New to the site, but was just wondering if anyone could help point me in the right direction. Have a '05 Outback XT, newly replaced turbo, cat isn't clogged or in bad condition, and no check engine light on. Above 4000 rpm through 4th gear, or around 80 mph and roughly 3600 rm in 5th gear I have been having loss of power and hesitation accelerating. Also in neutral, revving the engine up to the rev limiter (about 4200 rpm) I hear a definite knock from the engine. Could that possibly be the timing tensioner? Every issue I can think of causing this problem SHOULD throw a check engine light but my OBD isn't picking up anything and I even brought it into the dealership, and their computers turned up nothing. The guy just said it most likely was a clogged cat or bad turbine in the turbo. Which led to me replacing the turbo. The turbo was definitely bad, and that helped a lot but didn't fix my issue 100%. Engine and everything is stock still. I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions or things to try? Plugs and wires? Fuel filter/pump? Does it just need a tune? What might be the most likely cause of an issue like this and not put out a maintenance code? Thank you, hope someone can help!
How many miles on your car? Have plugs been replaced? Have you tried resetting the ECU? Is the issue only happening in the 2 described spots? 1-3 gears the car has power and drives good? Mike
105,000 miles. Plugs were done at 60,000, accelerating well in 1-3rd gears until around 4000, i guess just most notable in 4th gear. sometimes higher before it has any hesitation sometimes less. I tried resetting by disconnecting power for almost an entire day, 6+ hours. is there any other way to reset the ecu?
Do you have a boost gauge? If so how is that reading? I wouldn't hurt to pull the plugs and replace them for cheap assurance.
Ok cool that should help narrow things down. I feel like it's probably a boost leak. Does it feel like power is simply low or like it could be misfiring? Mike
I got a boost gauge hooked up. Builds boost up to 10 psi but if I put it down and try to accelerate fast, or downshift at all the needle jumps everywhere. What would that indicate? I haven't done a compression test anywhere yet.
11-13ish(more like 11.5-12.5psi). Sounds like it may be a boost leak. Probably would be good to do a leak down and compression test just to make sure that everything is buttoned up and flowing as it should. Still hard to believe that it's not throwing a CEL.
Like everyone else has been saying, I would do a boost leak and compression test. A few months back I had a small leak in my top mount. Car would run great until about 3500 rpm and it would run miserably until I let off the gas. Never got a CEL unless I was going well over 3500 rpms; it would come on for about 5 seconds, then turn back off. The similarities between your issues and the ones I had are looking quite similar. Other than that, I would go through the plugs, coils, and injectors. Just had an injector go bad on my LGT - which was primarily hesitation at idle - but may be worth looking into if you're having a hard time figuring out a next step. You should be able to ohm out each one to make sure they're working as they should - that won't tell you if they're clogged though. Good luck with tracking it down, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.
Could be a crapload of things. If that knock sound you hear is getting picked up by the engine knock sensor, the ECU could be pulling timing like crazy because it thinks the engine is knocking. Could you get it on a lift and check for loose heatshields and anything else that could be making mechanical noise?
Def not any loose shields or anything. Annnnnd i know where the boost leak is (inlet for the turbo after the air filter) but I just took it to the dealer today because I went to drive it this morning and it won't even rev over 2000 now. Sounds like a lawn mower when I try. I have no idea what happened. Idles fine. No codes no check engine light nothing coming from OBDII scanner in active scan or otherwise. Buddy says it could be a fuel issue. I'm lost.
Apparently it was the catalytic converter on the up pipe being clogged. Would anyone have guessed that?...
Well somebody guessed it right away. And your declaration of "cat isn't clogged" right off the bat probably made everybody here go elsewhere with a diagnosis as well. How did you verify the cat wasn't clogged to begin with?
Cat on the down pipe I took off when I replaced the turbo, guess I didn't realize there one on the up pipe. Thanks
Nice. Congrats on finding the issue at least. Did you completely eliminate it then or just replace it? That was one of the first things I did on my car after reading countless warnings and horror stories (getting rid of the cat).
