johnceggleston

you can edit the title if you want, click on edit in your firt post then go advanced.

you might consider disconnecting the battery over night to reset the ECU and then diagnois in petrol mode only. it probably won't make a difference, but if it does have something to do with switching back and forth or something learned this will reduce some of the varibles. would vacume leaks under acceleration cause this? were both rad fans on? make sure the A/C and defrost is off.

the 4eat is an electronicly control 4 speed automatic, not a 4 speed automatic with a computer. DUH, you all know this. end wrench refers to the disconnected trans wiring situation as "fail safe mode". this means you can limp the car home if the wiring or the tcu fails. but obviously, the trans doesn't work like a 4 speed A/T without the TCU. i don't know what gear it defaults to (rpm vs. speed may give you a clue), but it can't find some of them with out the computer. again, DUH. obviously reverse is a mechanical gear selection not electronic.

i don't think both of the starter bolts attach the engine to the trans, one does one doesen't . there is a 4th bolt / nut on the top right on the passenger side.

does the forester have the ID plate on the strut tower driver side under the hood? that should give you the engine model. all that alphabet soup after the EJ25 should mean something.

so how about this as a procedure for correcting a non start issue with legacys 95 - 99 (mayb earlier and later). if your car has an intermitten starting problem... install the relay, it's cheap and easy, if this corrects the problem you are done. it the problem persists, install new contacts or another starter, good used, reman or new, your choice. if this corrects the problem try it without the relay. if the new starter/contacts without the relay corrects the problem, sell the relay for cost to another member. this procedure would seem to be a good one, cheapest first, unless someone can come up with a test to determine which part is at fault, wiring or contacts. buying contacts or a starter at any price more than $10 is going to cost more than the relay and wiring. my opinion.

when i installed an additional relay to activate my starter, and it has eliminated my starting problem for 18 months, so far, i concluded that my problem was not enough juice flowing through the ignition wiring / key switch to activate the solenoid. and i concluded this was the only problem. and since others have corrected what seems to be the same problem with new contacts in the starter i have modified my conclusions to this: there is not enough juice flowing through the ignition wiring to activate the starter. the cause may by one or a combination of both of the following: 1. voltage drop in the ignition / switch wiring and 2. bad or worn contacts in the starter. depending on how much you have of which one, may dertermine the best solution for your situation. i would assume on a rebuilt starter that the contacts would be better than average but who knows. if you replace the contacts, they will work better and the vlotage drop, if any, may not be an issue any more. if you add a relay, you eliminate the voltage drop, if any, and with more juice the condition of the contacts is less critical, unless they are REALLY bad. i chose the relay because it was easier and cheaper and because i had already tried a good used starter. the relay works great. measure the vlotage at the solenoid when you turn the key, this might tell you somthing. if the voltage is good, could it be the amps available that is the problem? i don't know enough about electricity to suggest anything else, but the relay works great. it eliminates any ignition wiring issues inside the car and steering column. the ignition wiring activates the new relay (it doesn't take much juice to do this) and the new relay activates the starter solenoid. good luck.

disconnecting the trans wire harness removes the E frome the 4Eat. yes you will have torque bind, no E to release the fluid pressure (just like your other car with the switch.) so now you just need to build a 12(?) pin switch for this car so you can start off with the trans wiring connected and then throw the switch to disconnect once you get moving. maybe a switch on the power feed to the TCU would work..... or just try a different TCU.

i would assume that the dealer was not charging you for services not provided. that is against the law. i would assume that they did more than you asked for and then didn't charge you when you complained and they realized the error. this is one of the reasonms dealers are so expensive, one of many... as long as your fluid is good.

:banana::banana::banana: we have a winner!!!!! i bought my 97 OBW - 98k miles with engine noise and fully expected to replaced the engine, i already had the 2.2 to go in it. but once i read about piston slap, i decided to drive it. i can always do the swap later, and i really love getting "free" miles out of my outback. so far 23k free miles and counting. now my ej22 is going in my wife's newly bought 97 GT w/ bad gaskets. so i figure about 2 months after i swap in the ej22, murphy will show up and my OBW will give up. oh well. still better than driving a dodge mini-van.

i think it is your duty c switch on your other car, it's a conspiracy.!!

