02 wrx " Waste-gate solenoid a low" Code

[02 WRX]

When i use a computer to read the car it comes up with code PO245, which is wastgate solenoid a low, it also reads misfire in cylinders 2 and 4.

This all of a sudden started happening when i took off from a stop sign one day, the car was skipping and sputtering. i have had an exhaust leak for a week or so and noticed it was getting worse and worse and i was losing power. Thinking that might have been the cause of the problem i went got it welded up. Well, that didn't fix the problem so i hooked it up to the computer. then it read those codes. I read about it and bypassed the solenoid, which is an aftermarket solenoid so it doesn't have the tee.  still having misfire problems and car running bad, i tried adjusting the actuator but the bolt is rusted and wont free up.  i took off the c clap that holds it on and adjusted flipped the waste gate open to see if that would fix the problem. Still running bad, misfiring, and reading the same code.

Wondering if any of you guys have had this problem and was the solution was. It would be great if i could get some answers/suggestions to try.

 

[flat4awd]

Maybe you could donate the car to charity, tax writeoff.

 

[RyanR]

List every engine/powertrain modification to the car, and if it is tuned or not. If tuned, tell us by who. If it's an off the shelf map, tell us which one.

 

[RyanR]

I should mention that is an out of range code, which means there is probably an electrical problem with the wastegate circuit or electronic valve controller.

Being a subaru, the codes can be deceptive. I have also seen this code on cars with massive vacuum leaks, like a ripped/disconnected hose or trashed recirc valve. Do you have a boost/vac gauge in the car? Can you give us a reading when the car is idling?

Your fuel pressure regulator relies on vacuum to adjust fuel properly, and without good vac will cause bad misfires. A lean condition from a big vac leak can also cause the misfires. Check for air leaks from cracked hoses or disconnected hoses first.

 

[Meyagi]

im betting burnt valves. starting to see a lot of them.

 

[RyanR]

^ yeah, truth. Wtf is up with that.

 

[Meyagi]

its been all turbo cars, usually cylinders 2 or 4.... huge chunks of valve missing, looks like it was cut with a torch. i have no clue whats causing it. last two cars i repaired were bone stock, around 100k miles...

 

[drvsdwz]

its been all turbo cars, usually cylinders 2 or 4.... huge chunks of valve missing, looks like it was cut with a torch. i have no clue whats causing it. last two cars i repaired were bone stock, around 100k miles...

No misfires on mine yet cuz I haven't been driving it under boost. But i have 1 or 2 intake valves that are bad. Noticed it was running like crap, and with my track record decided to do a compression test. Cylinder 4. Ryan helped me with a leakdown and discovered intake valves bad

 

[02 WRX]

its a turbosmart boost controller, with the wheel to adjust boost up or down. it has a turbo xs bov. Has a glowshift boost gauge, and also a glow shift fuel air ratio gauge. The fuel ratio gauge always reads as rich as it can get, and the boost gauge always reads 0, so i know them aren't wired up correctly. I bought the car off a kid who had swapped the motor to an sti motor and ran alcohol injection in it and had it tuned by "one of his friends" that works at a subaru shop in NH. the sti motor got a hole in the block so he put everything back to stock, and put a stock computer in it so it isn't running as he "tuned" it. He aparently did all the gauges and everything else. the car has a turbo timer and a computer override type system in it that will start blinking and shut the car off before something blows, but then again that's what the kid told me when i bought it. i never had any problems with it up until that moment i took off from the stop sign. car still idles perfect and revs fine. its backfiring a lot and shooting flames. after revving it up it goes was down to around 500 rpms for a couple seconds and seems like its going to stall but then goes back up to around 900rpms. and doesn't act up until i rev it up again.

I also wasn't running very much boost at the time because i turned down the controller because the boost gauge wasnt working and wasnt sure what it was running around. 

it makes me want to think the fuel might be an issue. i had gotten super from a place i had never gotten it before and the next day is when it happened, i ran all the gas out of it while trying to adjust the boost and get it to idle right. put more gas in and it seemed to be running better, not perfect, but didnt act up as bad.

but then when i went to test drive it, pulling out of my driveway i had practically no power at all. and then wld bog down in rpms.

ill look for boost leaks later. i know there isn't any that are obvious and can hear them.

 

[RyanR]

its been all turbo cars, usually cylinders 2 or 4.... huge chunks of valve missing, looks like it was cut with a torch. i have no clue whats causing it. last two cars i repaired were bone stock, around 100k miles...

How was the valve lash on those when you pulled them?  Just curious.

No misfires on mine yet cuz I haven't been driving it under boost. But i have 1 or 2 intake valves that are bad. Noticed it was running like crap, and with my track record decided to do a compression test. Cylinder 4. Ryan helped me with a leakdown and discovered intake valves bad

Surprised yours runs so well considering the 64%+ leak on that cyl.  May potentially have exhaust valve probs as well.  Plug looked like it had been running crazy lean on that cyl only, could be a bad injector or intake gasket, or tight valves, but could also be due to constant air flow from the burnt valve post-burn.

 

[RyanR]

its a turbosmart boost controller, with the wheel to adjust boost up or down. it has a turbo xs bov. Has a glowshift boost gauge, and also a glow shift fuel air ratio gauge. The fuel ratio gauge always reads as rich as it can get, and the boost gauge always reads 0, so i know them aren't wired up correctly. I bought the car off a kid who had swapped the motor to an sti motor and ran alcohol injection in it and had it tuned by "one of his friends" that works at a subaru shop in NH. the sti motor got a hole in the block so he put everything back to stock, and put a stock computer in it so it isn't running as he "tuned" it. He aparently did all the gauges and everything else. the car has a turbo timer and a computer override type system in it that will start blinking and shut the car off before something blows, but then again that's what the kid told me when i bought it. i never had any problems with it up until that moment i took off from the stop sign. car still idles perfect and revs fine. its backfiring a lot and shooting flames. after revving it up it goes was down to around 500 rpms for a couple seconds and seems like its going to stall but then goes back up to around 900rpms. and doesn't act up until i rev it up again.

I also wasn't running very much boost at the time because i turned down the controller because the boost gauge wasnt working and wasnt sure what it was running around. 

it makes me want to think the fuel might be an issue. i had gotten super from a place i had never gotten it before and the next day is when it happened, i ran all the gas out of it while trying to adjust the boost and get it to idle right. put more gas in and it seemed to be running better, not perfect, but didnt act up as bad.

but then when i went to test drive it, pulling out of my driveway i had practically no power at all. and then wld bog down in rpms.

ill look for boost leaks later. i know there isn't any that are obvious and can hear them.

Take the car to a reputable shop/tech and have it fixed, before it blows up (if it hasn't already).  Sounds like it was potentially hacked back together.  This one won't be easy to diag over the intertubes.  Better to have someone really look it over, imo.

 

[drvsdwz]

moving this to the appropriate forum