Cynthia

There's a diagram and it shows the driver door. I opened/closed it; hugged it; stroked it; opened it/closed it so many times that I was starting to gather a crowd of curiousity seekers. Horrible timing for all of this. I am so swamped with work right now that I can hardly find time to breathe. This is my two-minute lunch break! (respect for ultimatesubaru board from mechanics..yep, it's true..they've even gone to the web site to view my dialogue with you before they've worked on my car!)

Chime --- I"ve seen the door ajar light come on before without the chime on when ignition is on, so that's why I figured the chime was the seat belt. But, maybe not??

Thanks! I'll drive to Napa Auto Parts store today to see if they can test the alternator. Hope I can stand the seat belt chime. Makes me want to scream primordial sounds. When alternator went bad twice before, the voltage dropped to near 0. I am wondering why this time it is doing this -- seat belt chime can't be stopped, car ajar light on, fluctuation in voltage. Are they all connected to one electrical conduit? Anything else I should check/have checked? I've used this board before and discovered that my life with mechanics has improved tremendously -- when I say "well at the ultimate subaru board, they said...." THANKS! Curious female, Cynthia

Hi -- 89 Subaru GL/5-speed/sedan/fwd. It dropped to 20 degrees here yesterday. Maybe my problem is weather; probably just coincidence, though. Anywho, I get into my car and notice within five minutes that my voltage is displaying 9 or 10. I don't like that, so I turn around to return home. As I get closer to home, my voltage suddenly goes to 12 ohms, right where it usually is. Hmmm. Today, I leave in my car, wondering what the voltage will be today. I've never had this problem before. Sure enough, it says 9/10 but then minutes later, it says 13 and another minute later, 9/10. Then it finally settled at 12 and stayed there.. Hmm. I parked. Walked a tad. Got back in. My voltage says 12 at ignition. But then!! the car door ajar light wouldn't disappear. Opened/closed. Opened/closed. Nope. Temperature outside: about 18 degrees. But the worst part was the seat belt bell noise. It wouldn't turn off. So I drove home -- with my car door ajar light on, the sealt belt bell ringing and the voltage saying the correct 12 figure. AGGGGGG. Any ideas?

I got metal gaskets...which is good, right?

What's ultra copper? THANK YOU!!!

Thanks to the help given me on this fabulous board, I've been able to diagnoss diagnose that my 89 GL Soob Sedan (nonturbo) has an exhaust leak. I've ordered exhaust manifold gasket from Schucks today but I'd like to have some tips/precautionary advice about the repair. I've been told that the simple repair can become a PIA because of stipping/breakage of studs/bolts. I got some PB Blaster. Advice? THANKS

Thanks for all the help! Diagnosis is correct: exhaust leak. There's carbon. Ordered an exhaust manifold gasket today; it'll be in Wednesday. Great! One bothersome thing is that the muffler fellow I talked to today said he wouldn't work on it because he's had too many bad experiences with stripping when trying to replace the gasket in the 89 Subaru's exhaust manifold. A friend agreed to do it. He told me to get some PB Blaster,which I did. Anybody have this experience -- with stripping or breakage? Any other cautions I should pass on before my male friend tackles this? THANKS

It wasn't replaced. There was slack in belt. Tensioner was tightened. As I'm thinking back on recent repair history, after tensioner was tightened, all was very quiet with car for several weeks. Then, the tick began. I recall thinking to myself that it seemed to "come out of nowhere." One day quiet; next day tick. In answer to earlier question on this thread, re: 1. oil change -- done June 1 10/40 wt. 450 miles driven since June 1. 2. mileage on 89 vehicle is 156,000 3. oil sensor replacement -- done because mechanic said it appeared to be leaking and was a low-cost/easy fix. 4. front cam seals are needed 5. origin of sound -- right side, left, all over? Gosh, dunno. All I know is I can hear it in my car when I push down on accelerator and when I roll down my driver window, I can hear it much more loudly. When cruising along, I do not hear it -- out window or in car. 6. When revving car at idle in neutral, I do not hear it. HOWEVER, I just did a little driveway test. While in neutral and idling, I pushed down on accelerator in a slow, steady manner. No noise. Then I pushed in/let up really fast, not going all the way to floor. Just a fast in/out motion. I got a noise. 7. I know the dif between gas-related ping and this bicycle-card-in-wheel sound. It's definitely not the gas-type ping. I use higher octane gas because she prefers it. It truly sounds like the bicycle/card sound. A friend said his calipers had a rock in them and it resulted in similar sound. <?> 8. This morning when I started her up and she was still cold, I noticed there was no ticking. 9. The car seems to run great, surprisingly enough. Lots of zoom, no hesitancy, no surging, even doing hills fine. I live in an area that has zero flat land -- that's just a slight exaggeration. (take a look! http://www.theslowlane.com/02triph/palouse1.html ) Could there have been a problem with the oil sensor install that is causing this? It was a simple install and a male friend did it -- at time of oil change. I recall that at time of oil change, there was already a slight tick, not nearly as noticeable as now. So, in conclusion, steps to take per messages in thread, are possibly as follows: 1. Check to see if noise is coming from engine or wheel. (how?) 2. Change oil again. Change filter again. Use sea foam (is that sold in places like Schucks or Napa?) If sea foam not available, use valve medic. (cost $30 -- oil/filter/sea foam) 3. Check for sticky injector. (How do I do this?) 2. Open up covers and check timing belts again. (cost for this is $95 based on invoice for tightening of belt tensioner.) 3. Check anti-rattle clips on brakes pads (cost unknown) (can I do this? ) 4. Replace oil pump seals. (Great. I just learned today that I'm one of seven whose teaching contract is not being renewed at university in order to deal with a budget shortfall. No unemployment is given to lecturers.) 5. Check for exhaust leak at head. (Any idea on cost for this? sound this makes?) 6. Check the y-pipe gaskets at the heads for evidence of carbon or loose nuts and studs. (How do I do this? Picture available of area I check?) Rod. It will not be this. It will not be this. It will not be this. My process -- does it sound right? Anything else I can tell you? THANK YOU