how long have you had the car, maybe the hood was replaced?? i replaced the hood on my 4 cyl 91 nissan pick up and when i took it in for exhaust work, the tech came out and said, it was a six cylinder, said so on the hood, and i ordered the wrong muffler. it's unsettling when the guy you are paying to work on your car can't count spark plugs.

buy a used door, make sure it's a different color, then your car will look a little crappy.

or go to http://www.car-part.com and buy a driver seat with the hearter in it. i picked up a complete set of leather seats front and rear for $225 or driver only for 75$.

ask a lock smith or try your key in an outback ignition. if it slides in easily then it's the same blank, DON'T FORCE IT.. (it won't turn).

or purposely buying one with bad gaskets and then making the repairs or replacement so you have a known good engine.

i don't know the specifics of the projector head lights but could you swap the "lens covers", the clear plastic outer lens, with the lights you removed.? or would this defeat the "projector" aspect of the new lights?

bump for update

in VA some years ago 2 ploitical aides used a cell phone scanner and a tape recorder to listen in and record a cell phone conversation of a member of the opposing political party. apparently this is not against the law in VA since no charges were filed. apparently there is or was no real privacy on cell phones since they use radio waves, who knows?? BUT the aides then gave, sent or delivered this recoprding to some one else and this did break the law. a trial and conviction followed. check with a lawyer, you probably won't even need the recording. they are crazy not to fix your car. as mentioned above, transcribe the recording to paper and date it. if you cannot use the recording, you can present the written acount as your recolection of the conversation which you put ot paper the next day. include it with all your other documentation. the more organized and complete your documentation is the more convincing it will be when you tell it to the judge. the dealer would be crazy to let it go that far. they just need to fix your car, make you happy and get past it. and so far i haven't heard that they said they would not do that. you just need to get your car fixed, with a warranty, and move on. mark it up to hard knocks. if you really want to cause trouble fight for cash and get it fixed some where else, but i think this will be harder to win. and the judge may decide that the car was broken when it came in, it is still broken, you get back what you paid and call it even. i have no idea how the dealers are responsible to SOA and vice versa but my guess is you'll get a repaired or replaced engine with a warranty. having SOA involved can only help. as for punishing the dealer, he's lost all potential business from everyone on this board and everyone we talk to.

my 97 OBW had a very similar problem with the starter, i swapped in a 96 starter and a few weeks later the same problem developed. so i installed a relay, plans for which i found here. the small wire going to the starter solenoid from the igniton relay(?) (under the dash/steering cloumn) apparently wasn't delivering enough juice toi get the job done. installing a relay did the trick. the wire from thje ignition relay energizes the new relay which then switches a new power wire from the battery to the starter solenoid. the relay was generic from autozone, some connectors and a fused supply wire. no existing wires are cut, just moved and new wires and relay added. search for the plans (starter relay maybe), it's an easy fix and i have been trouble free for 18 months.

given the risk of head gasket problems due to overheating, i'd get SOA involved now. push for a replacemeent engine with a 3 yr 36 k warranty. if you can't get the new engine push for the 3/36 warranty on all of the repair work. 90 days or 1000 miles may not be enough. you could be driving a time bomb. either the dealer can't or won't fix your car. they have created more problems than they fixed. SOA needs to know and you need your car in better condition than it was when you took in. at the very least you need new head gaskets again. SOA should either step in and take care of it or make sure the dealer does.... at no cost to you.

drape a tarp or tarps over it to keep the wind out and put a heat lamp or electric heater under it. keep it away from where thawing leaking radiator water might drip on it. good luck.

look here: www.car-part.com for engines, sort by distance .95 - 98 2.2L engines will fit, some easier than others. the 98 2.2L will be the easiest.

i bought a 97 OBW, 98K miles, with engine noise (diagnoised as a bad wrist pin by a non-subaru dealer). i bought it because i had a 2.2L engine from a donor car just sitting. i paid 2200$ for the 97 fully expecting to swap in the ej22 (approx labor 500 - 700$). mine turned out to be piston slap which is not deadly. 22k miles later and i'm still driving with the noise. search and read up on piston slap, you might get lucky. by the way, most piston slap is worst at start up and goes away as the engine warms up, mine never goes away completely, it does get quieter, but never goes away. i think the headgaskets mmay get me befroe the piston slap. but the only way to find out is to drive it. this might help: http://remanufactured-engines.com/page4.htm

i have no experience with freezing, but i would think the plastic t-stat housing would be pretty vulnerable to freezing.