hankosolder2

Two thoughts: These engines are inexpensive and, in 2.2L form, exceptionally long lived. Have you considered a junkyard or used JDM engine? You can probably buy a complete used engine, do the seals, waterpump, T-belt, etc for about what spend fixing the rod-knocking one you own- and get 100K more miles out of the used engine. Of course, if you really want to tear it down and get down to the nitty-gritty because it's a fun /educational challenge, more power to you sir! I can totally respect that. You really, really don't want to re use head gaskets on these cars. They are designed to crush. Remember, there are coolant passages near the combustion chamber... so it's got to keep the compression in the cylinder, pass oil and coolant through to the heads and keep all those things from mixing at extreme temps and pressures. I'll leave the other Q's to those more knowledgable than I.

Gary, You are right about that. Our '98 OBW had the "dealer installed" subaru branded keyless entry. It went kaput, and in the process of removing it I found that one wire looped through it. (They cut the harness to install the wire.) I also can't remember the wire was for the driver's door lock actuator, or if it disabled the internal lock/unlock switches... but it was pretty straightforward to splice the factory harness back together- it was a single cut wire...just match the colors. I installed an aftermarket keyless entry system for about $50...works great and is about 1/4 the size of that ginormous '98 vintage dealer installed piece which really inhibited fusebox access.

That guide you linked to shows where to tap in to install an aftermarket keyless entry/remote start. There's no saying how your PARTICULAR system is installed. The wire colors listed are the colors of the wires in the factory wiring harness, which will probably _not_ be the same as the colors of the wiring harness which comes with the remote start box. If you can get a brand and model # off the box, you may be able to google to find a wiring diagram for the box. It's either that or physically trace the wires back to the ignition switch harness and disconnect the starter and ignition wires going to the box. If the box has a starter kill function as part of the alarm, you may have to splice a cut in the factory "start" line back together to get the car to start on the key.

Nipper, First, let me say that I do appreciate the assistance you provide for all on this board, and I agree with the vast majority of your advice. Secondly, I'll recognize that a lengthy off topic debate on this issue is not helping the OP solve his issue, so this will also be my final response to you. Frankly, if you didn't pull the "I'm an automotive engineer" [so I must be right] line I'd let it slide. Here's what the automotive engineers at Subaru say to this: Note:Care must be taken during cylinder power balance tests to prevent excessive fuel from entering the exhaust system. It is therefore mandatory that power balance tests be performed by disconnecting the appropriate fuel injector harness, not by shorting the secondary voltage to the cylinder. Should the latter method be used, fuel will enter the cylinder, and may fire on the exhaust stroke when ignition voltage is restored. This may cause severe damage to the exhaust system. Here's the original source of the quote http://www.subaru-faq.ru/pdf/electrical/ignition.pdf You will note that the (unfavored) alternative to pulling injector harnesses is SHORTING the secondary voltage to the cylinder, not pulling a wire off and opening the circuit. As I noted in my earlier post "it might just be better to disconnect one injector at a time." I stand by that.

I won't deny that this procedure can work, but what you're failing to understand is that the two opposing coil terminals aren't in parallel. The secondary of the ignition coil's negative end goes to one plug terminal and the positive end of the ignition coil's secondary winding goes to the other. This is why the plugs in Subarus wear differently on the left side of the engine vs. the right side. When you're pulling a spark plug wire off, the remaining plug can't fire without an arc from the other side of the coil to ground. The secondary is completely floating from ground and it takes two plugs (or an arc) to complete the secondary circuit. That arc can also occur inside the coil and compromise the coil's insulation. I can probably find an internal schematic of the coil if that would help clarify things. Nathan

How about a compression test? If you have one cylinder down a bit, but not enough to misfire.... "removing a sparkplug wire" is a bad idea on a lost/wasted spark system like a Subaru. (the plugs fire in pairs) It can cause the coil pack to arc over. It can also cause 2 cylinders to miss which will not really help you narrow down your diagnosis. You can probably safely ground a plug out- you'd probably have to do it at the coil pack end due to the poor access on the plug end on the 2.5DOHC. It might be better to just disconnect one injector at a time. Good luck, Nathan

