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Subaru Forester 2004: XT hesitation issue

I bought a 2004 Subaru Forester XT three years ago and from day one it's had a surging/hesitation issue. It's mainly when it's cold, but its still there when warmed up. I had the MAF sensor and in-tank filter changed; I've run it on premium and regular fuel with no change, and the timing belt was done 18 months ago. I was told that remapping the ECU might help, but I have never heard of this before, nor has my mechanic. What do you think?

Remapping the ECU might fix it, but it's not really addressing the problem. It's most likely that it's running lean for some reason. Cleaning the throttle body is a good thing to start with, checking fuel filters can work, and checking the fuel injectors would be a good move.

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