Powering out at 60

ROOSTER85

MEMBER
1960 SUBARU

I bought a used 1985 Subaru GL wagon a week or so ago. The engine is a 1.8L, it's 2WD, and has a standard tranny. The mileage is very high, almost 215,000 miles. It runs great in town most of the time, but I discovered a fatal flaw. Every now and then, it will chug when accelerating. I was told the choke was sticking, but it is very random. Now I have found that on the highway, it maxes out at 60 mph. If you push it and floor it, it seems to lose fuel and chug and buck. The fuel filter and pump were just replaced before I bought it. Could it be spark plugs?
Rooster85

5 Replies

MIKE H R

MECHANIC
3,094 POSTS

With that many miles try some, spray throttle body cleaner. Could have a build up of carbon in the throttle body.

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Saturday, June 16th, 2007 AT 8:53 PM

ROOSTER85

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3 POSTS

The car has a carburated fuel system, not fuel injection. I was also told it could be a clogged catalytic converter?

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Sunday, June 17th, 2007 AT 4:33 PM

MIKE H R

MECHANIC
3,094 POSTS

With the converter cold hit it with your hand, do you hear any rattling or anything loose inside? Open up the chock and see if it runs any better. The cleaner can be used on injected or carbuated cars. The converter will do the same symtons as you have said. Had the same thing happen on my wifes firebird a few years ago and forgot about it. The buildup of back pressure will bog the engine down.

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Monday, June 18th, 2007 AT 2:11 PM

ROOSTER85

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Now the car quit me. I made it half way down the block, shifted, and it started bucking. At the corner it died, then started, then died again. I finally managed to get it up the alley to my garage, and there she sits. I'm thinking plugged filter or fuel line problem. It starts, runs great, then dies like you shut off the key. No chugging or coughing, just dies. You pump the gas, it starts, runs great, then dies again! Frustrating!

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Monday, June 25th, 2007 AT 11:27 AM

MIKE H R