Actually, I changed the oil June 1. Put in 10/40 wt oil. Change it again? Don't lifters make sound at idle also? Recent work: New tran, timing belt tensioner tightened, new bushings in stick shift,oil pressure sensor new.

Hi -- My 89 Sedan GL Soob (FWD) has developed a ticking noise that sounds like the old card-on-bicycle-wheel trick. When I'm idling, the car has no ticking noise. It's as quiet as a dead mouse. When I'm coasting down a hiill, without giving it any gas, it's quiet. Only when I touch the gas pedal do I get the ticking noise. When I open the windows, I can hear it pretty loudly as I give it more and more gas. Someone here wondered if it was brake caliper? Any other ideas? Thank you!!

OK, so I have to "firmly request" that the mechanic shop does lifter rebuild, hmmm? Anybody paid for this before and have a sense of the fee? If they refuse, are their shops that specialize in that type of work that woul be more amenable? Wish my son was going to mechanic school and the university! Would be easier on this single income mom. But.... no matter....it all works out in the end, always. Thank you for the advice.

OK. Ok! Got it. As I have spent $750 in the past 10 days on my Subaru, the $400 more needed to redo the cam seals (plus timing belts while in there) is something that I need to put off as money is needed for my son's summer college classes. Thus .... the No Leak, which evidently is a "newish" product that cost $7 and had a guarantee of $14 if it didn't work within 200 miles. So, I did it. And blew it, from what I read here. Live and learn. The ticking? Repair shop said any fix of those lifters is best done by install of a rebuilt engine. I just finished reading the words of the fellows at Car Talk, Klik and Klak, who report that Mystery Marvel is akin to chicken soup: people swear by it, but nobody has proven it can do anything, but it probably won't hurt anything either.

ouch

Hey ..... I've used No Leak (http://www.goldeagle.com/no-leak/faqs_no-leak.asp?sub_cat=Brown%20Leaks) in my 89 GL FWD Sedan Subaru. And I used Mystery Marvel. Used MM first and then not long after No Leak. So, tell me, will the lifter cleaning benefits of MM disappear from using No Leak???? Reason I ask is because my lifter ticking had stopped after using MM. So, then I used No Leak to do the obvious. It's helped a ton but now that I've slowed the leaks, the ticking returned. I got to thinking that maybe the No Leak had reversed the effects of MM on the lifter. Possible?

UPDATE! For 18 bucks (labor and part), I had this bushing replaced. It fixed it. Even the mechanic was surprised. GREAT JOB FELLOWS!!!!!!!!

Agg..wonder why http://oem.thepartsbin.com doesn't list 1989 Subaru GL FWD Manual 1.8 cyl.

Thanks. Can you believe he wasn't sure. He said "there are a lot of bushing down there and the part book we have isn't real clear." He was going to fax it to me to review! (yikes...that's like the teacher faxing the student to see if the answer is right.) I went ahead and had him order the part # provided here. I'll go to that link you provided, too. Thanks! I just picked up my Soob. Brought it back into town to have a local fellow work on in instead. During the drive back, I was thinking that my next task (after this vibrate thing is figured out) is to determine what can be done, if anything, to improve the 0 to 50 mph speed at which it accelerates. It's driving much nicer now -- after he adjusted timing belts and the timing. In fact, I've lost somewhere along this "fix" business the sound of valves working hard when its under load. That's odd. Very nice. But, it still seems to not go from 0 to high mph as quickly as I thing it should. It feels a bit sluggy as I push on that accelerator. It's much better than before though. Once it gets to cruising speed, she's fine. And I can even put the shifter into 5th and the rattle reduces to a quiet little vibration. Any thoughts on sluggish engine/performance, as I describe? ( has new spark plugs, rotor cap, wires, air filter) Fuel filter???

