1Subaru1

Yep, I went into town and back,50 mile round trip, CEL came as I neared home. Thanks for the advice on the vacuum lines and sensor.

I just did plugs, wires, and coil on mine, which showed the same acceleration issue and it is now fixed. Used all Subaru parts per advice on this forum. Do plugs and wires first and see how that goes before doing the coil as mine was $225.00. Good luck.

Just arrived home. He did plugs, wires, coil(had to use it as it was ordered yesterday), all Subaru parts,cleared the codes. 1hr. labour. CEL is still out, and car runs well now (knock on wood). Good suggestion on vacuum testing, hopefully the CEL stays off for a while, but we'll look at that later. Thanks for your help. We had a foot of blowing snow today, people in town had problems getting around, people on the hwy went slow; this old Subaru goes through snow as if it wasn' t even there. I love this car! I call it the Pack Mule - pack it up, point it, and go.

Yep, I think the mechanic mentioned something about the filler neck code,that was changed last year, and yes we ordered all new Subaru parts.

1999 Brighton Wagon 2.2L auto, 257,000 kms: Just spent 2hrs typing up descripition, then lost it somehow , so I'll be brief. Car runs rough under acceleration, either from a stop ,or trying to pass a car. Ease into it gently and it is fine. Stomp on the gas and it runs rough. CEL is on , has been for years, but the car has run really well up until now. Took it to mechanic, a Subaru fanatic, and we checked the diff. fluids - both are clear and clean and full; same with transmission fluid. Car seems to shift normally. Put the car on the hoist and I drove it up to 100 kph on the speedo as mechanic looked at the car from various angles. It ran rough when I gave a good dose of gas. The right front wheel seemed to rotate a bit faster than the left front at slow speed Stored codes off the ECU scan are: P0170, P0304 - cyl 4 missfire, P0440 evap. Cleared the stored codes and put a new fuel filter on it. Mechanic suggests that the next step is to change plugs, wires and coil tomorrow. Headed out,drove slowly and easy, even on the hwy, cruised 115 kph easily. Tried to get it to act up by accelerating hard up a hill; car acts up and CEL flashes 5 times then goes out and engine smooths out. 5 minutes later the car acts up, smooths out as I let up on the gas then CEL comes on and stays on. The car is in really good shape for its age, and I would like to keep it, but this is getting expensive. Any ideas on WTF is going on? Thanks. Yours, Steve

1999 Legacy Brighton Wagon, Auto: Factory tires: 185-70-14. Can I put on some 205-60-15 tires (80% tread, with rims) from a 1998 Outback Wagon without messing up my AWD ? If so, any guess how much my speedometer will be off - high/low? Thanks for any help.

I have a 1999 Legacy Brighton Wagon, 2.2l, auto. A neighbour has a 1996, or 7 Outback (2.5l I think) auto which he is going to have towed to a wrecker. He said I could take whatever I want off of his car for spare parts. Any suggestions on what I should harvest? I'd be limited to smaller things I can carry like power window motors, starter, alternator, etc, not larger items like transmission, motor etc. Thanks.

Update: I called the local Subaru dealer and they dont sell the little plastic toggle button that fits over the switch/controller for the window. You must buy a whole new controller, $200.+ ! Holy Crap! All that for a 10 cent piece of plastic !

Good news...I finally had a chance to look at the switch. The panel cover part just pops off with a screwdriver, and the whole switch assembly unscrews from the door frame; but I didn't have to do all of that, just popped the panel cover. Upon looking at the "switch" I noticed that the plastic toggle that clips on to the actual "switch" (up/down controller) was snaped off on one side on the inside and was loosely attached, so removed the toggle and tried the controller with just my finger - the window goes up & down as it should. I just need a new toggle clip or whatever it is called. . Thanks for everyone's good suggestions and help. Yours, Steve

Thanks for the good suggestions. Just fiddling with the switch was enough to get the window back into the "up" position for now. I'll get to work on it as soon as it stops raining - in a few days. Any other hints at removing the switch panel from the door?

1999 Legacy Brighton Wagon, 2.2L, auto , power windows/locks/mirrors. My wife has the car a few hundred miles away, so I can't look at it now. She'll be home in a few hours. Problem: the drivers side window is stuck in the fully down position and it won't go up at all. The other windows work OK. Could it be a fuse for this window only? Any suggestions on what to look for before I have to take it in to get it fixed? It's raining like hell now and for the next few days so I'd like to get at it soon, and no I don't have a garage to park it in. I'm no mechanic , but I'm mechanically inclined. I'd apreciate any suggestions. Thanks. 1S1

I called the dealer and they did not have a rad cap for my car in stock ($18.99 and a 4 day wait) so I had to get a cap at CTC for $8., installed it and then I drove it around most of the day yesterday, with some highway and in town driving, stopping along the way 5 or 6 times to check - no bubbles yet. I still have to check the level after it has cooled down to see where it's at, wish me luck.

