Warm Weather, Faulty Parts, Kicking the Ninjas Out of Subie.

Or we could try to fix the car again....

A couple of days ago,   Cheryl and I were on the edge of a cliff;  fully considering a fatal jump that would end all of our suffering...   But then,  after a little discussion with beer,  we decided that it might be easier and less painful if we try another approach with the Car.

Inside the throttle Body.  

So I set about cleaning the throttle body... again! I know I did it a few months ago... during the summer.   But there was a break in the cold and I seized the moment.    Sure it was raining and sleeting.   But what else were the options?   It appeared that the local mechanic was as stumped as we were.   He pretty much held onto the car for all of Friday only to return it in the same condition.

Odd Symptoms. 

The symptoms are odd.   A high idle,  a low idle,  a random acceleration,  sometimes a stall when starting.  We tried fuel pump o-rings, power steering flush and sensor replacement, cleaning of the idle control valve, belt replacement, O2 sensor replacement,  And perhaps other things I no longer remember.
The trouble is that I have to do all the work, because every time we bring it to the mechanic,  the symptoms go away!  (Typical, in my experience.)  You would think that all of these things are unrelated... but newer cars  in their quest to keep LA smog free and the polar icecaps intact, have these crazy emission systems that intertwine.   If one of them goes,  all of them pretend to be broke at the same time.  Hurray for Technology!

Lets try to run.

Slightly warmer days...

After cleaning the throttle body ( which was not that dirty, by the way...) I decided to add one of the many sensors Cheryl bought out of desperation. The Throttle Body Position Sensor!  Easy enough to install.  I added it on and reassembled the system.   BOOM FIXED!  ( Um, Not so fast...)

We took it for a test drive and everything seemed fine.   I was elated!  And then....

Look closely for the defect!

"New" Throttle Body Sensor.

Fast forward 12 hours.   What happened in 12 hours, I have no idea.  (ninjas in the engine!) But as we Start up the Subie....  All those symptoms come back.   Irregular idle,  hiccup acceleration....  Just plain wrong again!  The only thing I did other than clean things was replace the Throttle Position Sensor.   I pull it out and take a closer look...

Checking the voltage. 

The "Old" TBS is right where it should be 

DISCOVERY!   I see that the metal plate near the flap had been bent.  (not my doing!) It was subtle enough that I did not notice it out of the box.   It was registering low voltage as I tried to adjust it.   Normally, they are centered and register normal, but this part was adjusted far outside of spec and STILL did not get  voltage between 0.45-0.55 volts.  I possibly could have "fixed" the metal plate a bit, but I did not want to damage it and then be unable to return it.   So,  reinstall the Old one,  (Which was still apparently good.   So I guess that was not the issue)

Let's replace something else!  Alternator! Old vs New.

Now Subie runs like normal.   I admit my definition of "normal" is slightly skewed now,  but he runs, idles, and has smooth acceleration and deceleration.  So far,  no stalling. No codes,  No problems.  I'll hold my breath for the next shoe to drop.

Installing the New Alternator.

So with an afternoon free,  Cheryl and I decided  to also replace the Alternator.  (Why?  Because that was one of those "maybe causes.")  Besides,  the alternator is OLD.   We have over 135,000 miles on this one and, having both experienced a bad alternator before, decided to swap it out before any serious issues arise and strand us.  (We read somewhere they average about 80,000 miles.) 

Check out the broken bolt... again!

Hopefully the bolt will hold. 

I have a skill at breaking the tension bolt when removing the Alternator.  This is the third one I broke trying to remove it. ( I do not over-tighten or strip things!) The NAPA guys asked if there  was a cause.  It is possible that the Alternator WAS going bad.  (It sounded rough when I removed it from the car.) And that sloppy movement is putting forces on the bolt  causing it to weaken.   Either way, it is out now and working perfectly.   (I bought a second bolt, just in case...)

Are Ninjas Breaking things?

So that is where we are currently.   Subie runs....  Smoothly for the time being.  I gave up on chasing ghosts and decided to kick out the Ninjas.  Whether the ninjas are bad parts, or old and dirty assemblies.

My car is afflicted with Ninjas?

  Cheryl still has a handful of sensors I could replace,  but after that last experience, I think I will let sleeping dogs lie.  I have no idea how to tell if those sensors are even good right out of the box!

Let's throw them out for good this time! 

They are not necessarily cheap either!  It is possible that I will have to schedule "Throttle Cleaning" as part of my maintenance regiment.  Maybe after ever three oil changes.  I hear some people just do things like that as a matter of course.  We shall see....  Fingers crossed.

And this is what happens when I wait too long between blog posts.   One long rant...  ( With Pictures!)