zyewdall

Makes me wonder what the relative value of NOx on a diesel is.... I suspect it's much higher, because those always run lean -- sometimes very lean compared to a gasoline engine (except if you overfuel them, and then you get the black smoke cloud). It'd be interetesting to run my diesel through the gasoline emissions test just to see what it said, except that as an official testing place, they probably won't do that even if I pay them for the test.

Yup -- both tests were within about an hour and a half of each other. (sit in line idling for about 40 minutes, go in for first test, fail, drive 2 miles back to my shop to look at it -- immediately see disconnected O2 sensor and plug it back in, go 2 miles back to E-test place, sit in line idling again for about 40 minutes, and test again Now... my '97 imp has the rear O2 sensor disconnected (cable is missing entirely... oddd) and it's getting lousy gas mileage (22ish instead of 26ish in same sort of driving as the legacy) and smells of unburned gas... but it's a two O2 sensor system instead of just one, and I don't know for sure if the front one is good either.

The few times I've done this, it's been a royal pain to get them to slide back together... I've had to resort to the rotating the crankshaft trick. And, make sure you aren't binding up on the bottom/crossmember -- that happens alot even when you think they are all properly lined up and clearing it.

Torque converter = good (required part of 99% of automatic transmissions) Torque bind = bad (result of toasted piece of subaru AWD transmissions)

A baja is basically a legacy outback, with a different shaped back end -- drivetrain is all the same as far as I know... so look for all the same stuff as an outback of the same year. Except, I thought they stopped making the Baja in 2004... so it might be the same as the 2004 Outback, not the 2005 one ?? I have a friend with one... it's a pretty nice little trucklet. I think the bright yellow ones look really nice

Yeah, it's still way better than all the toyota pickups that are the other main choice of vehicle other than subaru's here, I admit. But my old '89 GL usually still averaged around 26 in the winter and 29 in summer, unless there was alot of snowdrift bashing going on. Even the '90 legacy seemed to average about 26 in the same type of driving as the impreza's 23. Someone really jacked up the O2 sensors on the Imp... the front sensor, for some reason, had a big extension plugged in in line, instead of just going directly from the sensor to the harness, and the wire from the back O2 sensor to the harness is missing entirely... looks like it was violently chewed off the sensor, and who knows where the other end went... I think I can make a new wire for the new sensor using the silly extension that was on the front one though And, it already runs better with the new plugs and air filter (air filter was absolutely filthy, and plugs were quite worn...)

From my 1990 Legacy wagon -- I accidentally got an emissions test done on it with the oxygen sensor unplugged, and if failed (just barely). After I figured out that we'd forgotten to plug it back in after doing some exaust work a while ago, I did the test again, and got new results (passed). Though they might be of interest to someone so I'll post them. Running properly: HC = 1.17grams/mile (2.0 limit) CO = 11.07gpm (20 limit) CO2 = 466gpm Nox = 2.39gpm (3.5 limit) With O2 sensor disconnected: HC = 0.23gpm CO = 2.52gpm CO2 = 422gpm Nox = 3.65gpm Oddly, even running as lean as it was, it ran fine (for about 1500 miles... hope I didn't damage anything), no noticeable difference in power, good mileage (about 27 to 28mpg on the freeways at 70 to 75mph mostly). Occasional check engine light at highway speeds was all.

Borrowed the fancy reader from Checker Auto and it read it... ISO9141 indeed. Though the one I bought claims to do that... Anyway, PO141 -- second heater bank is the code... guy in the store says that's the rear O2 sensor. I got a generic replacement for it, as well as new plugs, wires and air filter (have no idea how old those are, and my experience is that no one every remembers to change them....). Car's getting about 23mpg

Have you measured the battery voltage (at the battery terminals, not with the kinda iffy voltage guage in the car?). It sounds to me that it could be a very low battery that's not getting sufficiently charged... that would cause weak clicking when trying to start it too, even if the starter's good. Or, it could be a bad starter. Or a bad cable between the starter and the battery. They would all have very similar symptoms (I've had all of them on various cars...).

Huh? If you read the description, it does claim to be an OBDII scanner (or at least claims it can pull and reset engine codes...isn't that a scanner?), compliant with any 1996 and newer vehicle, and it does not work in my subaru.

The one that I just bought does not work with my '97 OBS... http://www.crutchfield.com/p_579MPG/PLX-Kiwi-MPG-Fuel-Efficiency-Meter.html?tp=614&id=detailed_info#Tab

Yeah, the engine is running. And I tried stopping it and restarting it and no change...

So... I plugged in the code reader and it said communication failed... it could be a bad code reader (Cheapo $89 unit from Crutchfield, I don't have any other vehicles new enough to test it on). Or, is there something else I need to do to get the car to communicate with the code reader? Something to activate it? 1997 Impreza Outback Sport 2.2

Test drive it to see -- but IMO, the newer subaru's are overpowered if anything (being used to 4 cylinder pickup trucks and 80's subarus.....). I drove my '82 subaru wagon with 70hp to the top of the highest paved road in colorado (around 14,000 feet) without any problems. The new ones are a bit more fun to rally on dirt roads because you can really accelerate, but even the old ones handled hills fine if just getting to the top was the goal.

