BigMattyD

Read this article about the A/C system: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/ACMechanism.pdf I know that the compressor will cycle on and off about once a second when it is over filled. I did it myself. I don't know if the compressor will cycle quickly when it is under-charged. From my understanding of this document, if the system is under-charged, the compressor will fail to run at all or will run constantly with minimal cooling effect. I have seen this happen on other vehicles. If the system is over-charged by an amount that is just under the high limit, then the compressor will start briefly, but shut off once the high side pressure reaches the limit. Because no cooling is taking place, the temperature sensor in the car is telling the compressor to run, but the limit switch is telling it the pressure is too high, so stop. Therefore, you get the rapid on and off cycling. That is what happened to my vehicle. When I released some of the refrigerant, it returned to normal operation. That was a year ago, and the problem hasn't returned. Matt D

Consider this: If the a/c system is overcharged with refrigerant the compressor will cycle on and off because of the high pressure limit switch being activated. You will not get a good cooling effect and it will make the car buck, as the compressor clutch keeps cycling on and off. Believe me, it is annoying. It happened to me last year when I added some refrigerant to my system in an attempt to improve the cooling. It turns out it was already full, and didn't need any extra. Because I am not as environment-conscious as some of the others on this board, I vented a bit of refrigerant out of the low pressure side of the system. Everything has been fine since. Maybe the guy that worked on the ac last year overfilled the system. That's the first thing I would check. Matt

I just had the same problem fixed with a new set of tires. The steering wheel had a pretty noticeable vibration above 60 mph. I was almost positive I had some worn steering component, but when I got new tires, The problem was solved. Matt

I am not sure a turbine engine would be practical in a car, (except for the Batmobile...) They are loud, they need to run at high rpm to be efficient, which means some type of transmission has to convert the continuous high output of energy to a stop-n-go type of output. (The engine is wasting fuel when the car is not operating at a constant speed.) Also, turbine engines are expensive, have exacting tolerances, and require professional maintenance. Also, it seems that they are difficult to scale down to the size required for a car. Making them larger does not seem to be as big an issue. That is one of the reasons we don't see small, inexpensive turbine engines in aircraft. The smallest turbine engines are large, and expensive, require a higher level of technical skill to operate and maintain, and provide more power than required for a small aircraft (or cars.) On the other hand, piston engines seem easy to scale down, think fo lawn mowers or hobby motors but reach a certain limit of practicality at very large sizes. I don't have vast technical knowledge in this area, but these are just a few thoughts. Any professional advice from a turbine designer would be greatly appreciated. Matt P.S. (Don't expect to fix one yourself.)

I don't think it's the head gasket, but more likely the valve cover gaskets. Those are cheap and easy to replace, but not an emergency. You could let it leak oil for a while without hurting anything. There are only three bolts holding each cover to the head. There is a rubber gasket that seats in a groove on the valve cover. I would buy a can of engine degreaser first and clean the areas around the valve covers. You need to remove the battery and windshield washer reservoir on the driver's side to get at the valve cover easily. You need to move the air filter housing on the passenger side. Other than that, it is a simple remove/replace job. Make sure you clean the seating areas for the gaskets before you reinstall them. It shouldn't take more than 1.5 to 2 hrs to do both. Matt D

http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/TBeltEWWin05.pdf This should help a lot. matt

Why has nobody commented on the sweet photo of my engine? I was very proud of that... Boo Hoo...:-\

I use the Haynes manual, but also a lot of help from this message board and an article from the Subaru endwrench website. If it weren't for the info on this board, I probably would not have been comfortable attempting this type of repair, but I found that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. P.S. To remove the crankshaft pulley bolt, in a manual transmission vehicle, put the car in gear, apply the parking brake tightly, and use a 22mm socket with a breaker bar. I did not have to put anything in the flywheel to hold it because the transmission did a good enough job holding. I guess if the bolt is too tight or the clutch is slipping, that technique may not work, but it worked well for me. Matt

I wouldn't take the timing cover apart. It is designed to keep debris out of the timing belt area and extend its life. Also, the crankshaft pulley is not hard to remove. Even if it's stuck on like mine was, it just took a little work to get it off. And no, you can't work on the oil pump or center oil seal without removing the pulley anyway. To make things even easier, pull the radiator out of the car. It will give you a couple extra inches of working room, and it is very easy to remove and install. Plus, it's probably about time to replace the radiator hoses and thermostat anyway.... I just did this project in January. I replaced the t-belt, cam and crank seals, oil pump o-ring and reseal, H2O pump and thermostat, new radiator hoses, and new accessory belts. I think it cost around 200 dollars or maybe a bit less for all the parts, and It probably took a total of 8 to 10 hours of time, because I had never done it before. Now I think I could do it in about 4 hours. Just replacing the timing belt would only take 2 hrs. I think. It's actually pretty simple. Matt

