porcupine73

Maybe there is an issue with the position switch on the side of the auto trans? I think it only fires the solenoid to release the shifter if the shifter is in park. If it thinks the shifter is in reverse, maybe the reverse lights will be on, plus the solenoid wouldn't energize when you step on the brake to let it out of park? Here's some interlock override info:

Hi ltk and welcome! Here's a good soob article about the noise: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/EngineNoiseSum04.pdf excerpt: "Subaru models from the 2000 model year and later, equipped with 2.2 and 2.5 liter engines" ,"A light engine knock, after cold start, that gradually dissipates as the engine warms up and is virtually undetectable (from inside the vehicle) once the engine has reached operating temperature, is a normal characteristic of these engines."

Yes I think the secret is the one time use only metal gasket from Subaru. It requires no additional sealant and seems to work very well.

That's not too bad a list I guess. The rear brakes and parking hardware isn't too hard to do. Of course the tires should all match within 1/4" circumference to avoid excessive wear and possibly developing the dreaded torque bind.

Not sure, I think it is probably that they are a lot rarer than the LHD models. Plus they are great for paper routes or mail delivery, a nice reliable AWD vehicle for that purpose. Also there is some demand for them for those who purchase them and then put in the 2.0 twin turbo engine.

Now I just need to start saving up for an STI!

Also might want to check out how much higher your insurance premiums can be on an STI.

The plastic part often referred to is the oil separator, that is plastic on certain soob engines and the upgrade is a metal part. It has nothing to do with the oil pump. Metal one with new screws Goes here: The oil pump rotor cover screws sometimes backed out, letting oil leak out the front crank seal and sometimes even pushing the seal out. If you have the older black colored cam and crank seals, those are more likely to leak. The newer brownish ones hold up better.

I was running sylvania silverstars for a while and then was changing them a couple times a year so quit using them; they just don't seem to last as long as regular bulbs.

How long did it last between blowings? They're not the sylvania silverstars are they?

None of those are necessarily related. If the lamp blew out once and you replaced and it has been ok. The speaker could be a poor connection or faulty speaker; sometimes when poeple put in different radios they don't solder the connections so they can work loose with time. Horn could be a poor ground or connection again,etc.

You need to see where the play is. When you shake where the outer tie rod end is thread on to the inner tie rod, do you see any play at that junction? Like maybe get one hand on the outer tie rod end and the other on the inner and see if you spot any play at that junction there where the jam nut is. If you don't see any play there, then it may be the inner tie rod where it meets the rack. I just discovered this play on the left front on my '96 and '00. I could hear the play when I shook it but it took a while to figure out it was coming from the inner tie rod ends. At first I thought it was normal, but the front right are dead solid, no clicking or freeplay at all when shaking them.

Give her a good firm shake down. Like for tie rods, if you grasp the inner tie rod where it meets the outer tie rod and give good yanks in various directions you shouldn't feel any looseness. Inner or outer tie rod issues should be feelable this way.

Hi. Does it have an auto trans? If so, it sounds like the shaft seal that separates the front diff gear oil from the auto trans fluid may be bad, allowing the fluids to mix. ATF isn't good for the front diff because it does not have enough extreme pressure EP additives for the hypoid style diff. Gear oil is bad for the auto trans because the sulfur and such EP additives can corrode parts in the auto trans.

Are all three fuel lines hooked back up in the right spots?

Thanks for the tie rod tool info! I ordered that set from HF and it has arrived! Now I just need to get enough Subaru bucks to get the tie rod ends. I think I saw the method of blocking the rotor with a small pry bar in the service manual. It worked very well, the bar slides right down in the rotor vanes and the caliper bracket is more than stout enough to take the abuse. Actually that is a HF pry bar, and the top snapped off it the first time I tried this. It is a brittle steel that looks weird when it fractures.

hehe glad you got it off. I unstake the nut first; seems to make it a little easier to loosen. This was a no go: However with my little helper added on the axle nut was helpless to resist:

Hi. Yes KYB GR-2 do seem to be valved a little stiffer than the Subaru OEM KYB's. Add on King Springs/scorpion lift springs and that will definitely firm up the ride quite a bit, at least it has on my soobs. The King Springs you can get in a lowering, stock, or lift style. They have a catalog at http://www.kingsprings.com The lift spring style would give you a firmer ride because they have a higher rate (which is why they lift), probably like 350lb/in to 400lb/in. You can get King Springs directly from King Springs and they ship from Australia. Shipping costs almost as much as the springs themselves, but actually the price is still about the same as when renickmotorsports used to sell them. Important note about King Springs, if these are for your 2000 Legacy, you may need Forester upper spring seats for the front as the King Springs are made for Aus. spec vehicles. There are some other makers of lift springs for soobs, one from Canada I think, but I forget the names.

Yes, I would just order from King Springs directly. I got a few sets of Scorpion/King Springs from renickmotorsports.com in the past but they don't seem to offer them anymore. The shipping direct from King Springs may seem high, but actually it is about what Renick charged overall anyway. Just a note, you need to verify the upper spring seat diameter vs. the spring. For '96 outback springs I didn't have an issue, but for '00obw, the king springs were quite a smaller diameter at the top than the OEM. That's because Aus. spec soobs use a spring with a smaller diameter at the top. In that case a Forester upper spring seat typically would solve the issue.

Yes there was a good thread some time back showing that the ATF filter has some potentially important differences vs. an engine oil filter. For one the Subaru ATF has some kind of mesh over the bypass, probably to keep at least the larger particles of metal from getting into the ATF cooler and plugging it up.

Hm, you know what, I would check to see if the air bag module is even in place. As it has been on since you got the vehicle maybe the airbag deployed at some point and was not replaced? The circa '96s had a tsb out where if a curb was hit hard enough with the tow hooks under the front of the vehicle, the airbag would deploy. tsb solution-cut off tow hooks.

Hi Tim. I have a '96 Legacy too! Let's see...air bag codes. Code 11 says it could one or more of the following: DIAGNOSIS: Airbag control module is faulty. Airbag main harness circuit is open. Fuse No.8 is blown. Body harness circuit is open. Code 14 says.... (basically these appear to be all the yellow connectors in the system). DIAGNOSIS: (AB9) and (AB10) are not connected properly. (AB2) and (AB7) are not connected properly. (AB3) and (AB8) are not connected properly. (AB6) is not connected properly to airbag control module.

Just curious, is it possible to thread the used axle nut back on so that a different (fresh) part of the axle nut ends up at the stake position? Not sure if the threads could work out that way? Yes, I agree I don't think it is the remanufacturer's job to include a new axle nut or spring/roll pin. I just thought I would make note of it. Speaking of which....I need to order me up an MWE axle for my '94, I spotted a torn outer boot on her a few weeks back and sometimes she's clicking in the turns.

You know, a test drive under light, medium, heavy throttle, etc., making sure it feels like it is shifting correctly. AWD soobs need to be checked for torque bind. Ah ha hehe I at first thought you were Lionel, and welcome! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Lionel Hutz:

Id say test drive it cold and warm, light throttle, full throttle, and make sure the auto trans is operating properly before purchase. After a used vehicle purchase a thorough maintenenace going over including ATF change is prudent. ATF can get a little darker with age, the dyes fade, the fluid oxidizes, etc; that may be what you are seeing.