It's cracked....but what, that means don't try another? it's almost 20 years old...
Why not goto the u-pull-it yard and try a few parts you suspect.
They let you return things regardless if you keep the receipt. Sensors must test good whether there has been a code set yet or not. a complete drive cycle must be completed
books are free at the library. LOL a car like this requres a technician, not a mechanic.
pinpoint tests must be performed before throwing new parts around. saves money too.
Recalls and technical service bulletins go a long way to help the technician be accurate. They are also free at the library.
First, please memorize this as part of being your own mechanic. Air Flow. Not one word but two. Mass Air Flow sensor. The car is a Subaru Legacy. All brands AND model names are registered and copyrighted as proper names. IF the manufacturer elects a grammar error, then, that stands. I believe there is BMW 325i registered not a "BMW 325I" presumably to make the model numbering clear. When you listed the "symptoms" a colon was required, not a comma. The age of the car offers clues as to the MAF condition. A mass (air) flow sensor (MAF) is used to find out the mass flow rate of air entering a fuel-injected internal combustion engine.
The air mass information is necessary for the engine control unit (ECU) to balance and deliver the correct fuel mass to the engine. Air changes its density as it expands and contracts with temperature and pressure. In automotive applications, air density varies with the ambient temperature, altitude and the use of forced induction, which means that mass flow sensors are more appropriate than volumetric flow sensors for determining the quantity of intake air in each cylinder. (See stoichiometry and ideal gas law.)
This is simple device and typically not difficult to replace and not too expensive. The device does not require tape. This should have been a sign as to a need to be replaced. Yes, do replace it. Go from there. Since you are being your "own mechanic," have you signed up for online courses, are you an apprentice at an auto repair shop, do you have perhaps long term interests in auto mechanics? But best to be careful as to language and grammar. It is necessary to be accurate as to car repairs. Language is in this same need. I see your posting is peppered with texing slang. Not a good thing. OBD-II is the accepted name of this device. Not what you wrote. You had "replaced," the EGR valve and other component. You wrote, "Im" which is never correct. You included "lol" a texting expression best reserved for friends and family. Little things do count. Hope this MAF shall be the cure for what ails the Legacy. Best of luck.
Thanks guys!
I am signed up for college courses in a couple weeks, and have been tearing through the library to learn as much as possible. I have no interest in an automotive related field, I just like being knowledgable and handy. Maybe help a friend out in life later.
Already ordered the Mass Air (notice the space) Flow sensor.
Are there other potential issues I should look into? I know there are multiple possibilities that wouldn't register as a code.
Oh and to Danny, I like that you differentiated a technician from a mechanic, never though of it like that before. Thanks guys!
Fuel pressure is also a common cause of the symptoms you describe and won't set any codes. Your fuel pump could be dieing or has bad electrical connections. Most engines have a test port on the fuel rail and if it has the issue at idle it will be easy to see if fuel pressure is the problem. If you have steady fuel pressure then I think MAF seems like a reasonable next guess.
The IAC valve could be causing the problem with the idle.
I would suggest joining this forum. I used it quite a bit when i owned a 96 Legacy.
http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/
to me your screaming vacuum leak lol
I drive a 1996 Subaru legacy and lately it has been acting up. There are no OBD2 codes, no warnings of any kind, yet the car will not idle. Here's a list of symptoms,
-Starts fine, stalls at idle unless given throttle
-Inconsistent RPMs (sometimes sluggish, sometime surges)
-Random hiccups (not too common but happens)
-There is a crack on the Airflow Sensor thats covered with electrical tape
-No codes
We just had the throttle position sensor and the EGR Valve replaces as there were codes for those, but the problem persists. Im gradually learning to be my own mechanic, but without codes Im a little lost. lol
Could a bad MAF sensor cause this and not register a code?
