Rooster2

I bet if you swung that wire down toward the trany, and moved it about the length of the wire, you will be able to see where it was connected to the trany. Prolly best to reconnect it. There's electronics inside the A/T that needs a good ground.

I know I am a heretic here for not saying to use NGK plugs only. I installed Bosch Platinum, their cheapest ones with a single anode, about two years ago in my 99 OBW, and they continue to perform just fine after 25K miles of driving. Cost was maybe $2-3/each per plug. The nasty part is ahead of you, when it come time to install the plugs. Search this forum for plug installation for details.

My vote is to do an engine swap. Running good 2.2 motors can be had for about $200 as someone else said. Your rebuild time and parts will cost more than $200.

When I changed plugs in my 99 OBW, it took me a good three hours of cussing, when adding and subtracting extensions, using a wobbler, and finger tip loosening, and tightening the plugs to get the job done. Nastiest plug change that I have ever done. Just no room to do work. Wish Subaru had cut nice access holes in the inside fender wells to give access. It would make the job a lot easier.

IMO, I would buy the 195 vs 185 size tire. For a couple of bucks more per tire, they handle better, ride better, with negligible spedo difference. I have had good performance with Kuhmo Solice 721 tire. Sell for a reasonable price too.

Have you checked the brake fluid level in the reservoir? I think if fluid level is low, it will activate brake warning light.

I had a buzzy relay on a VW some time back. The relay still seemed to work, but I replaced it anyway. I figured it was cheap insurance to replace before it caused trouble.

Suggest you read previous posts on this USMB regarding "torque bind." A search here will yield a lot on technically what causes it, and how to fix. It doesn't seem like something cheap and ez to fix.

I have had Trans-X in my car for about 2 years now, so if the product would cause a problem, I think it would have done so by now. Someone on this forum tore down their trany after using Trans-X, and could not find any deterioration of internal seals, so I am thinking Trans-X is a safe product to use.

Bad axles result from torn boots that allows dirt to enter the CV joints. Check for torn rubber boots at each end of the half shafts (axles) by looking under the car. It is difficult to do this without raising the front end to get a good look at the half shafts. Suggest this being done at a repair garage, where the car can be put up on a lift, or it can be done driving the front up on small portable ramps. Is this car 2 wheel drive or all wheel drive? Torque bind is only an all wheel drive problem. It can be diagnosed, when driving, if the steering seems to bind up on turns, thus the name torque bind. Most I would pay would be $500, or $495 if owner lets you keep the $5 bill resting in the cubby hole in front of the shifter.

Agree with others, it is really a tire problem. Using snow tires, or better yet, studded snow tires, do a lot to reduce tire spin in really slick conditions. The "tallness" of Subie Outbacks and SUVs make the vehicles more top heavy then earlier Subies, which were passenger cars, also makes for trickier handling.

There is a fuse for cig lighter and some other functions on the same wiring, so you may want to check to see if that fuse is good. However, I had a situation where fuse was good, but lighter socket had no power. What causes this, is that there is a fuse link built into the lighter socket, that can blow without blowing the fuse at the fuse block. This turned out to be my problem. To repair, I disassembled the lighter socket, and bent the metal clips together to by-pass around the bad fuse link to restore electrical power. IMO, the lighter socket design is not good, and a real PITA to repair.

Agree with you.........just too many miles on existing trany to consider repairing. A good used trany is the way I would go.

You may want to try repairing with JB Weld epoxy. Available at most auto parts stores. Just be sure to super clean the area where the leak is. I have had really good luck with that product. Cost is about $5.00

Suggest going to a hardware store, and buying one each of all the nuts that have been suggested. The cost is cheap. In that mix, you should find one that fits. Also, for what it is worth, when replacing that bottom nut, I jam a rag or shop towel under the starter to catch the nut should I drop it. Good luck on getting this project finished.

It is difficult to see much detail in the picture. Where under the car was this picture taken? I may be mistaken, but it appears to be a shroud on an exhaust pipe. If so, I doubt that it is gas dripping there.

