[Bro2517]

Well guyz and galz how's it going?... My 02 WRX is having another fit. That PFFFF, PFFFE came back, if anyone remebers last year it happen to me and I ran a compression test and I had a burnt exhaust valve. This time I did the compression test first. All compression is 160 or better. I checked and cleaned all plugs (NGK) gapped at .28, coil packs and connectors, degressed the motor and changed oil. Now my 02 is sputtering, the CEL flash's, then goes steady and back to flashing. Then it will clear for about 30 sec's sometimes and continue to flash or reamain on steady. I am also burning oil like crazy, 2wks and I go from full to zero. My exhuast smoke is white and there are no wierd odors. My 02 is running but sputter's like there is a miss and rough idle, 2k rpm and then kicks down to 1k or at times almost zero.

PLEASE any insight to this issue or a point in the right direction would be awesome, thank you for nreading.

 

[SD_GR]

What is the code?

 

[Bro2517]

The code is PFFFF and PFFFE, Im told they are by cobb for the AP to identify the general issue of misfire but not limited to one source cause.

 

[Donkey]

The AP sucks as a OBDII scanner. Try using a real scanner and see what codes come up. Also just start running down the list in the misfire sticky and just do the easy things first.

 

[Mikie13]

Sorry, I can't look at this thread without thinking:

 

[Bro2517]

Donkey I have, everything from compression to plug gapping. It was suggested to me to take it and get the tune checked. My 02 came with the AP and codes already. I do believe it is running lean. So Im gonna run a volt test on the injectors and also run through the sticky again. I need to find this issue, it's driving me nuts.

Is it possible that the tunning was done incorrectly by prev owner and causing this issue?

 

[Bro2517]

I have run a scanner on the 02 and it comes back no issue's as well as Advance and AutoZone.

 

[Wrextasti]

At first glance, flashing cel told me multi cyl misfire. could be anything there from plugs to clogged cat/ exhaust. However, the oil consumption seems like an awful lot. Its gotta be going somewhere. The ground, exhaust or coolant. Generally white smoke out the tail pipe tends to indicate coolant burning out the exhaust. Even tho compression test was done not long ago, depending on where exactly a headgasket leak(s) are they can still be bad enough to show symptoms. Have u taken your radiator cap off to check for oil in the coolant? How long ago did u do the compression test? Before white smoke or during early symptoms. Possibly may have gotten worse. Maybe turbo bad/ cracked? Never heard of one that bad but I guess all is possible. Possible too the Cel and smoke/ oil consumption could be two entirely different issues aswell. On my car, I wish I got 160 or better for compression on my 02 wrx lol. They weren't horrible tho.

 

[Calvinball]

Donkey I have, everything from compression to plug gapping. It was suggested to me to take it and get the tune checked. My 02 came with the AP and codes already. I do believe it is running lean. So Im gonna run a volt test on the injectors and also run through the sticky again. I need to find this issue, it's driving me nuts.

Is it possible that the tunning was done incorrectly by prev owner and causing this issue?

Edit: Re-read and noticed that the problem had gone away for a while. Not only is it possible that it was tuned incorrectly, but that would've been the first thing I'd have checked when you first got the car and it was throwing codes.

What other mods are there?

 

[Bro2517]

Other Mods on the car only consist of 3inch turbo catless exhuast and tokico shocks/struts. Everything else is stock. The tune came with the car and being my first wrx I did not have the know how to do so. I also did not know the tune could ever go bad or incorrectly be installed. Thanks to reading Donkey's other forums on tunes, I now know that the car should have been taken into a shop for fine tuning. Due to the fact that each is different in it's own way. The gentleman I bought the car of has changed his number, so now I can not get a hold of him to ask if he did the tune or if a shop did.

 

[Bro2517]

I am however gonna replace hose's and tubes in case of leak due to small crack unseen. I also talked to an owner of a tune shop (Early Performance) here in Pa. He will run a check on my tune for $75 and let me know if it needs retuned. The oil issue... I have checked in my radiator and there is none in it. I did have light moisture around the heads but that could be from when I did the burnt valve. There are no puddles/drippes and I pressure washed the motor last week. Can not see a leak. I was thinking that if it is running lean it could be running hotter, burning oil faster. Is that possible?

 

[Wrextasti]

When u had the valve issue, did they resurface the heads?

 

[Wrextasti]

Had another thought also. If u take the oil cap off while car is running, do u see any smoke coming out of the filler neck? If you have a blown ring, oil in cylinder can show good compression even tho ring is bad. Putting a tiny amount of oil in the spark plug hole to see if compression improves is actually the way to test a blown ring (wet compression test). Could be cause of smoke, oil consumption and misfire. Just a thought..

 

[Bro2517]

Heads checked and were good as well as pistons. The cap if taken off no smoke seen. I rechecked for oil moisture today on the motor, there is none. This issue is still a ninja to me, lol. Im gonna do a voltage test on the injector wires. I checked my grounds and cleaned them, but maybe I have a bare wire or break in line that I missed. Does anyone know what voltage I should be looking for? Oh my turbo inlet hose a tear as well. I patched it with rubber and silcone tape. That was not the issue either, but not helping I bet. Any suggestion's for a replacement turbo inlet?

 

[Bro2517]

Donkey, I tried running the store scanner again and still no normal codes found. Oh and I checked my compression again, still 160.

 

[Wrextasti]

If u unplug the maf sensor, any improvement?

 

[Wrextasti]

If maf didnt help I'd do a fuel pressure test aswell. Both w/ and w/o fuel pressure regulator vacuum line off the intake.

 

[Bro2517]

I tried the MAF and cleaned it, unplugged it gets way worse. This weekend Im gonna go over the injectors and fuel system. Eventhough the injectors are new, better check em any way and pressure/voltage to them.

 

[SD_GR]

If it gets worse when the MAF is unplugged I'd exclude the MAF as a problem.

 

[Bro2517]

Yep, I have and did the same with all coil packs. N the compression is still good. Also still not leaking oil, It's going somewhere, but not the ground or radiator.