XS, I had this same problem and fixed it just 1 month ago. check out this thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=34929 The problem and its fix are still fresh in my memory. If you have any detailed questions, let me know. I took the side of the engine apart twice, so I gained some valuable experience. Probably the same as you are doing right now. It is a good idea to replace the valve cover gasket when you are done. I tried to re-use my old one, but there was a small leak. The part is cheap. http://home.stny.rr.com/durkinsite/Rocker_arm.jpg This is a link to a photo showing the bolt you have to remove to slide the end off the shaft and get to the oil passages. Of course, you need to remove the assembly from the engine first. Matt

I recently had to clean the oil passages in my engine, one was clogged with a piece of gasket material. The end of the rocker assembly has a 10 mm bolt that holds it to the shaft. If you remove the bolt, and slide the end piece off, you will be able to disassemble the rocker arm and see the oil passages very clearly. Once you get it apart you will see what I mean. On the driver's side rocker arm, the oil flows into the rocker arm through a hole in the front end of the arm where it bolts into the head. It flows through the center of the shaft, which is hollow, and moves through ports in the wall of the shaft to each individual rocker. The excess oil exits via a spring-loaded check valve at the opposite end of the shaft and drains back into the engine. In my case, the blockage was located right where the oil flows into the shaft. It was only a partial blockage, which is why the upper HLA's were all lacking oil, but the lower ones were full. MATT

My vote for a relatively inexpensive, but good quality tire is the Yokohama Avid Touring. I got 60,000 miles out of a set I bought from Tire rack in 2001. They performed very well in rain and snow, were quiet, and lasted a long time. I just put a set of Kumho 795 A/S Touring tires on my 96 Legacy. They are about 10 dollars cheaper per tire, and they seem to be working great so far. Consider putting dedicated snow tires on in winter if you live in a snowy region. They make a huge difference. Even if you have excellent all-season tires, the snow tires put them to shame. Matt

Regarding the turbo at higher elevations: Although the turbocharged car will not perform as well at 15,000 feet as at it would at sea level, it will surely outperform a normally aspirated version of the same engine at either altitude. What I am trying to say is, that if the normally aspirated engine is average at sea level and pathetic at altitude, the turbocharged version will be peppy at sea level, and average at altitude. Overall, I'd rather have the turbo. P.S. That's why pilots of piston-engine general aviation aircraft lust after turbocharged engines; they produce their rated power at much higher altitudes. At a certain altitude, as Heikki pointed out, the amount of boost from the turbo will not be enough to compensate for the loss of atmospheric pressure, and the engine will begin to lose power as the altitude increases beyond that point. Big D

I believe the check engine light was intermittent. I had it replaced under warranty, I didn't do it myself, but I don't think it's too hard. I'll look for some info for you. Check out these threads. The 1st link gives you a pic of the area of the crankshaft. I believe the crankshaft position sensor is the black object just above the crankshaft pulley with the single bolt and the wire attached to it. It sits underneath the alternator. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/timingbelt/DCP_2703.JPG http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=29756 http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12947 Matt

I had a similar problem, and it kept getting worse to the point where sometimes it would be very difficult to get the car to start. It turned out to be a faulty crankshaft position sensor. Pretty Cheap and easy to fix. You can get a code reader at Walmart for 99 bucks. It comes in real handy. Matt D

As far as I can remember, I think 13.8 volts is the normal regulated output for the system. I know that automobile electronic equipment (CB's, scanners, radios) are designed to work at 13.8 volts. If your charging system light on the dashboard is not illuminated, I would leave it alone. I think the guy is just trying to make some extra money off you. Matt D. P.S. I just replaced my alternator because it failed. There were no early warning signs. A rebuilt OEM Subaru alternator from 1stsubaruparts.com was $67.50. At my local parts stores it was about $120 for a generic rebuilt. A brand new one is about $225.