I bought it used. I took it to Subaru dealer for a total inspection before I bought it. It passed with flying colours. The mechanics were impressed with it. I researched it for a year on this and other boards before I decided on the model. Just my luck I guess. I'll get a replacement cap for it tomorrow. Should I get a Subaru cap; is it necessary? I love the car but geez they're expensive to maintain.

1999 Legacy Brighton Wagon, auto 2.2 L engine : The head gaskets were done about 10,000 km/ 2 years ago, by a Subaru mechanic at his own private shop. I can only assume it was done right as the car has run fine since, and the temp gauge always reads just below the half-way mark (as normal). After a 200 mile trip last week, I parked in the driveway and left the car running , opened the hood and checked the overflow tank for bubbles (as I always do since prior head gasket problem) and see small bubbles rising to the top of the coolant in the overflow tank. It was about 24C/75F out. After the car cooled down I can see no evidence that the coolant level in the overflow tank is down at all. The next day I take the car into town to do a couple of errands. 25miles into the first town at 80km/hr,stop for a minute check coolant tank with engine running-no bubbles, then drive through town, connect with highway and drive for 12 minutes @ 110km/hr, do the same check-no bubbles. Temp gauge is always normal. I'm trying to diagnose the problem before I have to go in and pay for a head gasket repair. There seems to be no leaking of coolant under the engine as far as I can tell, but I don't have a hoist. I grabbed the top rad hose and gave it a squeeze, listening for the sloshing sound of coolant in the engine that I heard before when the head gasket was going last time- no sound and the pressure seemed good. Then I gave it a hard squeeze so that I forced the coolant past the rad cap and into the coolant overflow tank-I saw a few bubbles,probably in the overflow hose and then the coolant flowed into the tank. Then I let off the pressure on the top rad hose and heard a chirping sound as if air was being sucked into the coolant at the rad cap as the coolant was sucked back into the rad. So I logged on here,did a search for "bubbles" and found a suggestion that it may be the coolant overflow hose that has a leak in it. I went back to the car and took the rad cap off, slowly squeezed the upper rad hose to bring the coolant level with where the rad cap attaches and firmly placed my palm on it to create a seal. Then I gave the upper rad hose a good squeeze. The coolant flowed into the overflow tank easily and when I release pressure on the upper rad hose, the coolant sucks back into the rad with no problem and no sound. Could it be that when the engine warms and the coolant expands into the overflow tank and then later cools, it draws air into the rad through the rad cap, which then bubbles into the overflow tank the next time it warms up and expands? Any suggestions on what else to check? Thanks.

1999 Brighton Wagon, EJ 22, Auto, Air, 175,000 kms. : I posted earlier with the car's symptoms, and by everyone's opinon it looks like I need the head gasket replaced. I'm going to have this done next weekend. What else should I get done while this procedure is performed? The timing belt, alternator belt and oil seals were done at 169000 kms when I bought it earlier this year. I'd hate to be saying "I should have..." after it's been done. Thanks for your input.

Anyone with any other suggestions, before I commit to the replacement of the headgasket? The car still runs fine, same coolant loss, same replacement routine, no coolant in the oil. Thanks.

"To The Top"... it's a bump to put the post at the top of the list again, hopefully someone will see it and respond with an answer. S is for Steve :cool:

T T T S :cool:

CAR: 1999 Subaru Legacy Brighton, Auto, EJ22 Phaze 2 engine 175,000 kms, bought used at 167,000 kms. I noticed bubbles in the coolant overflow tank a month ago. Since then I've been scouring this site looking for clues as to what could be causing this as EJ 22's are supposedly not prone to head gasket issues. PROBLEM: In the morning when the car is cold I make sure the rad is filled properly (remove bleed screw and raise the front of the car by driving up and parking on my steep driveway, fill slowly and squeeze the air out of the upper rad hose) and that the coolant expansion tank is at the "Full Cold" mark. I drive 20 miles into town, (the car does not over heat and the temp gauge remains normal -just slightly less than half, and it will blow hot heat out the vents too), do some errands and come home. Let car idle. Check coolant expansion tank and notice bubbles in the tank, about 1 per second at idle. Let the car cool off until next day. Coolant in expansion tank is now at "Full Hot " mark, so I remove the coolant to "full cold" level and put it in a jug and then top off the rad again with new coolant - about a pint, roughly equal to what was extra in the expansion tank. Drive, then repeat the process. What I've done: Bought a new rad cap (non Subaru) in February, as routine maintenance. This week I took the car to the local Subaru dealer who supposedly purged the air from the system, but obviously didn't check the expansion tank for bubbles after he was done as it was bubbling after I drove it four blocks. I took it back; he says "headgasket." I read posts on this site that suggest it could be a thermostat problem too. The local NAPA parts guy suggested a backyard mechanic who has 9 yrs. Subaru experience and I had him to do a "block test" which came up negative, so he suggests a bad thermostat or rad could be the problem as the lower rad hose was cold (the car was warm)and he couldn't see the coolant flowing through the rad with the cap off. He replaced the thermostat and "O" ring (Subaru parts) last night and noticed the rad was flowing better with that change.He also noticed it had a non Subaru thermostat, so it had been replaced before. We warmed up the car in the driveway and no bubbles. He did a "sniff test" of the exhaust and said it seemed OK. Then we took it for a 10 minute drive at 50 mph, temp guage at normal level and there were bubbles in the overflow tank again when we returned. Now he thinks it's a possible head gasket issue, but is not 100% sure, as the car has not overheated, the temp gauge is normal, and the EJ 22's are not known for this problem - in 9 yrs. at Subaru, he only saw 1 other. Something just doesn't seem to add up. Maybe I'm just stupid.:dead:I checked all of the repair bills from the previous owner and the thermostat was replaced in Jan. '05. Repair bill said "diagnose no heat". A new thermostat and coolant was installed. Since then all of the receipts for oil changes/fliud checks, until I bought it say that the coolant level is OK. Any other diagnostic suggestions before I go ahead with a headgasket repair? I love the car, but no one can give me a definite yes or no on a headgasket repair, and I'd rather not waste my money if it's not necessary. Thank you for your time and attention. Steve

