Sluggish on WOT, but let off a little and it goes

[georryan]

Ok does this happen to anyone else? The weird thing is that it isn't consistant. For instance, after long trips it won't do this at all (probably due to a timing advance, though). Also, if I'm running around and driving it hard it may stop doing this. Other times it just won't do it at all, and sometimes I can't get it to stop doing it.

Basically I'll floor it from the get go and the thing will feel like it's holding back ever so slightly, but if I let off the gas a little ways I'll feel it start pulling harder, but as soon as I push it down all hte way it will hold back again. I notice it the most in second gear.

I'm not throwing any codes, although I still have to change my purge sensor, that code does come up every once in a while.

I've read all the posts on the alternator, plugs, and battery being factors, and it is possable, but I'm wondering if it COULD be anything else. It isn't so much a hesitation as a bogging in a way. I guess maybe I should unplug my 02 sensor and shorten the gap on my plugs for starters, eh?
I'm running .04 right now.

[FG!!]

that's exactly what i used to have.

try cleaning all the contacts first if you haven't already. battery terminals etcetera. don't forget the two on the shock towers, they'll be nasty.

it's just too easy not to try.

ignore those posts i made on spark plug gap, most likely i was just resetting the computer when i would change the plugs, because i'm like that.

[georryan]

So you don't think it was plug gaps at all? You think it was electracal groundings? After my mods today I did notice that some of my electrical wires are pretty heat soaked and stiff.

[FG!!]

pretty darn sure it wasn't gap.


oem alternator belt is also reccomended. make sure it's tightened to spec.

[entirelyturbo]

All my contacts are pretty nasty, and I have a similar sluggishness at WOT, that's why I hardly ever go WOT...

I'm on Spring Break , so I might clean them off sometime this week and see what happens....

[georryan]

My car seem to be acting great right now. I tightened the belt, so that may have done it, because it was fairly loose around the alternator. The car was sluggish when I first drove it sunday afternoon, but I don't remember if that was before or after I tightened the belt. So I don't know if that was a direct cause of helping it or if it is just a fluke.

[georryan]

Dangit, it's back. I also get a small pop like a minture backfire inbetween shifts some times if I wait for my rpms to fall (like a long shift time) and sometimes it will pop when I rev for a double clutch on a downshift. That isn't very often.

Well...hmm..maybe it is time to go check all my grounds and see if they can be any cleaner.

Edit: After talking to some people I'm thinking it could very possably be my O2 sensor. I'm getting a price quote from subaruparts.com and we'll see if it fixes it. I also plan to change out my coil pack to a diamond sometime in the future.

Another note, is that when I was running diagnostic mode today (green plugs only right?) I would get some serious hesitation on the get go. Like I'd be at a stop light and start off in first and my car would seriously just stop, as if it had died but I'd imediately let off the gas and put the clutch in and try it again and it would go. After it did this twice I pulled over, disconnected the connectors and it drove normally.

If the O2 sensor fixes this, then we may have a cure for other similar hesitations.