will cause extra electrical current draw. 8) Turn off the engine, and leave the key in the OFF position for at least 20 sec. 9) As per step (4) turn the key back to the ON position for 10-15 sec without actually starting the engine. 10) Start the engine and leave to idle for a further 5 minutes without touching the accelerator and without turning on other systems in the car. 11) Turn off the engine again and wait at least 20 sec before restarting. 12) Take the car for a test drive as the ECU should now be fully retrained. After installing the new MAF and following this procedure, the same hesitation and lagging issues persist. I unplugged the MAF sensor hoping to have the same success as before when I disconnected it. It's even worse! I guess I could go through the ECU reset with the MAF unplugged and hope it goes back to factory settings. Right now, I can barely make it down the road with it plugged in and can't even move with it unplugged. I'm thinking about replacing the throttle body. I've read a few forums that indicate the issue could be caused by a bad throttle position sensor. I'm confused about how well the car seemed to run last week while I had the MAF sensor unplugged and now it won't run with the new MAF sensor or the sensor unplugged!

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