I thought this might be of some use to Canadian Subaru owners with head gasket problems. :cool: Steve special to the star (Toronto) Jul 21, 2007 Q: I own a 2000 Subaru Forester that I bought new. It now has a leaking head gasket, with an estimated cost of $2,800 to repair. A previous Subaru recall was supposed to resolve this concern. My car was serviced with the prescribed additive as soon as the recall was issued in 2004. A "silent warranty" in the U.S. covers repairs to 1999 to 2002 model-year cars that develop a leak before 100,000 miles or eight years. Is any help available to Canadian owners? John G A: Subaru Canada replied only that "the matter had been resolved with the customer." As to what this meant, G explained that, one day after we contacted the auto maker, Subaru advised him they would cover the head gasket repairs. "It astonishes me that if I hadn't researched the topic, and then contacted Your Beef, I'd now be out several thousand dollars for the repair," G adds.

I picked up my 1999 Brighton Wagon, auto, EJ22 phaze 2, in late December. I kept pretty good records to see what mileage I was getting. Always used the same gas pump too. We had virtually no snow and warm (0 to minus 5 C) temperatures in December so drivng was easy. Achieved 39 M.P.G.(real, or imperial gallons) at around 55-60 M.P.H. on longer highway trips. Then the snow came (around 10 feet fell from mid Jan. to end of Feb.- we're in the snow belt) and the temp was down to -20 C for weeks at a time, so we just went the 40 miles into town and back once a week for supplies, mostly on snow and ice covered roads and mileage went down to 30 M.P.G.-city/highway combined. I call it the Mule because it isn't pretty but it stubbornly goes through anything in it's path. I have not had one regret (Knock on wood) about buying this car!

From a previous post: "The 95-99 Legacy (Brighton, L and 95 LS/LSi) models had the somewhat underpowered but very reliable EJ22 engine. Try to get a 1999 model with the Phase 2 EJ22 engine which has more HP (142 hp vs 137) and more torque (149 lb ft vs 140). The Phase 2 EJ22 also produces its peak torque at 3600 RPM instead of the Phase 1's 5,600, which make it a far more usable engine. Avoid 4EAT automatics prior to the 99 model year (or is it 98?). In 99 (or 98?) Subaru introduced a new 4EAT case design which does not suffer from the torque bind problem in such high frequency. The pre-98 transmissions had a metal part moving against the aluminum transmission case, which would eventually wear and develop a pressure leak (and torque bind). In 98 Subaru added a hardened steel sleeve to prevent this wear to the aluminum transmisison case and in most cases this will prevent torque bind (it will at least reduce the cost of fixing torque bind). Basically if the transmission has a spin off transmission oil filter near the front drive shaft on the driver's side, it is the new transmission and this is the good one. The old 4EAT's aren't that unreliable though, just keep $800 aside to fix the torque bind problem that will almost always occur between 70-120K miles. The 5MT's are not smooth and the clutch sucks, but this is true of most Subaru's. If you can shift properly and get used to the long throws of the gears and clutch and tolerate some clutch judder, the 5MT is pretty much bulletproof. I quite like my 5MT, but when I drive my relatives' BMW's and Acura's I really realize that the Subaru 5MT transmission is not all that great. So my recommendations are: Get a wagon, unless you absolutely want a sedan. The wagon is more versatile and is easier to resell. Don't get any Subaru with the old Phase 1 EJ25 SOHC engine (1996-1999 Legacy LS/LSi/GT and Outback had this engine). The 1995-99 Legacy L and Brighton had the far more reliable EJ22 engine, and the 99 Legacy L and Brighton had the more powerful Phase II EJ22 engine. Don't get any Subaru with the early 4EAT transmission. (1989-1997?). Look for the spin off oil filter on the driver's side of the transmission, this is the redesigned and more reliable 4EAT (should be on 1998+ models)". Hope that helps.

I think the 2001 has bigger (better) front disc brakes than the 2000.

When adding up the power requirements the generator will have to provide, also look at the amperage needed, and check the peak and normal running amperages as well. Just my 2 cents.

Its speled "inteleq-wel'.