JimmyJam

1995 Legacy Wagon 2.2 355,000 AWD Automatic The noise is coming from the front driver side. It starts around 50mph. It does not go away while turning. It is steady sound but when I hit a dip in the road it gets louder. Its independent of acceleration and lacks vibration. It had all the classic signs of wheel bearing noise but I repaired both sides and it is still there. The tires are newer with only 2k on them. Alignment was done around the same time. I will rotate the tires to see if it changes. Question is will a cv joint make a steady noise? (no clicking while turning) My fear is the differential side bearing is bad. What sound does that make when it goes bad? Differential fluid was a little low. Not a whining sound.

91Loyale said "With vibration in the steering, that's almost always an issue with a wheel or tire rather than the steering linkages. Hitting a bad pothole could dent a rim or make a tire lumpy. Try rotating the wheels front to back and see if the problem goes away." Good job 91Loyale! I did move the tires front to back and it did go away. The tires in the back were in very good shape. The front right tire was messed up from trying to get out of a snowed in parking spot(4wd not working right now). Wheel spin, hitting asphalt after a few tries made it bald. I still have a funny feeling the rack is a loose, but the good tires do not cause it to move around. Thanks.

Yes I did post this in another thread. I have two problems I am trying to figure out. I have multiple problems but this one I can't figure out. My steering wheel only locks 90degrees off center now. The wheels and steering wheel are still aligned straight. So, if I hold the steering wheel straight the wheels are straight, but when I turn off the ignition and take the key out, the steering wheel does not lock unless I rotate it 90 degrees. It did not do this before. What causes this? Now on to the other problems. I think my steering rack is thrashed. When I am going under 10 miles an hour, there is a lot of play and some shaking in the steering. I checked tie rods, ball joints, cv, brakes, wheel bearing, etc. They all feel firm with no play. If I go under the car and somebody moves the steering wheel left to right quickly only a few inches, there is a metal on metal knock or ping coming from the steering rack. Steering rack u-joints feel tight. When I do a full lock turn, there is a noticeable groan/noise and 'bad' feeling in the steering. Power steering fluid level is fine. I also did hit a pretty bad pothole the other day. I did find a cheap used steering rack and I am willing to replace it, but I am not sure what to do about the steering wheel lock problem and if they are related. 1995 Legacy wagon 285k Auto

I have multiple problems but this one I can't figure out. My steering wheel only locks 90degrees off center now. The wheels and steering wheel are still aligned straight. So, if I hold the steering wheel straight the wheels are straight, but when I turn off the ignition and take the key out, the steering wheel does not lock unless I rotate it 90 degrees. It did not do this before. What causes this? Now on to the other problems. I think my steering rack is thrashed. When I am going under 10 miles an hour, there is a lot of play and some shaking in the steering. I checked tie rods, ball joints, cv, brakes, wheel bearing, etc. They all feel firm with no play. If I go under the car and somebody moves the steering wheel left to right quickly only a few inches, there is a metal on metal knock or ping coming from the steering rack. Steering rack u-joints feel tight. When I do a full lock turn, there is a noticeable groan/noise and 'bad' feeling in the steering. Power steering fluid level is fine. I also did hit a pretty bad pothole the other day. I did find a cheap used steering rack and I am willing to replace it, but I am not sure what to do about the steering wheel lock problem and if they are related. 1995 Legacy wagon 285k Auto

Ok, I am sure it is fixed now. The gremlin came back a few days after I installed the new pump. (Hard start after running it all day) Well, I finally got a check engine light and had it checked at Autozone. Code was for faulty crank position sensor. Got one there for $25 and looking good so far. What are the chances...a failing fuel pump and bad crank sensor at the same time.

It ends up it was a fuel pump with a dead spot. That is why I was getting intermittent hard starts. I check every sensor and they all were fine. I pulled the pump and applied power to the red and black. It ran fine. Took it back to the car and hooked it to the harness. Did not run. Took it back inside and it did not run. Smacked it with a wrench while applying power, STARTING RUNNING. Back to the car, harnessed, smack, RUN. I think you get the point. Replaced it with a new pump and screen filter($112) and everything runs well. Yeah! Good job NorthWet, you called it. Don't worry guys, I know you all thought of it too. hehe Maybe relieving the fuel pressure helped the ailing pump start better??? I am glad to know all my other sensors are fine. Well, I did find a stuck PCV valve. $5

Sorry 1995 Legacy Wagon 2.2l 240K Automatic Transmission (same miles) 4wd

My speedo has been acting up. From 0-20mph in traffic at low speeds, my speedo has been bouncing up and down. What would cause this?? After about 10mph (actual speed) it levels out and is fine. I am baffled.

That is what I am leaning toward. Leaky injector- 2nd. So how do I test the FPR? Is it a vacuum test or is there an easier way?

Thanks again guys! Great info. The only thing that confuses me is why it started right up when I unplugged the fuel pump, relieved the pressure, plugged it back in, then it started right up. ????

Thanks. Will check the CPS. Any other ideas guys.

