DaveT

A few things to check.. plugs & wires. fuel filter / system. exhaust system.

It's been a long time since I had a car bed Subaru. Did they have a idle solenoid?

Got fed up with the clock in my '87 not keeping time. I removed the Zener regulator and replaced it with a switch mode power supply. The dropping resistor normally dissipates about 1watt when the car is on. It runs so hot the solder eventually fails. I also added a diode and a capacitor to the always hot "keep alive" feed, so it won't forget the time when I use the starter, or disconnect the battery for a short time. Now I just have to do the one in my '93.

The one I used was from a late 80's Toyota. There were at least a few of those solenoids used in the car. What they were used for doesn't matter, I never knew. As long as there are 3 ports, you can figure out which way to connect them. If needed, I can go test which port is the default. I don't remember if the EGR valve was normally [ un powered ] routed to the vent, or the vacuum.

I'll have to see if I can find any. Those might be what I have, that are worn out. I have them from a long time ago.

You can tell if 4WD is engaged with the car on the ground. Find a place [parking lot]] where you can go in a tight cicle - steering wheel at full lock. Idle around in a circle or 2 to get a feel for the crawling speed. Switch on 4WD. the car should slow due to drag / binding of 4WD going around tight corner. If it doesn't change, something's wrong. When not in 4WD, it is front drive only.

I have 2 sets of the OEM adjustable ones. I have 2 cars, so they all need to be renewed. I just need the new shock part. IF no one still makes the shock part adjustable style... I have a welder. I could get new fixed ones, cut off the fixed perch, and weld on the stops from the OEM ones. Probably submerge the shock in water while welding to minimize the hot area. Or make some kind of spacer to raise the perch? Have to go look at an adjustable one....

I just ordered a pair of these. Anyone know where to find rear shocks with the adjustable perch? 4WD Wagon EA82. 1986 I looked at the ones on Autozone, but none looked like the perch was adjustable.

Ah, the only button 4wd I've seen are automatic. The standard shift cars had a lever.

Here are pictures. Close up looking into plug hole. The wires are powering an LED to help see inside. EA82 head, one Freeze out plug removed:

I have not experienced that problem. I do have a couple of 3ATs with over 200,000 on them. The button fires a solenoid that routs ATF to the clutch to activate the rear drive. The pressure to that clutch also activates a switch that lights the light.

I can try to get some pics tonight.

The plugs I am writing about are not external. They are in the space under the rocker covers.

I've seen freeze out plugs on the blocks of other engines. I don't see any external freeze out plugs on my EA82 blocks. There are 3 plugs that look like freeze out plugs in the top of EA82 heads. I have a cracked head here, I can pull them out to be sure they close off coolant passages.

Oh, those are probably different. EA82s use really small bulbs.

@ mikaleda, I suspected there were some in that location. There are 3 on EA82 heads. I never had an EA81, but figured they were similar.

There are a few freeze plugs on each head. Those could allow oil and coolant to mix. I have not had that failure mode. Not sure if there are any in the block. No oil passage in the intake.

The mixed oil and coolant is most likely blown headgaskets or cracked head. Only 1 headgasket may be blown. Or both. No easy way to tell. Doesn't matter anyway, as what ever caused one to fail likely damaged the other. My experience has been this - run over normal temp with low coolant - even a little low - you will have blown headgasket /s. Sooner or later. Usually sooner. The intake cannot cause oil and water mix.

Should be a big plastic cover under the steering wheel about over your lower legs when driving. Remove it. Engine error led is visible in a hole in the ecu box, mounted to the bottom of the steering column. Count the long blinks and the fast blinks. That is the 2 digit error code.

Do you have a manufacturer / part number for the pre made ones? How do they compare to the stock lighting?

This is my experience with cold and shifting. It was a long time ago, with my 1976 4WD 4speed. Really stiff making that first shift or few. By the time it would move from 1st to 2nd, I would almost want to be back in first, the car slowed so much. I put Amsoil synthetic gear lube in the gearbox. Used the normal weight recommended in the Subaru manual. Never had the problem again. Temperature made had no effect on shifting any more. Never had a transmission problem with that car, made it over 250,00miles before the body rusted in half. I've been using their synthetic ATF and gear lube ever since. I experienced a similar effect with the 3AT transmissions - temperature has no effect on shifting after switching to their synthetic ATF. The single transmission / diff failure I have had in about 30 years of driving Subarus was due to the gear lube running low on one, and the pinion bearing failing. [slow leak, and I overlooked checking frequently enough - D'oh!]

Other bar with boot.... Tie rod? Those should not be having play. steering wheel jiggling in a narrow speed range has always been tire balance / bent rim or combo of the 2 for me.

Here is my web page with details. http://home.comcast.net/~davidtief/solenoid.html

Got tired of the dim / burned out lights for the Rear Wiper switch.

The EGR trouble code is caused by the solenoid failing open circuit. The solenoid controls the EGR valve . The ECM has no way of monitoring the egr valve. The OEM solenoids always fail. I replace them with ones from Toyota.