Will that part work for 89 Soob Gl FWD too? And only avail at dealer?

Hey guys..here is the post from the mechanic...looks to me like he put it in my pm rather than board...he's learning his way around here. Or, stupid me didn't see his post on the board...well, getting to the point, what's the maine bearing quinton is talking about in the post below. it sounds ominous. that could cause the vibration, too??? i'm really inclined to go with the shifter thing. I like the sound of that! ---here's his post -- Vibrates Transmission Shifter With Engine RPM trans shifter will vibrate at different engine RPM. I have checked trans Mount's,motor Mount's,for grounding out to the frame. Checked timing belts and there mechanical timing locations right on the money.The belt tension was very loose. Readjusted both belts checked timing hooking up green connector near fire wall on driver side found timing to be at 27 Degree's BTC 5 degree's off. Set To 20 + 2 Degree's.Test drive the GL had a magor power gain but no improvement on vibration. My Instinct tells me that the vibration is internal of the engine possible Maine bearings. ------

"1. Order the parts in my email above (except the $25 one, unless you're the kind of guy who likes new stuff even if the old part is basically sound)." I'm a woooooman...and i like new stuff but not if old part is just fine. And drat, that beer thing sounded ok until I remembered that I don't drink. Poop. I wonder if I could do this? I'm learning about car repair from you folks and I'm brand new to this but boy, it's kinda fun. Odd that I'm saying that but ...well...t'aint life interesting where it takes you? Owner of the vibrating subaru

Hello All! Update --- Car is with mechanic. Before work started, we did a drive in it and ruled out some things. 1) Tranny mount -- no, he said. He checked. Used prior one's. They were in excellent shape -- pads, fine, too. 2) Tranny itself -- has 5000 miles on it. It sounds WONDERFUL. 3) Flymount/p plate -- he didn't remove. He said sound of that being not set right isn't this vibration. 4) When car was stopped but running, gassed it/engaged/disengaged clutch. Vibration felt when wheels not moving. Rules out axle/joint. 5) He checked timing belts (l/r) Found one inch play on one; little play on other. Adjusted. Then also adjusted timing, which was off. Got more pep now in car, he said. 6) He said engine mounts seem fine. Lifted hood. Put car on e-brake, then tried to move it forward... he moved engine..both sides. Said mounts seem fine. The vibration is still there. Subaru said to remove drive belts temporarily and run to isolate problem -- from "consumables" of engine power from engine itsef. <?> Subarus said to ook at crankshaft pulley. <?> Still think it's the rubber sheath on the shifter rod?? THANKS. Sighing sunni

doesn't duct tape solve everything???? fellow tonight drove it a bit. he came back and said that he wonders about the shifter & its components being bolted completely...wondered about their connection to tran. sighhhhhh called another shop this p.m to have them just take a look-see. they said sure --- give us $75.

Tam or Cam? or Ka-bam? I just wrote what I believed he said. There is vibration -- quieter but there --- when I'm idling in driveway and when I gas it in drive it vibrates really well. But in that scenario, it never gets as noisy -- shfter really vibrating around -- as when I'm accelerating. I got timing belts replaced at 116,000. It's now at 150,000. And I have opened hood while it's running and noticed engine vibration. Not a ton but it sure is there. Where do I get that repair manual? I downloaded the pdf file for soob but it only goes up to 88.

<Did your mechanic do any dis-assembly to the engine when he swapped the transmission?> No. But he said that he noticed some motor vibration and that, in his opinion, it seemed to lack get-up-and-go power. His opinion was that it accelerates too slow. <I suggest you continue looking at the transmission and shifter assemblies. Make sure the shifter assembly is bolted securely to the back of the transmission, and I believe there is a bracket that mounts to the body as well.> Ok. Will pass that on. I have given him url to this site, too. He said that he did not remove pressure plate, etc., when installing tranny. He did notice a loose lock nut on shifting rod that bolts to the tranny and he tightened it up all the way. <Ask you mechanic if he re-used the transmission mounts off your old transmission, or if he used the ones that came with the "new" transmission. If it didn't shake before, I would have him re-install the mounts that were on the old transmission. > Used mounts from old t. < Check the shifter assembly to make sure the spring has been re-attached, and that all the bushings are in correctly.> OK <You could also go to the Subaru dealership in Moscow, ID and talk to one of their older mechanics, or the parts guy and see what they reccomends. I know they used to have some pretty knowledgable people that worked there.> Yep and when I do they will start the "don't you think it's time to buy...." THANK YOU