johnceggleston

this may be a matter of vocabulary. thumping is not a typical failure symptom of the center diff. however, binding in tight turns is. and different folks use different terms to describe binding. to check for it, drive at idle in slow tight turns, all the way to the tightest turn you can make. if the car is binding it will not want to go with out giving it gas, or if it does it will buck, shutter, jump, or maybe thump. but thump is not a term i would use to describe it. thumping at take off going straight is going to be some thing else. drive shaft probably, maybe. i would install a used shaft , if needed. look here : www.car-part.com and or place a wanted ad in our classifieds.

sounds like it could be the drive shaft thumping. is it an auto trans?? if so, installing the FWD fuse may relieve the issue temporarily. you are going to need to crawl under there and have a look. shake and wiggle the drive shat, it may be the carrier support bearing. while you are checking it out, look for seepage at the head gaskets. looks like a nice car. congrats.

are the 13s 5 lug?

''re-keying'' is easy if you have both ''doors''. 2 nuts and the key way is loose, swap it to the other door. the hatch is way easier than the front doors. you will be very happy if you have a deep well socket, 10mm or 12mm?? look here: http://opposedforces.com/parts

removing the battery cable should work, if you leave it off long enough.

i used duck tape to make sure my socket stayed on my longest extension. then i put the bolt in the socket and used a litte more tape to keep it from falling out. the bolt has a flange, i think, and just a little bit of tape folded over the under side will keep it in place. then after you start to tighten the bolt you can pull the extension and socket away from the bolt. as long as there is more tape on the socket than the bolt you should be good.

the knock sensor is certainly part of the problem, how much i don't know. and until you correct that you won't know. plus i'm pretty sure the car goes into some sort of fail safe mode when the knock sensor fails. the knock sensor does not have to be a subaru part, you might be able to find one online for less, $60 - $70 maybe. but if you don't have the money it doesn't much matter. using one off of a ''wrecked'' car might be a solution, but a risk as well. i say a wrecked car because the assumption is that it was running pretty well when it wrecked. are there any u-pull-it yards near you? if you can get one cheap enough it might be worth a try even if the car isn't wrecked. DO NOT over torque the bolt when you install it. you can crack the sensor and then it will be bad as well. sorry to hear about your job, good luck.

it should. the 95 - 96 didn't have a separate door lock switch, but that is the only difference. you 'll just need to find the correct install instructions.

thank you, i'll check in a couple of days, i'm on the road this week. but thanks.

i don't know. it's new and i have only driven it ~500 miles but i have no indications of having traction control. although i don't really know what it is or what indications there would be inside the car. my only glimmer of hope with this code is that it is a circuit problem. but i don't know where to begin. thanks.

does any one know what or where the engine torque control circuit is ?? i have checked the connections at the rear of the engine. sprayed them out with contact cleaner. i don't think this code is an uncommon problem during a ej22 swap but i can't find the cause. i don't even know what it is referring to. is this referenced in the FSM, p1104?? please help. the car runs great but the code comes back every other day.

www.car-part.com sort your search by distance.

how did you correct the busted head bolt?

or try tightening the belt a little. how old is it?

there should be a good ''how to repair'' thread on this, i think. sounds like setright might have had a part in it.

what year? does the door have a separate door lock switch or is it activated by the lock lever at the door release??

my impression of TCUs is that there is very little difference between them. however they are computer circuit boards which can be programed. so i don't really know. but i doubt seriously you will cause any damage by installing the wrong one. if the wire connectors match up and as long as both cars are of the same trans type, awd vs. fwd, i think you will be ok. and if you can try it before you buy it, all the better. if you have a choice, i would tend to stick to cars of a similar year style, size and weight. i have swapped a 96 Lego L wgn into a 95 lego L sedan, and into a 97 lego GT wgn with no ills what so ever. also with no apparent improvement or change. one note: the 95 vs. 96 have a different box and bracket, but the boards inside are the same, so i swapped the boards into the other box / bracket. just because the bracket is different doesn't mean the TCU is.

where and how did you fix the first wire? what caused the first wire problem?

i have always heard that was a grounding issue.

are you worried about a one time event, it's in a ditch now and you have to pull it out? or are you thinking of off roading and planning ahead for the day you get into something you can't get out of? the manner of the extraction may be more important than what you hook to. if you ''jerk it'' out you may damage something regardless of what you hook to. on the other hand if you slowly pull or ease it out it probably doesn't matter if it is hitch or hook. i have read about guys using high end tow straps to ''snatch' or ''jerk'' a car out, but having no experience in this i would be reluctant to try this with my car or to recommend it.

even if you pay a shop to r&r the trans for you, i paid ~550$ for an auto trans, you will still only have about 1000$ - 1200$ in it when done. if you drive it 15k, you'll be good. 30, 40 or 50k will be better. you won't get much for it with a bad trans. does it make the noise if you push in the clutch while slowing? does it make the noise if you put it in neutral when slowing? what if you rev it while sitting still? .

they can and will go bad but they will eventually throw a code, mine did. but it really isn't worth driving around for 2 years with crappy power and gas mileage? waiting for it to code. o2 sensors are the same way, i think. how many miles? over 125? and i think you are due. it's a 50 - 60$ part that lasted 125k miles. it has done it's job, time to get a new one.

i understand your concern, but if the nut has been on for 14? years with no apparent damage i would say it was just right. did you try to remove one of the other 3 to see how long that took?

DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT take your car to that shop.

harbor freight electric impact wrench not free, but cheaper than a shop. then go to auto zone and ''borrow'' a 32mm socket. works great. http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-electric-impact-wrench-45252.html my thread. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=116899