You refer to the "pipe above the trany pan," I think that is the tube that the transmission dip stick fits into to measure ATF level. No, the trany fluid does not fill up to the level of the tube, so nothing will flow out. However, there is no reason to remove the tube. The transmission fluid is not cooled by antifreeze. Coolant and ATF flow through the radiator using separate lines. On the inside of the radiator (facing toward the engine) the transmission lines are screwed into the radiator. You will see one line at the top of the radiator, the other line near the bottom of the radiator. There is no need to remove either line, when replacing the trany pan. Be very careful in replacing those pan bolts. The bolts can break (sheer off) very easily with minimum effort. Be sure that you know how to operate your torque wrench correctly. Someone, here on this forum, accidentally sheered off several bolts, when re-torquing the bolts with a cheap torque wrench. So be very careful when tightening, and good luck to you.

Guess I am confused..........isn't the shoe suppose to rub when the pedal is applied? The "star" wheel, is where tightness is adjusted. E-brake cable rusts inside the tubular housing is what I have observed as the reason the e-brake freezes. I replaced the cable on a VW some time back with brake shoes, it was difficult job requiring a lot of cussing during the process of hooking up the cable. It required a lot of cable stretching, but it can be done as a one man job.

By smoking, do you mean "out the tail pipe," or oil leakage that burns off after dripping on the exhaust system? Either way, I disagree that it is caused by Walmart oil. Smoking out the tail pipe is a sign of a high millage car with worn piston rings, and oil leakage is a sign of leaking seals. IMO, Walmart oil will cause neither. I use Walmart oil: 20w X 50w in the summer, 10w X 30w in the winter with no issues.

So there is also an external filter or is that some sort of a mod? Starting with 1999 models with A/T, Subaru transmissions came from the factory with screw on filters for the A/T. Be sure to get a replacement filter that is designed for A/T application. It cost about $35. It looks the same as the oil filter that fits a Subie motor, but it is not the same. Don't be tempted to use an oil filter as a replacement. The internal filtering media is not the same. Merry Christmas, Larry (Rooster2)

Where would place those hose clamps? It doesn't seem like there is any room on the "female" pipes. I just fixed the same loose shroud problem on my 98 OBW a few weeks back. It is a low tech problem, so gave it a low tech solution. I put my car up on drive up ramps, set the e-brake, crawled under front, and proceeded to pound in with a hammer a couple of bolts as wedges to fill the space on the loose shroud. The bolts are simply a friction fit, with the hammering in snugging the bolts up good and tight. So far, no more shrill vibrating shroud noise. I have used the hose clamp fix before on the same problem, and that does work well too. You just need to have the right size hose clamp available at the time of repair. At the time of the bolt repair, I didn't have hose clamps available.

Sorry to hear about your problem. I learned my lesson on dropping the AT pan, when I had a 91 Leggie. I found it a waste of time. There is only a fine wire mesh screen, like you see on some drip style coffee makers. The screen was clean, with no metal shavings, and no gunk. So, there was no reason to change the mesh screen. On reassemble of pan, I had a minor leak. Others have said the same thing, that it is not worth the effort to drop the pan to change the internal filter. IMO, you would have been better off to just change the external filter only, when changing the AT fluid.

I put in Walmart brand tranny fluid two years ago in both of my OB wagons, and have experienced no problems. If Walmart fluid would have created a problem, it would have shown up by now.

As written in earlier reply, sounds like a typical Subaru head gasket issue. Your year Subaru is infamous for developing this problem. There is a ton of information on this forum about this problem, and how to fix it. What ever you do, don't drive while motor is over heating. Keep a sharp eye on your temp gauge, when, (not if) it over heats again. Shut the motor off pronto at first sign of over heating. Otherwise, you will ruin the motor for sure. As a "band aid" temp fix, loosen the vent bolt that is opposite the radiator cap on the other end of the radiator. This will help "vent" out some of the hot exhaust gas that is leaking out of the combustion chamber through the bad head gasket into the cooling system. I bet when your car was over heating, the heater was working poorly. Sorry to say, but cost is about $1,500 to repair. I know that is not what you want to hear.

Prolly a good idea to change the oil and oil filter, because it is contaminated with raw gas. The diluted oil is a bad lubricant for the engine. It doesn't happen often, but I have heard of gas fumes in the oil pan exploding, because of unburned gas droplets draining down into the oil pan, resulting from a misfiring plug.