DaveT

There should be a heavy ground wire [about the size of the one to the starter +] from the bell housing bolt shared by the starter to the battery (-). There should be another, about AWG10 from the battery (-) to the car body. Usually, the alternator ground happens through it's mounting bolts. Voltmeter - one lead on the alternator case, the other on the battery (-) while running, you should not see much voltage. With everything off, you should see close to zero ohms.

If it's all original, [it's 30+ years old] it probably needs a reseal from the head gaskets up. All new hoses. #1 way to blow head gaskets is to run low on coolant. The alternator will need a brush at about 150K miles. Every one I've had wore the same brush out within a few 1000 miles of 150K. Like GD wrote, parts are going NLA. So as long as you are prepared to deal with that, rebuilding, making things, have a shop, etc. and have another car for backup, ok. If you want 1 car to rely on, and pay someone else to fix, forget it, go to a newer version.

Actually, this is a good thing to notice - make copies of your keys, now. Save the original as a master, never use it. When the copy starts showing signs of wear, take the master, and get a new copy.

Oh, that's nasty... A magnet will do nothing, keys are not steel or iron.

I never had this problem... Maybe a dental pick? Maybe a fish hook unbent and the end ground so the little barb can sneak in and grab? Make sure the wheel lock isn't holding against the key turning.

Read a lot of the threads for the common items.

there are a total of 7 cooling system hoses on an EA82. Check all of them.

In some cases I've seen on here, there are actually stuck lifters. I do check oil and coolant levels each am before first drive of the car. Waiting to see the temp gauge over normal is NOT how to check coolant level.

I just turn the key and drive.

Water in the oil is not common. I only saw it once and that was due to the worst overheat while low on coolant that I ever had. Very blown headgaskets. But it still ran great. If you continue to run it with the unknown leak, check the coolant very frequently. Like before every start. You do not want to have air in the system to the point where it goes over normal temperature. I've seen a slow leak turn into a headgasket blowing overheat in one 20 minute drive.

I have fixed it 2 ways. Reseal the oil pump. Or full engine reseal, which includes the pump. I also run Amsoil synthetic, but can't say if that has any effect. Everything is just cleaner than other engines I've gotten used, that were running most likely nothing special.

Hi, welcome to the forum! It would be better to start a new thread. EA81 and EA82 have very different electric and intake systems.

Lifter tick? Or something deeper? Bad idler bearing?

Most parts are the same. The transmission stubs are different on some transmissions, that someone has to look up in a service manual. I have interchanged parts from 86 to 93 - but all are 3AT transmissions.

Who does the repairs makes a big difference in the economics of running one of these older models. Correct, turbos add problems, including additional NLA parts.. Turbo EA82s seem to have more problems with cracked heads and cooling system troubles. I'm also thinking that it's pretty likely that the engine will need a reseal if it hasn't had one. I haven't worked on any of these with a standard shift transmission, so I am unfamiliar with diagnosing them.

Make sure it isn't being pushed out the overflow tank, which indicates blown headgaskets

A lot can get sucked down the intake without smoke. A fair amount can leak on top of the block, and dissappear. Look for evidence. The right kind of pinhole in the radiator and a cap that doesn't hold pressure is another sneaky one.

That's is weird. I am at the same address I've been for over ten years. Maybe a typo in the address?

Do not block the coolant flow.through the core. Stop leak is a temporary fix at best, not a good idea. The cooling system must be in very good condition to avoid problems with these engines. Any leaks should be fixed asap.

Resealed engine is good - if it was done correctly. Miles don't matter much to me, I've taken a few of these past 200K, and only lost them due to rust. I've seen others with much higher miles. But people who don't know Subarus don't always know that the low miles isn't what to decide on.

It depends on where you are. Rust free ones are not seen around here, unless you see one of mine. Rusty ones are not even around here. CT. I paid over 3k for one a few years ago, and had it shipped from California. It ended up needing headgaskets, which I did myself. It is getting to be a specialty repair to maintain them, as they approach 30 years old, and parts are going no longer available.

Bad CVJ can cause the steering wheel to shake when bad enough. Usually, they start with clicking during turns, varies with load, how sharp.

If you can do your own repairs, and it's not your daily driver, and you want a project, ok. EA82 turbos are difficult. Some parts are no longer available. I don't do turbos. I bought a rust free wagon from a guy in CA, had it shipped here, CT. Needed head gaskets, and then I swapped the transmission a year later. None of that bothered me. But I have spare parts. Here rust free is rare.

Is the regulator separate from the alternator in those years / models? I skipped from a 78 to a 86, so I don't know. Anyway, overcharge would be a regulator problem, whether it's internal to the alternator or external. Double check the chassis, engine, and alternator grounds.

IF it is a SPFI, first thing to check is the CTS. The 2 wire sensor on the thermostat housing. They fail in odd ways that do not cause the CEL to light, or even register a code. They do cause all sorts of drive-ability problems, sometimes intermittent, sometimes engine temperature dependent.