# Why is this thing still missing?!? Help? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 24, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-this-thing-still-missing-help/18616 "2008-08-24T20:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sasquatch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sasquatch/32/13873_2.png) [@sasquatch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sasquatch)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-this-thing-still-missing-help/18616/1 "2008-08-24T20:16:26Z")
I am the devoted owner of a 1990 Subaru Legacy Wagon w/about 250K miles. A couple months ago my wife came home complaining that our 90 Legacy was running rough. I checked the plugs which seemed a bit fouled and I had some plugs in the garage, so I changed them out and voila the car was back to normal. The car has been running great until about two days ago after I’d gotten some gas. About 5 miles later it started running like it was missing. It also develops a bad shake at about 45mph that goes away if you let off of accelerator. In park other then a bit of a rough sound at about 2k it revs just fine, it is only when the car is driving that it feels as if it is missing. Thinking it was spark related, I pulled the plugs, shined up the contact points and put new wires on. Then to make sure there wasn’t a fuel issue I put in some fuel line antifreeze and changed the fuel filter. I drove it about 15 miles and there is no change. HELP ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-this-thing-still-missing-help/18616/2 "2008-08-24T22:38:14Z")
Still using points? I would replace them,they are cheap,need to be eliminated as a possible source of your concern.Why did you not do them when you did the plugs?Do you have a dwell meter.You could benifit from a engine “scope” I havent used or seen one used in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-this-thing-still-missing-help/18616/3 "2008-08-25T04:57:01Z")
I think he means he cleaned the contact points where the distributor rotor connects to the cap. I doubt you could “retro”-fit a set of points on a 90 subaru even if you wanted to. To the OP: Be a big spender and do a full tune-up. NEW plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor. Running some fuel-injector cleaner might not be a bad idea either. This is just maintenance that needs to be done anyways, and if that doesn’t clear it up we can start looking for problems. Also, if you have a compression tester, you might as well do a compression test while you’ve got the plugs out. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 8:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-this-thing-still-missing-help/18616/4 "2008-08-25T08:27:53Z")
I suspect the fuel pump may be weak and you may have to replace the pump. Check the fuel pressure and see how that is. Another possibility is a dirty throttle position sensor.