DaveT

I got one loose with a piece of 2x4 and a big hammer.

There's a good idea. If you have time and space, you can keep working on him. If you really want to keep him, cut out the rust, weld in good metal. This stuff works very well to stop & prevent rust: http://www.hammerite-automotive.com/

I am not famoiliar with XTs. General electric / electronic information: A reed switch is a magnetically activated switch. They can be normally open or normally closed. A magnet nearby changes the state. All of them that I have seen are a small glass tube with a contact in each end. One is the magnetically sensitve piece that moves. Proper ground = good ground. The braket that mounts the hood release has a couple of screws that work for ground. Also, the ECU mounting nuts.

I'd say it's coincedence. - Adding - I haven't seen the above electric problem. I have had alternators fail, but never noticed that. >>> IF you don't have electric system troubles, read on. <<< I've overheated a few. It is normal for the temp to go way up, then suddenly down. When the cooling system is not 100% full of coolant. If the system isn't full, and at pressure, coolant can boil. It doesn't cool very well that way... Water pumps aren't good at pumping steam or air. The heater core is just fed coolant in a path that bypasses the thermostat. Heat on / off only move doors that effect airflow through the core. Other things that likely need replacemnet: Thermostat. 6 coolant hoses, if it has really been cooked. Water pump. Radiator cap. Valve seals. Headgaskets. If not now, they will begin to show signs of failure sooner than later. Get it hot enough, and you need rings too. The above is what to do to repair the damage from overheat. What caused it originally, at this point, is hard to say, not enough pre-overheat details.

Or maybe the hose to the canister was left unconnected. D'oh!

welcome. Don't drive it anymore until you find the problem.. My experience has been that you will need headgaskets. Maybe not immediatly, but probably sooner than later. Subaru + overheat with low coolant = very bad. Take a look around here, there are lots of coolant system threads, (some farely recent) with what to check, look for, etc.

A few reasons. My wife can't drive a a stick. We tried. Nope, not going to happen. (I want all cars driveable by either of us, if hers has a problem, I don't have to panic fix it, because she can use one of mine) For normal driving, I prefer a standard, as long as there is little stop & go traffic. Lots of clutching bothers my knee. I deal with the non-optimal 3AT shift points by using the 1-2-D selector. Almost never let it shift on it's own. Maneuvering on grass, in tight places, sometimes with a trailer is *so* much easier with an auto. If I needed one, and could find a working one, I'd probably go that way. Maybe do a 4AT swap. Electrical stuff doesn't bother me.

A few things to check: Radiator - look at the little fins that are between the tubes. If they are loose and crumbly, get a new radiator. The first to go are usually the ones hidden by the shroud around the electric fan. Be sure all 6 coolant hoses are in good shape / less than 5 years old. Timing belts and idlers - won't destroy the engine if they break, but you will need to be towed. I prefer to change them around 40K. I never had any make it to the recomended 60K, but many do. Get new fenders. Paint them. Apply rust / underbody protection on the inside. Bolt them on. For me, the only thing that forces giving up on a car is rust too far gone.

I'm not sure, never timed it. I have always had a spare engine before needing to rebuild (actually, only headgasket up for EA82). It isn't something to rush if you haven't done much of this stuff.

Hmm, I've got 4 or 5 3ATs. All with 150-200 K miles on them. No failures except the one diff / pinion / bearing that was taken out by low gear lube. I will eventually disassemble the transmission to see what condition it is in. It was working fine. A possible variable - I have used synthetic ATF in all my transmissions. Changed over as soon as I got the car. No cold shifting wierdness, even in winter. (the first one I did run part of a winter with "normal" ATF, and it didn't shift as well when cold) The only time I have experienced the "delay" you mention is when the ATF is very low. Like 2 quarts. Because the vacuum modulator leaked the ATF into the engine intake. They do that when they need to be replaced.

Along time ago in a galaxy far far away.... I had a setup like that in my 76 & 78 subies. I put 4 of the aftermarket H4 hi / lo lamps in and a bunch of relays & switches. The original headlight controls and wiring only carried power to the relay panel. I could have almost any combination of hi & lo beam filaments on with the selector switches. The hi / lo lever still chose which of the 2 presets were on. The biggest unknown in your case, if you wire it as I did, would be the plastic parts of the stock lamp and bulb. The 2 filaments on together didn't seem to bother the H4s, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. Don't try to run both filaments at the same time through the existing wiring without extensive traceing to be sure nothing will be overloaded.

