QuestionI have a 1995 Subaru Legacy with an intermittent hard start problem. It cranks fine, but sometimes requires a lot of cranking (about 30-60 seconds) to start, whereas usually it starts immediately. Sometimes when I release the key, there's a sharp thump, which I suspect is the engine firing backward. It always starts eventually. The problem does not seem to be weather-related, and it occurs when the engine is hot or cold. When it finally catches, it sometime just barely runs with the gas pedal to the floor for a while, as if it were firing on one cylinder. Once it catches it runs fine. Also, the idle speed is often too high. One shop scanned it and said the ECM is bad, but another (Subaru specialist) said a bad computer would not produce these symptoms. The first shop suggested that I get an ECM from a junkyard. Does that make sense? Can I just plug it in myself? Where is it located? Do you have any other ideas about this?
AnswerBrad,
If thew Subaru Specialist didnt look at the car and you just called and picked their brain their advice is worth exactly what you payed for it.
If The Subaru Shop looked at the car they should have given you a clear diagnoses. If the other shop diagnosed it as a faulty ECM why not let them install it and offer a warranty on the diagnoses?
Its not possible for me to know from here whats wrong. There are just to many possibilities, and yes the ECM is one of those possibilities, but so is the cam and crank sensors(very common), Coolant Temperature Sensor, Mass air flow sensor, amongst other things as well. I am not telling you to replace any of these things it needs to be diagnosed.
In 1995 the ECM can be placed and most likely is on the passenger side floor board under the carpet. The early precursor to the OBDII system would be there.
If its an early Production 1995 it will be under the drivers side dash.
Justin