Lately, I have had problems trying to start my car. Very intermittent. Maybe 1 out every 50-100 starts. I would have to crank it for a while(20secs?) before it starts. Yesterday, I unplugged my fuel pump, cranked the engine to relieve fuel pressure, hooked the fuel pump back up and it started right up! Later in the day, it was hard to start so, I did the same thing. Get this, the car started without the pump hooked up! It happened when I was trying to relieve the pressure. Quickly, I hooked it back up and it continued to run. Otherwise the car runs great. The fuel pump sounds good. It starts right up the other 99 times. ??What would be causing this?? I am stumped. Is it too much fuel/pressure? Flooded? Injectors? Regulator? I haven't kept track but possibly after it rains/High humidity?? I have also had success revving the engine when I turn it off to ensure a good start. 95-Subaru Legacy Wagon-2.2L Auto 230,000+miles New fuel filter. New Air Filter. Thanks Guys.

491,000miles on my '96 Legacy wagon when the differential lost all its fluid on a long trip and burnt up. Junked it. It never had an engine or tranny swap. I was weeks away from 500K. Damn. My '95 EJ22 Legacy wagon has 209,000miles on it. Looking forward to 200k more.

Thanks Guys. Just wanted to confirm. It still does get ice cold when the AC is turned on for those brief seconds. Could this mean it is a minor leak because there still is refrigerant in there?

It happens no matter what AC/Defrost setting I put it on and if the engine is up to operating temp or not. What would cause this? The AC was working well in the summer. The radiator fans turn on with it too, not sure if that is normal. Any thoughts? Thanks.

It suffered a major front differential fluid leak on a long trip, resulting in mashed gears. Luckily I was at a rest stop when they completely failed. Undriveable and facing a $1,000 used tranny&labor bill, I decided to scrap it. It has served me well and only let me down one other time(fuel pump). Original engine, original automatic transmission. No major work done. Bulletproof and self healing at times. I just wish I made to the 500K mark. So now the search begins for the next one. Same year, same engine, same body....

Thanks everybody. Still on the fence but leaning toward dumping it or parting it out. I wish I could do the tranny myself. I have done just about everything else to it. For a another $1000 I could get one with 1/3 the miles. It does need more work too. Nothing major. Needs an AC compressor and charge. Bottom oil pan leaks. Needs brakes and 2 tires. Tie rod needs replacing. Shocks have never been replaced. Body is in good shape besides a few minor indents.

I am not sure if I should fix it. I guess I would do a tranny swap. I found one for $400 then $500 labor. It had a major diff fluid leak(seals?) when I was on a long trip and I tried to get back home. It was whining loud and I pulled into a rest area then it blew. Here is the deal...It is a 1996 Legacy wagon 2.2L Automatic AWD with 491,000miles on it. Do you think it would be worth fixing? or do I give up on it and junk it? Any advice would be helpful. Especailly about unforseen problems when installing a used tranny. Thanks. ps-Anybody interested in buying it if I don't fix it? Best offer.

Well it was the front Universal Joint. Thanks tcspeer! It was barely together. Runs ok now, no vibration, no noise. I replaced it with a used driveshaft. Cost, $100. Now, I have to work on a cv joint and deal with the dreaded differential whine. BTW I am up to 458,000 miles!

1996 Legacy 2.2l Automatic. Any ideas? The engine is runs good. No calipers are locked up. Has to be driveline related. I am stuck on this one. Thoughts?

Thanks Skip. It is a 1996 Subaru Legacy 2.2L Automatic with a lot of miles on it. I have recently changed the front and rear diff fluid about 2,000miles ago. Can there actually be to much diff fluid? I also used 75w90 instead of 80w90? Would that cause a problem? Tires are the same in the front but different from the pair in the back. I have had all mismatched tires a long time ago and it never gave me a problem. I have tried putting it into front wheel drive mode with the fuse with really no change. Sorry about sound bite I didn't know where else to put it. The link is in the middle toward the bottom. There is a red arrow pointing to it and it says "Download Link: Noise.mp3"

Thanks, I will check that out. Anybody else have any ideas? Even if you don't listen to the clip...what would cause such resistance? I already checked my brakes to make sure they are not dragging. I do have some front differential whine, would that cause lagging? Come on folks I really need help on this? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Other symptoms are vibration and a lot of resistance, like I am towing another car. That noise appears when the car warms up a bit. Seems to be from the middle? The first part was recorded at about 1,000rpm 10-20mph with little or no throttle. The second half was at about 15-25mph. The noise is there through most of the driving range. It goes away with heavy acceleration. This is not your average noise it seems to be driveline related. I have a fews ideas but want to see what you guys think. Thanks for your help. mp3-749KB http://www.sendspace.com/file/jc8e2t

2nd owner. More than half of the miles are mine. I'm a courier. Original motor with no major work. Found the website. Thanks. http://www.subaruhighmileageclub.com/ I wonder if there is a badge or something out there.

1996 Legacy Wagon I just reached that milestone yesterday. That is 16 times around the Earth. I don't even service it that much. Fuel pump gave up the other day. Other than that, no major repairs needed. How long do you think it has? I'm thinking 600k. If it does give out, I'm getting the same exact car.