Rooster2

It all depends on what you want to drive, why, at what cost?

Not good to add a quart of ATF, when the level was "normal." You don't want way too much ATF in the system. Check level on dip stick with motor running, and warmed up. If way too much, then drain some away by removing the drain plug.

Wonder why the mechanic didn't pull the code, and fix the problem?? Don't think I would purchase a car with a probable clutch rebuild in the near future. Add unusual engine noise to the mix..........not a desirable car.

+1 on what's written above. You always need to know that the basics are good in a car. I do this on any used car that I buy for personal use. Good chance this will fix the problem.

That was a good price on a battery @ $70. Glad your dim light problem is corrected.

I paid $75 for a used hub w/bearings from a wrecking yard about a year ago. So far, so good with used hub.

Remove the glove box to gain access to the fan. Remove fan cover, there is a chance that leaves and gunk has fallen from the defroster vents to clog up the movement of the motor. Clean out the crap can fix the problem. If not, then the resistor pack is the likely problem.

A fuse in the FWD fuse holder, or removal of rear section of the drive shaft may have been done if there was torque bind. If torque bind was that bad, then going to FWD only may have been the better option. Seems like there is a lot to get sorted out on this car.

Nothing exotic about a timing chain cover. Yea, I would use normal bolts. Recommend applying anti seize to the threads, just in case you ever have to remove the bolts in the future. Anti seize can sure make life a lot easier. I even use it on my lug nuts for the road wheels.

No problem at inspection. A resonator does not affect exhaust emissions. Just make sure that your problem is not with the catalytic converter. If so, then the cat converter must be replaced.

I had the resonator break on both of my Oubacks. I took to my local family owned muffler shop, where I had them cut out the resonator, and replace with a piece of straight pipe, that they welded in. Surprisingly, both cars are no louder then with a good resonator. I don't know why Subaru bothers installing a resonator. It is not needed. Cost was cheap to repair this way.

Have you found the relay?? Location prolly in owner's manual.

Try working it free with a pocket knife blade. Just don't pry on anything.

Power steering unit is an easy swap out. Easy to find one in a wrecking yard for cheap. Doesn't surprise me about the over tighten. I bet the washer was bad, so someone just super tightened it. That didn't work, so where is the tube of silicone. Maybe replacing the washer will solve the problem.

Yes, my OBW has been doing that with the evap code. Pretty sure it is my gas fill pipe causing the problem. Recently removed it, sealed the rust holes best I could, only to have the CEL come on two weeks later, but the CEL turned itself off a few days back. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it reappeared.

Good advise, also check the oil level on the dip stick, make sure the oil level is full. You don't say what was repaired, but to be on the safe side, check as much wiring and vacuum hose connectors that you can that are under the hood. Even check to see that the battery connectors are tight. Stuff in a body shop gets disconnected, and maybe not reconnected properly. I have had that happen in the past.

Yea, rotors are roughly $35/each, and pads about the same, so $70 is a reasonable price. Hope you sprung for the ceramic brake pads. Well worth a few extra bucks over the cheapies.

Keep the faith, your car will come back together again. The 2.2 motor is built tough, there is a high probability that you will have a good one.

Just remember or write down the model years Outbacks, 96-99 with the 2.5 DOHC motor. They are the least desirable. However, there were some 96 models that are 5 speed trannys, that have the desirable 2.2 motor.

There is a drain plug on the auto tranny, so it is just like draining and changing oil. If and when you change the A/T fluid, do so 3 times, to get a good swap out of fluids, as only about half of the ATF can be changed during a drain. There will also be an external filter on the automatic tranny, so change that out too. Hope you enjoy your new Subie!!

Then I recommend the JB Weld approach. It is an epoxy putty in one tube, a hardner agent in another tube. Kit cost about $6.00 It is easy & quick to apply. Finished area doesn't need to look pretty, as it is out of sight on the muffler. You just need to let the product set up and dry, so don't drive for several hours, or best to let it dry over night without driving to get the patch material good and hard. Years back, I applied to a small hole on an exhaust pipe. The JB weld held up for years, never did leak there again. The stuff is amazing.

$400 is a decent price. I hope all goes well in the transplant. As I mentioned before, I recall the mounting bracket for the A/C compressor needs to be moved from the 2.5 to the 2.2 motor. It is no big deal, but the shop needs to know that. The shop also does not need to discharge the A/C system. Just pull the compressor off to the side, then rebolt to the replacement 2.2 motor.

If you have one of those family owned muffler shop in your area that does the cut, bend, weld, approach to exhaust repair go there. Where I live, the store is called "Ralph's Muffler Shop to give you an idea of what the shop may be called. Repairs at a shop like this are around $50. Avoid the chain shops like Midas, Car-X, and the dealer, to avoid a huge repair bill. Hope you find one at a J-yard in good shape. You need to find out exactly what needs to be replaced...........the muffler or the pipe? If the crack is not too bad, you could possibly clean the area and patch with JB Weld. This will hold for a while until the weather warms up to make for a permanent repair. Just be sure to let the JB Weld harden up over several hours before driving the car.

I like Advance Auto Parts on line store. I buy their store brand ceramic pads.There is always a discount code available to take 20%-25% off the cost. If a store is nearby, you can buy on line, then stop by and pick up at the store, and get on-line pricing. Not to belabor the point, but, fyi.......correct spelling is "brakes", not "breaks."

Is your check engine light on? A bad 02 sensor, will definitely turn on the check engine light. It could also be a bad knock sensor. How long since spark plug and plug wires been changed?