bowthruster Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 (edited) Hi,ive got a bugeye wrx,and occasionally its keeps throwing up eml light and losing slight power,and doesnt sound right, and engine is slightly shaking when on idle,had a fiddle with it,and it seems its a dodgy lead(ht?) on no 1.(nearest to driver),if i wiggle it it goes back to normal,and its fine,it only does it randomly or is it the coil.So my question is new lead(s) or ?Dont want to purchase items,that might not cure the problem,any help would be appreciated..Its the pencil type of coils i think,ive included a pic.its doing my head in! Thanks stu Edited June 2, 2018 by bowthruster forgot pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I would think that its probably the coil thats at fault as that kind of coil in the pic is plugged in to the engine loom and the ignitor which provides the spark is built in to the top of the coilpack, its most likely to have cracked and is arcing out against the head and when you are disturbing it its maybe closing the crack until it vibrates and opens up again, you could always check all the wires going to that coil aswell as there's only 3 wires, hope you get to the bottom of ot and its not too expensive 😉👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 Thanks for the reply Stuartie,i'll have a look at the wires,if i need a new coil,is it best to get one from subaru?dont really want to waste money on eBay rubbish.I do get good discount from my employer as they've got a subaru dealership...Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 Well by a process of elimination,its not the wiring loom its the a coil pack.And just found out we no longer get discount at work,so wheres the best place to get a coil from?good ones ,not eBay Shi**..Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 You'll be surprised of the quality parts on the bay, just recently i got a set of used newage coilpacks as an upgrade for my classic and they have been perfect so far also the brand new ones are reasonably priced and seem to be of OE standard so could still be wortha look also check out importcarparts 😉👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 Cheers for that mate,didnt mean it to come across like that,that all parts from eBay are crap,the last lot of things i bought quite cheap,were a waste of money,so just a bit weary...Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Not a problem bud 👍 and i never thought you were coming across in a negative way its understandable to be weary of places like eBay theres loads of dodgy folks out there 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 No worries stu,with my other car a vw,needed a maf sensor,had 3 different ones,all blew as such,then bought a genuine one,still going strong,or perhaps im just tight!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage bulldogs Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I'd suggest to swap the suspect coil pack to a different cylinder to see if the fault shifts along with the coilpack, to see if it was coilpack or pigtail plug (bit of wiring that plugs into the coilpack) As stu said the most common fault is the insulation going brittle from the heat , cracking and allowing the spark to arch to the cam cover . Saying that ,One of mine has the locking tab missing off the coilpack which was causing a intermittent misfire, due to the coil pack plug working loose if it wasn't pushed all the way on . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Hi savage,thats exactly what i did,swopped them over,dont know why i didnt do that in the first place! Ordered another from ICP,so touch wood it'll fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Well, i fitted the new coil,took it for a drive,everything was well and good,then eml came back on and missing again....Arhh.Any more advice appreciated...plugs are all good.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Thats a bit s**t mate, do you have an obd tool to plug in and read the eml fault as that may give you a code which will tell you more specifically what the fault is 😉👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 I did have a cheap code reader,but its given up the ghost,so im waiting for one of our service guys to turn up with his one..Just a quick question,any recommendations for a half decent code reader?Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 It depends on how much you want to spend and how far you want it to go in to it as ones that read abs/airbag faults and resets are more expensive than ones that'l only read the engine/gearbox codes although depending on what one you get you can upgrade them for free online. We have a cheapy 30quid one at work for when the laptop and tablet are getting used or if we in a hurry, that just reads the engine management faults and to be honest we can't fault it for what it is and how much it cost its always been spot on with codes and diagnosis, Amazon have a bit of a selection 😉👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Cheers for that stu,for abs faults and so on i'd just get the guys at work to do it,i just need a basic one like you've mentioned.Any idea what brand the basic one is that you use?theres so bloomin many..Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 No problem dude, the one at work is a sealey one and for 30 bucks it does what it says on the tin 😉👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage bulldogs Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Are you sure it's not a coilpack plug issue , as I had a loose fitting plug that used to vibrate loose and cause the same symptoms. Injector plugs making a good connection? When you say plugs are good do you mean condition or are they all the same colour? Could try a compression test to rule out a mechanical issue . Hope it's something simple , bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Hi mate,sorry i meant spark plugs are all good.. I do still think it may be a coilpack plug issue,because when i wiggle one of them(not the actual plug)the wire joining the loom the engine sounds normal and there was no shaking of the engine,but i had a look at the wires and they look good to me,but im far from an expert..Just off topic mate,sorry to hear about you shunt,glad you got it all sorted and you and you kids are ok.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Finally got to the bottom of it,it was a broken wire in the loom,so my service guy at work is going to do it and some new conduit...So simple ,typical...Roll on tomorrow evening,so i can finally unleash the power and burble! And stuartie,followed your recommendation on the code reader,thanks mate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Nice one mate glad to hear you've got to the bottom of it and i feel your pain i've not had the burble and boost for a while now as had the engine out but getting mapped on tuesday so getting pretty excited i can just about taste the v-power 👍😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage bulldogs Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Glad it was a simple fix stu 😎 And yes the scoob , me and my kids are feeling much better thanks 👍 I've replied to your p.m to bud 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 Im afraid it wasnt mate,wires are all fine,its the plug(connectors)there not sitting properly on the coil pack,and the stupid clip bit is crap to put it bluntly..Have found uprated new plugs etc in usa,but can i get anything better or same in uk?Other than that any sugguestions???Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage bulldogs Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 One of my coilpacks has the locking tab missing and used to vibrate loose, I just put a bit of insulation tape on the coilpack where the plug goes then put the plug on . Bit redneck but it made the plug fit tighter and I did 910 miles to Cornwall and back last year without issues (so it worked) I wouldn't think your issue is with the coilpack , due to it being brand new and Probably more likely to be a issue with the loom plug itself . I doubt uprated coilpacks would make any difference as the outer casing (where the plug connects) would probably be the same shape in order to fit the oe Subaru loom plug . I'd try to make the plug fit better by using my redneck option and check the pins in the plug are solid (not wobbly) , the rubber insulation around the plug pins is intact and the pins are free from corrosion (making a constant good connection) . Let me know how you get on . If I remember rightly your fairly local to me ? If it drives well enough your welcome to pop round and I'll have a squint Saturday? Pm me again if you like bud 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowthruster Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 Cheers clive...Yep its exactly what you said,its the tabs on the plugs...the uprated or better quality are from the usa but out of stock at the minute,so my mechanic is going to come round and do a redneck job in the next couple of days..Pins are fine no corrosion..I'll let you know what happens..Im not to far from you..Thanks for the offer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartie Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I had the same problem with the uprated coilpack i just fitted to my classic and i used a couple of little cable ties to hold the plug securely onto the coil, i know its a bit of a jungle repair but it seems to be holding 😉👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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