It's a '97 Impreza Outback Sport (which I understand is only a trim difference on the impreza, no lift like the Legacy Outback vs regular Legacy.

And what springs? Outback springs too?

Depends... is it a 1.5 lane gravel road with blind curves going up the canyon through the trees, or is it a straight 2 lane gravel road on the plains? I'm thinking the former when I say gravel road most of the time. What sort of diesel mini pickup? I've got a D50 turbodiesel, that I really like, though it's kind of disassembled right now adding a 6000lb winch and homemade grill guard to it, as well as electric cooling fans for the oil cooler and radiator while I've got teh front end taken apart. And maybe an intercooler...

For $200, if it runs without overheating, doesn't make horrible grinding noises when you try to put it in 4wd, and doesn't have the frame rails rusted through, it's probably worth it. It's the one's that people have listed for $1000 with something not working that make wonder a bit....

1987 5spd dual range transmission. Transplanted into the 1997 Impreza. It's got brand new 75/90W oil in it, and the oil looks great and is full... but it seems louder than the seemingly identical transmission in my '89 GL. In low range it whines alot, and even in 2wd, you can hear the synchros spin up when you downshift, before you let the clutch out, and you can hear from the transmission whine whether you are accelerating or decelerating. Now, I know the EJ22 and rest of the Imp is quieter than the old GL, but still... it sounds more like the worn out old transmission in my old '82 GL than most of the 5 speeds I've driven. One more odd thing... it's hard to shift when cold (less than 10F)... a little like my truck which will actually move forwards in nuetral from the drag of the oil in the transmission. But I've never noticed the GL's transmission being quite that stiff when cold... wonder if it's got something else in it. Do you think it's a problem -- should I think about adding some lucas stuff, or semisynthetic oil or something, or should I just get the radio fixed and forget about it? Thanks Z

So... I've read about half a dozen threads, and am still confused on the forester vs outback struts (for an imp). I'd be buying new struts (and forester ones are slightly cheaper than outback ones for some reason...) and probably reusing the impreza tophats... but what springs to use?... some threads seem to imply that the outback struts are taller (or more travel?), but the forester springs are taller... I'd like a nice 2 to 3 inch lift, nothing extreme..., just to get it back up to the clearance of my stock old GL wagon for snowdrifts, which seems to be about 2.5 inches. Right now the back springs are sagging anyway... it's got about a 3/4 to 1" inch drop. Hauling a woodstove in the back probably didn't help (and the previous owner hauled landscaping supplies i.e. dirt, in the back). Forester front struts, with forester front springs and imp tophats, and forester rear struts, with imp tophats, and legacy springs? Or...????

I put KYB-GR-2's on the front of my '90 legacy wagon. Pretty happy with them so far. I got them for around $130 for the set from RockAuto IIRC (they were closeout sale or something odd like that). The old ones were so bad (zero damping....) that the oil pan and y-pipe and transmission cross member was full of dents from hitting the ground (rocky half mile driveway to my friend's house who I bought it from... though I could go up her driveway even with the completely shot struts without bottoming out though I did have to use precise throttle to counteract bouncing at times). Now it'll cruise at 80 on the highway if you floor it and feels really smooth. And, it does look like it may have raised it a tad, but hard to tell for sure.

Yeah... 40mph on gravel is pretty fast. Not saying that I don't do it on roads that I drive alot and am familiar with... but you don't quite have 100% control even in a well tuned awd car with good tires. Up in WA, we'd have loaded log trucks doing 40 on gravel roads through the woods -- I remember following one in my old '82 GL and then looking down at the speedo being surprised I was going that fast... and I didn't have a 20 ton load held on by gravity behind me

Check the archives here for discussion on ghostwalking on ice... that seems to be a problem in the rear suspension design of the '05 and up outbacks. Other than that, they are pretty nice, if a bit sluggish (the 1 gen legacies feel faster, though that could also be because I've only driven the automatic '07, and mostly manual 90's).

Yup. I just did the timing belt and idlers on my '97 impreza, and it had the old style tensioner. But, we didn't know for sure till opening it up.

I've never driven a fwd legacy, but I've driven 2wd older subies, and my impreza can be put in 2wd or 4wd now, and I've always found them to handle quite well in 2wd -- obviously not like in 4wd or awd, but about as good as other front wheel drive cars. A little better than the honda accord (which admittedly had bad tires), not quite as good as the diesel rabbit. Sounds like it might be an issue with alighnment or struts or something???? I've also driven rwd pickups in snow and gravel.... more fun I guess, but control is usually not a word I'd use for it. I'd much rather have a front wheel drive subaru in loose stuff than a rwd vehicle. You do have to watch out for overconfidence in all wheel drive vehicles with higher horsepower engines (i.e. more than an EA82)... they can get going much faster than you have the ability to stop or steer, especially if you don't run studded snows. Did that with the legacy with all seasons on it...