hankosolder2

Your high idle may be due to a.) the engine running cold (at times when it's not overheating!) due to the lack of a thermostat b.) bad coolant temp sensor- could also possibly prevent the electric fans from coming on, causing overheating. This is the temp sensor for the ECU/ECM, not the one for the dashboard gauge. Could also be HG, air bleed issue, etc. The coolant temp sensor could be OK, but if it has a pocket of air around it it's not going to be reading the proper temp. Nathan

I trust your oil level is OK?

You can monitor your engine temperature with a ScanGauge II or similar. It will read the data from the OBD II port- it'll also let you monitor lots of other parameters, read error codes etc. Don't you have one permanently attached, Nipper? Nathan BTW, most newer cars WITH a temp gauge use a "buffered" one. Basically, the gauge doesn't read out the actual engine temp, it's driven off the engine computer with programmed outputs for different temp ranges. It points to "C" when the engine is really cold, will read in the middle for a quite wide range of engine temps and will only go to "H" when the engine is cooking. The reason for this is to reduce DS owner complaints about the needle sitting 1/16" above the center on a hot day, etc.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Maybe you should just put some really small tires on, enjoy your "great MPG" and forget all about this conversation.

I think you have it backwards. If the speedometer is reading high (due to tires) the odometer will also read high. So you are getting worse mileage than it appears you are getting. I'd bet that you can find an online calculator where you enter your old tire size and your new tire size and it'll give you the percentage off (I wouldn't assume that all of the speedometer error is due to tire size.) You could also drive some measured miles and compare your odo reading, work out a correction factor, etc.

You guys with the alternate tire sizes are correcting your odometer readings before calculating MPG, right? A tire size change which throws the speedo readings off will also cause your odometer mileage to be off by the same percentage which whack out your gas mileage calculations.... Of course, the tire rolling diameter will change gearing too which can have a positive or negative impact on your MPG.

Well, I also did say that I was prepared to be wrong, at least in the case of Subarus. Honda doesn't even use a neutral detection switch on the '98-'02 Accord 5mt, I double checked the FSM, I'm positive. I'm also pretty sure that the clutch switch is also only used for the cruise, as it doesn't appear to have any connections to anything but the cruise ECM. This car will not stall if you slip it into neutral and the ECM has no way of knowing when you did that as it has no neutral SW. I DID do a quick search for stalling and clutch switch...came up with nothing relevant in the new gen forum. Is it a known issue? I'll tell you what. I'm curious about this. I'd be willing to try disconnecting the clutch switch in the OBW to see what happens. My prediction is no stalling. It might be a little while before I get around to doing it, but I'll report back with what happens. I'll either be eating crow or humble pie! Also, note the the OP says that his car sometimes still stalls when he slips it into neutral rather than declutching (unless you're claiming that both the neutral sensing SW and the clutch switch have both failed!) Nathan

I see where you're going with this Gloyale, but I'm fairly sure the clutch switch does not operate as you mentioned. The fuel cut is based strictly on engine RPM and throttle position. I think the logic is something like if engine RPM is above 1500 RPM and throttle position is 0, fuel is cut until engine RPM falls below 1500RPM. I think the clutch switch has more to do with emissions management during upshifts. Also, if what you say was correct, the engine would stall if you slipped it out of gear w/o using the clutch... which will not cause a properly operating car to stall. I do have to admit that my understanding of the fuel cut system is based on how Hondas work, but I'd imagine Subaru does it the same way. I'm prepared to be wrong though! I'm more focussed on the rough, hunting idle the OP mentioned at the start of the thread. It would be interesting to do a cylinder balance check. You'd have to disable the idle air control valve, kill the signal to one injector at a time and see how much the RPM drops. He could have a bad fuel injector, something like that. A dribbling injector could screw up the idle without making too much difference in how the car runs above idle. Have you checked the PCV valve? Also, what if the EGR valve is intermittently sticking? You could just unplug the vac hose to it and plug it... it will set a CEL, but you could see if the stalling goes away. Nathan

If you think it might be the fuel pressure regulator, you can try blocking the return line. (i.e. it 'bleeds off' fuel pressure above the set point back to the tank through the return line...but if it stuck, you would have very low fuel pressure.) With the return plugged, you should have higher than spec fuel pressure- unless something other than the FPR has failed. I guess a vacuum leak on the intake side of the fuel pump could cause this issue, as others have said, check the voltage AT the fuel pump. Perhaps a plugged fuel filter or intake sock if it has one? Nathan

There is something called "readyness status" which you would fail on if you took your car to be tested now. Basically, the computer runs a series of self checks of each system and once it has verified that each system is working properly it flags that system as tested in its memory. In order for these checks to run, you have to drive the car a while at different speeds, multiple start-stop cycles etc. If whatever set your fan code is an intermittent problem it's quite possible you can drive the car long enough to set all the readyness monitors to "good" without tripping the check engine light. I'd say that if you can drive it for a couple of days under different road conditions and the CEL doesn't come on, take it to be inspected and see what happens!