I agree with 90% of your comments on this problem, Nipper, but I'd say that a car that can't be driven over 20mph is barely better than one which can't run at all- that's not fast enough to drive safely in even suburban traffic, let alone on the highway. I don't have an automatic, but doesn't 20mph sound like a really low speed for the redline in 2nd gear? Does the OP definitely feel a first to second shift occurring? Here's a thought- it sounds like the OP is backing off the throttle prior to hitting the rev-limiter. Perhaps the "trigger" event for setting a code is hitting the rev limiter. I'd say press on till the engine stutters (the rev limiter is usually set about 500 RPM higher than the redline on the tach) and see what happens. If you can force it to set a code, it might make the diagnosis easier for the technicians. I'd also suggest making a video clip of the problem (with a friend- safety first!) to show techs... sometimes they dismiss problems as operator error and if you can show them a clip of the car's tach at redline, the speedo at 20 and the selector in "D" they might dig a little harder! Nathan

I have installed three JDM engines- 2 Hondas and one Subaru. The Subaru was a '95 EJ22, w/o EGR. Got it for $500-550 (don't remember which)- much less than most junkyards around here wanted for 150K mile + engines. Tight as a drum, uses no oil, quietest EJ22 I've ever heard. It was a true JDM engine, as the plug in the intake manifold for the vacuum booster was set up for RHD, there was a pressure sensing switch added to the PS pump and a few other detail differences. Engine came with PS pump, alternator and A/C compressor. As the others have said- any used Phase 1 2.5, regardless of country of origin is a crapshoot.

Well, I was just googling your codes and came across this link. Did you disturb any grounds during the clutch work? http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_codes_P0500_P1507_and_P1540_on_a_1997_Subaru_Legacy_and_how_do_you_repair_the_vehicle I agree with your logic- if the speedo and cruise are working, it doesn't sound like a bad VSS (at least on a manual trans vehicle.) I suppose there's always the remote possibility of it being a threshold problem---i.e. the VSS signal is supposed to pulse from 5 to 0 volts... let's say that the sensor has failed in an unusual way or there's an open ground and the signal swing is abnormal. The speedo and cruise might be more tolerant of out of spec voltage swing than the engine control computer. It's a long shot, but possible. Sorry to hear about the situation with your Dad's health. Nathan

I would characterize the Subaru branded, dealer installed keyless entry our '98 OBW came with as essentially the same as an aftermarket unit. It doesn't plug into any ready-made place on the wiring harness; it's attached with vampire taps (scotchlok) connectors. Ours was intermittent, and I couldn't get any documentation for it so I just tore it out and installed an aftermarket unit. If you just want keyless entry, all you need is: +12V constant power +12 (switched) ground Lock line unlock line. You can leave off all the "extra" stuff: you don't _need_ the horn, parking lights, dome lights, trunk release wires etc. The most difficult part for me was programming the new keyless entry. I'm installing keyless entry in a Bonneville today, so we'll see if it's as simple as it was on the Subie! Nathan

You use the 2.5 flywheel and clutch. The 2.5 flywheel bolts right up to the 2.2 engine.

I hear you, Gary! Spending hours on a bulletin board talking about repairing Subarus is one thing, but devoting that kind of time to talking about CAR SAFETY SEATS exclusively? A bit odd!

I'd ask the following questions of yourself- 1.) If the problem gets worse, how do you plan to fix it- head gaskets or an engine swap? If you're planning on doing HG anyway, do it now to prevent additional damage. If you're going to just swap the engine, it doesn't matter if you cause additional damage to it, so just drive it 'till it drops. 2.) Do you drive in areas where a breakdown would have serious consequences? (i.e. high crime area or desolate winter wastelands.) Nathan

I know this is slightly OT, but often the LATCH anchors have a weight limit (40Lbs?) and often the car seat will have its own lower weight limit when using LATCH anchors. (The lower of the two weights limits is the limit for that seat/car combo.) My feeling is that since regular belts do not have a weight limit, I'll take a properly adjusted standard belt over LATCH fasteners. Stronger is stronger. If you want to research, go to car-seat.org - those people are FANATICS, so they'll probably tell you your kid(s) will die in a ball of fire if you deviate from the installation instructions one iota. Nathan

