1989 Subaru GL 1.8l won't stay lit

Been sitting since April, I have started it a few times over the summer,
but yesterday I went to move it to prep it for winter, and it wouldn't
start. I opened the hood and checked the usual suspects, but all looked
well.

I pumped the gas and it kicked right over. I had to hold the throttle
with one foot, and work the brake with the other to get it moving. After
a couple minutes of holding it at idle, it started to idle on it's own,
albeit a very low stumbling idle.

There was also a smell like something burning, although there was no
smoke from anywhere.

I did the usual check for critters in the airbox, etc. Spiders in the
TBI, perhaps? (If you have a gas grill, you probably have heard the
damage spiders can do...kaBOOM!!!)

I'll put some fresh gas in it today or tomorrow and try again and see if
it smoothes out. It had a complete tune up in January; new plugs, wires,
cap and rotor (I think. I have so many cars I can't remember which ones
have cpas and rotors and which don't...if it has it, they were
changed...), air filter, oil, etc. It was running well when I parked it
and ran at idle without stumbling about 8 weeks ago or so.

On Aug 27, 9:29 am, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B > wrote:
> Been sitting since April, I have started it a few times over the summer,
> but yesterday I went to move it to prep it for winter, and it wouldn't
> start. I opened the hood and checked the usual suspects, but all looked
> well.
>
> I pumped the gas and it kicked right over. I had to hold the throttle
> with one foot, and work the brake with the other to get it moving. After
> a couple minutes of holding it at idle, it started to idle on it's own,
> albeit a very low stumbling idle.
>
> There was also a smell like something burning, although there was no
> smoke from anywhere.
>
> I did the usual check for critters in the airbox, etc. Spiders in the
> TBI, perhaps? (If you have a gas grill, you probably have heard the
> damage spiders can do...kaBOOM!!!)
>
> I'll put some fresh gas in it today or tomorrow and try again and see if
> it smoothes out. It had a complete tune up in January; new plugs, wires,
> cap and rotor (I think. I have so many cars I can't remember which ones
> have cpas and rotors and which don't...if it has it, they were
> changed...), air filter, oil, etc. It was running well when I parked it
> and ran at idle without stumbling about 8 weeks ago or so.

It looks like the only suspect left is the fuel filter. Was it ever
changed?

Sam

On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:40:51 -0700, somick wrote:

> On Aug 27, 9:29 am, Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク > wrote:
>> Been sitting since April, I have started it a few times over the
>> summer, but yesterday I went to move it to prep it for winter, and it
>> wouldn't start. I opened the hood and checked the usual suspects, but
>> all looked well.
>>
>> I pumped the gas and it kicked right over. I had to hold the throttle
>> with one foot, and work the brake with the other to get it moving.
>> After a couple minutes of holding it at idle, it started to idle on
>> it's own, albeit a very low stumbling idle.
>>
>> There was also a smell like something burning, although there was no
>> smoke from anywhere.
>>
>> I did the usual check for critters in the airbox, etc. Spiders in the
>> TBI, perhaps? (If you have a gas grill, you probably have heard the
>> damage spiders can do...kaBOOM!!!)
>>
>> I'll put some fresh gas in it today or tomorrow and try again and see
>> if it smoothes out. It had a complete tune up in January; new plugs,
>> wires, cap and rotor (I think. I have so many cars I can't remember
>> which ones have cpas and rotors and which don't...if it has it, they
>> were changed...), air filter, oil, etc. It was running well when I
>> parked it and ran at idle without stumbling about 8 weeks ago or so.
>
> It looks like the only suspect left is the fuel filter. Was it ever
> changed?
>
> Sam

I started it yesterday and it started right up, idled up and then fell
back again to a low stumbling idle.

Yeah, looking around I suspected the fuel filter. Last time I looked they
were $54, but a quick check says $24. I'll take the old one out and 'see'
what it looks like...

On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:54:06 +0000, Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク wrote:

> On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:40:51 -0700, somick wrote:
>
>> On Aug 27, 9:29 am, Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク > wrote:
>>> Been sitting since April, I have started it a few times over the
>>> summer, but yesterday I went to move it to prep it for winter, and it
>>> wouldn't start. I opened the hood and checked the usual suspects, but
>>> all looked well.
>>>
>>> I pumped the gas and it kicked right over. I had to hold the throttle
>>> with one foot, and work the brake with the other to get it moving.
>>> After a couple minutes of holding it at idle, it started to idle on
>>> it's own, albeit a very low stumbling idle.
>>>
>>> There was also a smell like something burning, although there was no
>>> smoke from anywhere.
>>>
>>> I did the usual check for critters in the airbox, etc. Spiders in the
>>> TBI, perhaps? (If you have a gas grill, you probably have heard the
>>> damage spiders can do...kaBOOM!!!)
>>>
>>> I'll put some fresh gas in it today or tomorrow and try again and see
>>> if it smoothes out. It had a complete tune up in January; new plugs,
>>> wires, cap and rotor (I think. I have so many cars I can't remember
>>> which ones have cpas and rotors and which don't...if it has it, they
>>> were changed...), air filter, oil, etc. It was running well when I
>>> parked it and ran at idle without stumbling about 8 weeks ago or so.
>>
>> It looks like the only suspect left is the fuel filter. Was it ever
>> changed?
>>
>> Sam
>
> I started it yesterday and it started right up, idled up and then fell
> back again to a low stumbling idle.
>
> Yeah, looking around I suspected the fuel filter. Last time I looked they
> were $54, but a quick check says $24. I'll take the old one out and 'see'
> what it looks like...


Cheap-Ass repair #327: Clean the fuel filter. $35 was too much for a $350
car :O $4.99 for a can of carb cleaner was just right.

When I took the filter off, gas ran out of it clean for a while, then the
mud started coming. I let the mud out, then sprayed it with some carb
cleaner. After a while the mud stopped and it started running freely out
of the other end of the filter. Slapped it back together and now running
much smoother at idle.

For some reason, I keep forgetting about fuel filters and the troubles
they can cause!