Online I found a cheap check-valve used for aquarium tubing. Maybe I'lll try that someday, or maybe I'll spend 40 or 50 bucks for a pressure bleeding system. I don't plan to do this again for another year or two, though.. Matt

This past weekend, I replaced my 10 year old, brown brake fluid and bled the fluid out of the 4 wheels. I used a cheap hose and bottle attachment that I found at my local auto store. The question is, does anyone know of a system that has an in-line check valve to make the process quicker and easier for one-man operation? I know they make those valves that replace the normal bleeder screws, but then you have to buy a set for each car, and I don't use them often. Matt

This is a general question about automotive electronics: If I have a faulty electrical connector, such as the weather-resistant locking connectors used under the hood, where would I get a replacement? Are they available at dealers or online stores? I have a connection that is intermittently failing due to a damaged weather seal, and I want to replace the faulty connector end. Matt D

I have changed my fuel filter a few times. The first time I went tio the trouble of depressurizing the fuel system, and everything went well. The next time, I didn't depressurize the fuel system, and everything went well. As Frag said, it only takes a short while for the system to bleed off pressure on its own. If you leave it sit for an hr or two, it will be fine. Even if gasoline were to spray around, as long as there is no source of ignition you will be fine, it evaporates quickly, esp. if outdoors. Remember when you used to overfill the lawnmower when you were a kid? Fuel will come out of the hoses and filter no matter what, so use a rag or small cup to catch it if you want. Matt D

I think you will see that most new cars have the round headlights encased in a smooth plastic fairing. That is just the style of the day, and I'm not bothered by it. I think the exterior styling, esp. the front end could be a lot more attractive if they narrowed the front grille, and put the headlights in a more natural position. The interior looks really nice, and I bet it is a pleasure to ride in. The main problem I see is that it is still not really a family car. I bought a Dodge Grand Caravan this year because I wanted something that was useful for hauling the family and extra cargo. None of the Subarus I have seen lately have ample room for a family car. The Outback and the Forester are just too small. This car looks too small too, and the fancy styling and H6 engine probably come with a price tag I can not justify at this point in my life. I think this would be a nice car for a couple or a 1 child family. Take a look at the cars from Chrysler and the imports, and you will see this trend toward aggressive, new styling. About every 10 years we have to deal with radical changes in body style. I'm sure we will get used to it. I still love the look and feel of my 96 Legacy L. It's fun to drive, reliable, easy to work on, and looks great, although it could use a new paint job soon. Matt D

When I bought my car used, it was overfilled with oil by a little bit. I ran it for a while with no problems. It is hard not to over fill it, esp. if you are used to big engines with a 5 qt capacity. What I do now is put about 3 or 31/2 qts, then let it go for a day, check the oil later, and add any if needed. You don't want it to be extremely overfilled, that can cause damage... I would say 1/2 qt or so shouldn't hurt. matt

Here is an interesting link to some timing belt info. http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/TBeltEWWin05.pdf The tooth counts you describe sound more to me like the 2.2 SOHC engine that a 2.5. Maybe in 2000, they made an SOHC 2.5L engine, but I thought the 2.2s were SOHC, and the 2.5s are DOHC. Is the belt an OEM or aftermarket belt? On my 2.2L engine, I had no problems lining up the teeth with an OEM belt. Matt D

If you feel like investing in your future, buy an OBDII code reader, which will work on any 1996 or newer vehicle. You can read the codes yourself on all your cars, which gives you peace of mind. For example, if the code is for an emission control that won't affect the proper running of the engine, you can feel safe letting it go for a little while. If the code is more serious, you can take care of it right away. In Jan. 2005, I bought an Equus 3100 code reader, which is now available at Wal-mart for just under 100 bucks. I have already used it once or twice on each one of my three vehicles. It is easy to use and very basic. (There are other code readers available.) I don't have an autozone in my area, and a lot of shops want to charge you to read the codes, so I think it has been a good investment. If you want good detailed explanations of the trouble codes and diagnostic procedures for you specific vehicle, try alldatadiy.com. You can buy a yearly subscription of the service manual for your car, and follow the diagnostic procedures recommended by the factory. Matt D

I just had a problem with the lash adjusters on my 96 legacy. It was a very loud and annoying ticking that began pretty suddenly. I tried Seafoam in the oil and an oil change, but no help. On the weekend I took a look at the rocker arms and found that a piece of gasket sealant had partially plugged one of the oil passages. I pumped up the HLA's with oil, removed the blockage, and have had zero tick since. If this sounds like a possibility on your car, let me know and I'll give you more details. It was a pretty easy fix, and no matter how long I would have tried oil additives, it never would have solved my problem. Matt D