I'd say that if it has a HG problem, you really should "fog" the engine cylinders with oil. If the coolant isn't completely drained and seeps into the combustion chambers, you could ruin the engine. (Yes, I know that the failure mode for these HG is combustion gasses>coolant, but under extended storage it's possible it could seep in the other direction.) Nathan

-Do you have access to a scan tool? I would suggest reading out what it says the coolant temperature is... that will verify the wiring to the coolant temp sensor. -Remember, the A/C is on when you're in Defrost mode, so the fans will run. -I don't think 2500 rpm is unusually high for a cold start, but it should begin settling down very quickly if all is well.

Why not buy some bottles of octane booster additive in case you can't make it to a gas station which sells premium? Could be a big help if you get in a bind.

Also, check all grounds. An open or high resistance ground can cause backfeeding which could account for most or all of your symptoms.

In addition to Nipper's suggestion about shorted bulbs backfeeding , do you by any chance have a trailer hitch connector added to this car? If so, follow it back, check it for shorts and disconnect any adapters which might be present. Good luck, Nathan

Here's my theory. I read somewhere that the '96-'97 legacies had problems with the OBD II "readiness" monitors (Evidently Subaru misinterpreted the OBD II specs.) The monitors reset every time the car is shut off, hence if you don't drive the car at the speeds and conditions required to set all the monitors, the car will fail an OBD II test. Some states exempt these particular vehicles from the readiness monitor portion of the test... perhaps the tests in Cali are so automated that there's no way to override the scanner, so they had to just re certify the car as OBD I as a work-around?

I have noticed what I would consider to be a significant deterioration in high speed handling and low speed cornering on a number of different cars I have equipped with snows. (An old BMW 535i and two Accords- I've never run snows on any of our Subarus. Tires were the old Blizzak WS-50s on the BMW and Accord #1 and Firestone Winterforces on Accord #2.) Yes, the tread compound of snow tires is soft (which makes for good grip) but the tread blocks are very deep and lack lateral support. It's especially noticeable in transitions (say, an abrupt high speed lane change) where you'll feel some definite sliding. With the Firestones, I notice some pretty dramatic "Tramlining" (the car jitters side to side as it follows grooves in the pavement) but this only happens on grooved pavement. (BTW, I am discussing the handling on DRY roads with the snow tires mounted... obviously, you're not going to be driving at as high speeds in poor weather conditions.) I still love snow tires, but you have to be mindful and drive more conservatively with them mounted in dry weather. For your situation, I'd suggest perhaps a less "FULL ON" snow tire than the WS-60s... if you can find a winter touring type tire, I think you'll be happier with the highway performance. Tirerack.com probably has a good guide to the different models. Nathan

Maybe it's in litigation now and he's been advised not to comment on it?

I don't think that 1500 RPM on cold start is unusual. I started a '95 Legacy today and a '98 Outback (w a 2.2 conversion) and they both were in the 1200-1500 RPM range for a few moments. It seems like yours is taking too long to slow the idle down and your final idle speed seems high- Subarus generally have a pretty low warm idle- perhaps 600-800 rpm. As far as I know, idle is determined by the coolant temp (as read by the coolant temp sensor, which I think you already replaced?) Since this engine is used in a modified chassis with long runs to the front mounted radiator (yes?) , make sure that the coolant temp sensor is in fact reading the coolant temp and there's not an air pocket keeping it from getting a good reading. Also make sure that you have the correct T-stat in the car. If your Idle Air Control valve is sticky, that can cause various idle speed issues. If you have unmetered air leaks anywhere that could also be the source of your issues. Finally, any unresolved codes or disconnected sensors could possibly be an issue. That's all I have. Nathan

I second the idea of using a scan tool and also monitoring fuel pressure. It might also be worth checking the ignition and fuel pump relays. (I'm pretty sure but far from positive that this vehicle has them.) Pitted contacts or bad internal solder connections can cause a host of symptoms. It would also make sense with the whole "runs perfectly until it is shut off again" aspect (the relays only cycle when the car is turned on and off.) Nathan

What about the idle air control valve?