It seems I need a new radiator. 2 row turbo. I'm looking for a good quality / long life one, not necessarily the cheapest price. I expect to be running at least 1 EA82 for 10 years or more. I seem to have had long life with CSF, I've had a few of those - in different cars. Some have moved from one to another, and I can't remember the last time I bought one. I came across Radiator barn on another thread. Anyone have long term info on one of them? Any other recommended vendors / online shops? Thank you

Wow, that looks like my 90 Loyale. I was sad when my 76 wagon started to break in half. 250,000 miles, never stranded me anywhere. 1st car I bought, it was with me until it was 13 years old. Parts of that car lived on in my 78 until I got the 90. My 90 has rust like that. Found it about a year ago. I have a rust free 87 I am getting ready to put on the road. I have done some body repairs to try to save them, but now I'd rather put the time into mechanical work on a rust free car that will be with me longer. Much better to cut out all the rust and weld in new pieces. You have to remove paint until you stop seeing rust under the paint. MIG or TIG is the only way. I'm not a pro welder, and I find welding the thin sheet metal very challenging. The easiest way to get new metal in the complicated shapes needed is to cut up a rust free car (hopefully the other side was wrecked or something...) Some of my 86 (wrecked) ended up welded into my 88.

Go to a junkyard where they let you pick parts off cars. Any that look like the ones in my web site will work. They maight charge $5-10.00. Note new URL: http://home.comcast.net/~davidtief/solenoid.html

I have 2 simple rigs that help hunt down this type of trouble. One is an LED (with resistor) with long wires. One wire goes to ground. Other goes to one of the many connections along the way to the starter. Look at LED, turn key. If the LED lights, you know voltage is getting to that point. Move to next suspect. Th reason for this setup is that the LED can be taped to the dash indefinately for troubleshooting intermittant problems. The second is a pushbutton switch with a connector for the starter (the flat female one) and a small battery clip on the other. If the key won't start, connect the emergency switch, turn key to run, press button. If this doesn't work, it's the starter or the battery cables or the battery.

I may have forgot to mention that. Coolant looks good, no weird level changes, contamination, etc.. The ATF was going through the *very* bad modulator. I was befuddled by not seeing the evidence - ATF in the vacuum line.

My beater has been burning about a quart of engine oil per tank of gas for more than a year. Long story how it got that way. Short version - overheated bad very low coolant. New head gaskets, etc. Burned oil ever since. For about the last week or so, during a long uphill pull on the highway, I start getting mild pinging and smoke. Sometimes at the end of the exit ramp, I leave a smoke screen when I take off! Cleaned the PCV valve. seemed to fix it, but the 2nd or 3rd trip, smoke is back. After a few days of this, I notice the oil consumption has stopped. Weird. I get suspicious of the vacuum modulator on the 3AT - I have had them fail before, smoke, etc.. Look in the vacuum line, no ATF. Hmm. Check the ATF - a little low, add some. Last trip, 2nd gear starts acting funny. Check ATF again, lower still. No leaks. Look in the vacuum line again, still no trace of ATF. Check the differential. Gear lube, no ATF, a little low, so the ATF isn't going there... Get out my mighty vac pump. Hook up to modulator. Can't even get a vacuum! (A good one only take about 2 pumps.) Had to add about 2 quarts of ATF to get back to normal level. So far, no oil consumption. Weird. I'll see what happens Thursday or Friday.

I am not sure about the dealer AC. I have had to trim the 4 studs so the fan would go in. I have also found the radiator touching the front sheet metal and cut pieces out so the radiator doesn't rub through. This could depend on the brand of radiator or some other difference in the sheet metal.

My hitch: http://home.comcast.net/~davidtief/hitch.html built about 18 years ago. Overkill? Yes. Cost? <$40.00.

Correct. Normal weather range here is -10 to 100. Neither for very long. It doesn't take long to cause big problems on that 100 degrees day... I have no problem in winter, no overheating in summer. Including A/C on, 3AT, towing, heavy load in the car, drive almost like I stole it.

Back when I discovered this, the mechanic I talked to said most of them have them, don't worry, no problem. I have heard that Subaru issued something (TSB?) about them being normal. I don't know about buying them, I have a bunch of spares, doubt I have one without cracks.

Double check all the hose clamps. I have found them seeping after a replacement. I have also seen leaks - from hose clamps and gaskets - that drip onto the engine block or exhaust pipe or even the radiator so there is no evidence except the missing coolant.

Very normal for EA82s. All mine have them.

I only use 2 row (turbo) radiators. Compared to a MT radiator, the turbo radiator is rated to dissipate 26,000 BTU/Hr more. MT 136,499 BTU/Hr AT 156,339 BTU/Hr Turbo 162,688 BTU/Hr XT 170,227 BTU/Hr If an XT would fit I'd use them - but I think they are too wide. I have 1 decent condition 1 row as an emergency spare.

A few things: Check all 6 coolant hoses. It is better to replace them than have one fail. overheat due to low coolant = head gasket job. Sometimes not immediatly, but sooner or later, depending how bad. Check the fins on the radiator. IF the fine little fins are not attached to the tubes, replace the radiator, same reason as above. The fins support the flat tubes. If the fins are missing, the tubes flex more than they are supposed to and stress fracture. Timing belts & idlers. Not fatal, but they break without warning, and you're parked. The factory service manuals are pricey, but by far the best.