Without hearing the noise, that sounds like a worrysome problem. If there's a bad idler wheel bearing and it locks up, your timing belt can break, engine jumps time and you're looking at bent valves. Is your mechanic going to cover it if that happens? I'd suggest spending the $ for a second opinion. Nathan

When I saw the title of your thread, I assumed you were trading Blu in for a Toyota!

I agree- most likely a failing M/C, but as others have noted, it could also be if something caused a pad to be pushed back...also if a pad or caliper sticks, it can boil the fluid...did she notice any funky smells? re: failure mode of M/Cs... sometimes they will have a bypass leak under light pedal pressure and be OK under firm pedal pressure. I think that the seals are pressed more firmly up against the bore under hard pedal pressure, so if the seals are marginal, they can have a bypass leak under some conditions and not others.

Also, when you observed the fans coming on, did they do it all by themselves or was the A/C or defrost mode on ? (those functions force both fans on regardless of coolant temperature.)

Perhaps there was a cooling fan problem, it set the code, the previous owner fixed the problem but didn't clear the code? Does the code keep coming back?

I'd replace those coupler U-joints if I were you. If they were seized up to the point of causing stiff steering, that means that the bearings inside are probably rusted up...it's unlikely, but you don't want any of your steering parts falling apart.... Any other opinions on this point? Am I being overly concerned? Nathan

Are the drum brakes inadequate on the Forester? They usually last very well (b/c they don't have the same degree of constant pad drag that discs do) and are good for normal street driving. I think some folks prefer the pedal feel of an all disc setup (I don't, but that's just me.) Out of the three cars sitting in my driveway at the moment (A Subie with discs all round, a '91 BMW 3 series with discs all around and a Honda with Discs/Drums) the Honda has by far the best stopping distance, pedal feel etc. I suspect that a newer BMW with discs all around would be better yet, but.... anyway, I guess my point is that I wouldn't assume that a disc brake upgrade is going to make any great difference in your car's stopping abilities. Of course, if your drums are shot and you found a great deal on some used disc assys, have at it... Nathan

Are the cylinder compressions equal? Is the frequency of the vacuum oscillation what it would be if one cylinder was low, or is it a slower drift? I wonder if you could have a leaking injector? Remember the 02 sensor is working off the average of all four cylinders, so if one cylinder is running rich at idle due to a leaky injector, the computer would lean the other cylinders out too much trying to shoot for what it thinks is an appropriate mixture. Nathan

I don't think a fakeout resistor will work. It will fool the ECU into thinking that there is an EGR solenoid present (good) but the ECU also verifies actual EGR flow by monitoring changes in the MAP and(?) O2 sensors when the valve is opened. (i.e. the computer needs a way to know if the EGR valve is plugged with carbon, if the backpressure sensor has failed, etc etc.) Nathan

How about the Subaru "Piston Slap!" (2.5L only!) Or the boxer engine punch (alternately slug them with your left and right hands!)

To the OP- Did the car do this when it was newer? I think that's the key to determining whether the issue is the claimed suspension geometry issue in newer Outbacks (which presumably can't be solved by parts replacement) or wear/tear of suspension parts, an alignment issue etc. Nathan

A vacuum desolderer is a real boon for double sided boards like this. (You use an air compressor with it and it has a venturi which creates suction from the air flowing by.) Get the joint nice and warm, pull the trigger and presto! There are cheaper versions which use a squeeze bulb. Have not tried them but I bet you could hack one and attach your own vacuum source (pipe it to the intake manifold with an inline filter, fire that engine up and desolder away!) Nathan

Yes, it does.

I can tell you with certainty that many of the 2.5L manual vehicles had EGR, including my '98 Outback 5MT. I suspect that the reason Subaru didn't equip some 5MT vehicles with EGR is that the the 5mt vehicles could pass the EPA cert procedure without it (due to lower curb weight, lack of torque converter slippage or different gearing- if the 5MT vehicles produce under the spec of grams NOx /mile in the test procedure w/o EGR, there's no reason for them to install it.)

A bad Knock sensor could cause poor MPG -is that code still there with the replacement sensor? A faulty coolant temp sensor won't necessarily throw a code. Nathan