davebugs

Real glass shops do still exist. Insurance will try and push to you to a chain of guys in vans. They get real good prices, and you get a crappy windshield. Safelite did my last one - twice. WIndshield is crap and just cracked. Advance auto paid - twice, and almost a 3rd time for a genuine OEM VW one. Lets just say that I've made it up in parts. I'd look for a "real" glass shop. Take it there, they'll take it indoors and in heat, and do it.

In PA (like a lot of states) it's mostly about the money. At one time we had inspections every 6 months. Then they actually went to a year and everyone wondered why the gov't would give up that money. Turns out they knew the emissions gravy train was coming! Force inspection stations to buy certain machines from "approved" sources (read kick backs). Still sell 2 stickers per year (now one inspection and one emission), keep getting the federal tax money (that WE paid in) coming back to us by jumping through the fed's hoops. The emissions machines, training & certification, care, feeding, calibration are very good for the state. I don't care much about the windshield as long as it's not in the line of view. The unseen stuff, especially for folks that just get in and drive do concern me. Things like brake LINES, even more than pads. Gas lines, Unibody rust, Suspension parts (bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends) stuff like that. Lights - easy to check but I worry more about structural stuff. If you're in a non emissions area the car can run so poorly it can't get out of it's own way but it'll pass. If the lights work, brake lining is good, etc. Thing can run like crap. If you're in an emissions area it can still run like crap, but if it passes emissions yoiu're golden. You may get run over getting onto an interstate - but the car will have a fresh inspection sticker!

Perhaps someone with similar experience will chime in. If I had a car using oil like that it'd already be parked until it was fixed - no matter how broke I was. Because it ain't gonna get any easier or less costly to fix, and is likely to cause more problems, which means more work and money.

Almost sounds like the cat. Do you know is it's burning the oil or it's leaking somewhere. BTW that sounds like a lot of oil. What is the problem with that?

Take your seals (crank and a cam) to the hardware store and get a PVC coupler. One coupler will work for crank and cam seals.

Get the whole internet idler kit, OEM seals and WP while you're at it. Then if the Head Gaskets are good you likely won't need to do it again.

Welcome. I still do some work on old air cooled VW's that I own and an occasional TDI. You'll love Subaru's. When you get a change update your location so we have a clue where you live. Sometimes folks will lend a hand.

Search here for Duty C solenoid. That's what the 16 flashes is trying to tell you. Edit: ALso look at the bottom left of this screen at the "similar threads"

John - I was mostly trying magnets on the shaft of the extension and the socket. I'll try the tape next time. OP - it's also called the "oil seperator plate". Any Subaru parts guy will know what you want. If not don't buy there. These are a very common problem. Folks here get the new metal plate AND SCREWS to go with the new plate. I've never bought a new plate myself though. Are you ordering a knock sensor too?

45 minutes is my magic time. After you overhead it - let it cool down. Add coolant (which will only be so successful) and don't overheat it any more on the way back home. These are a PITA to burp so it's hard along the road. You could try filling through the top hose then topping off the rad after it's cooled off along the road. May help, certainly won't hurt.

You want the car fixed, you're gonna have to start with the knock sensor. Pay attention to the angle of the wire and don't over torque it as has been pointed out. If you have access to shop air blow around it before removing the old one. It's a little hard to get to and you don't want crap getting between the sensor and the block. They are simple to install but can get a little frustrating. Make sure you have the tools before you start. Including a long extension(or several short ones) and I use a wobbly extension. I always "loose" the bolt a few times so a magnetic pickup is more handy than the "pickle picker" type for me in this case. Disconnect the old one before removing the bolt. You can then try and use the wire of the new one to try and line up the new sensor. I've tried lowering with the bolt in place, putting the sensor in place then inserting the bolt. WIsh I could tell you that I knew the trick. Figure about 10-15 minutes of unpleasantness until it just seems to work. I remove the airbox to be able to see better, even though I know exactly where it is.

I wish you well. You may get very good at this by the time you're successfully done.

Did you use OEM gaskets? If not you might as well fix them both again on a 2.5.

Don't forget the clips? A couple bucks at the dealer. Everything else will be new. And I've seen them fail.

I've seen folks change the filter and use the old fluid to try and minimize this exact issue. That's the idea behind me sucking out some fluid every 2 years and adding Lucas ATF additive since my van is typically dedicated to towing. However I seen to be a bit of an expert on lowing tranny lines while towing and loosing a lot of fluid. FYI I have also seem the exact same behavior when folks with diesels switch to high bio-diesel mixtures. Often they are bright enough to change the rubber fuel lines, but forget about all the crap in the fuel tank and system that is gonna become mobile after the bio effects it. They need many fuel filters over the next short period of time.

Those get brittle and subject to easily breaking even with the engine on the stand in warmer weather. Not that you're any better off in your situation - it's just that it's doubtful anything you specifically did caused this. This unpleasantness was probably gonna happen anyways.

I usually get the Valeo "better" kit. By that I mean it's like another 20 bucks to get all the parts mad ein the USA or Japan (ie no Chinese or other crappy parts). I used to the the Rhino Pak cluthc kits locally but typically the clutch plate and often the pressure plate were Valeo and that kit cost like 250. Online with a complete Valeo kit IIR I could save about 100 bucks. But I haven't done one in a year and a half. Perhaps someone with other oprions and more recent experience can also answer.

My guesses are it's still one of those 3. ALternator (most likley), battery (you just replaced) or connections. I'd assume the connections were cleaned when the new batttery went in? If you let them do it that's not a safe bet however. Check the alternator connections at the alt. Often another symptom is the ABS and onother dash cluster light coming on but NOT the alternator light.

IIR the PS pump can probably stay. But then again I do this with the engine on a stand so the PS pump is already off. There is no bolt IN the PS pump. There is a bracket that goes straight back behind the pump. a 14mm IIR. Then the 3 smaller ones in the front. I don't think you wanna disconnect everything, Especially with the engine in the car and outside if you can get away without it. I often put some small chunks of 2x4 as shims kinda. Figure the wood won't scratch any surfaces. There are some hoses IIR back by the throttle body especially a smaller (1/2" or so) coolant hose, the temp sensor for the dash gauge under #3 intake, and other stuff that's rather awkward and unpleasant. Not to mention stiff in the conditions you're working with. I can usually pull up and get a couple inches of clearance with all hoses (vacuum, coolant) still connected and wireing and harness still connected. Just enough to do the job. FYI for me this gasket has typically removed pretty cleanly - especially on the intake side - which is good. If there is any material left behind it's usually on the heads and easy to see and work on.

I've done a lot of Suby's mostly 95-99. Never seen clear ATF.

There is another size PVC coupler that will do bothe the crank and cam seals. I always put the same smooth side towards the seal. Because the other end gets beat up some from hitting it. Then again my current coupling has probably installed over 100 Subaru seals.

I use the 3" coupler. Often with a piece of 2x4 over it to help the pressure be even when hitting with the hammer.

I do the drain, fill, drain, fill, drain, fill method. Last one was the GF's 2006 Impreza. I believe I used a total of 14 qts of Wolfs Head Universal Synthetic. I created a thread at the time. I was trying to do a drain & fill every second or third oil change. A lot of us in a variety of vehicles have had tranny troubles after servicing a long neglected tranny. It's happened to me after trans lines have blown for instance. Do you drop the pan, change the filter, or just add fluid. I've had better luck w/Chevy's just adding the fluid if I didn't know the service history. On the used Astro vans I buy I've tkaen to using sucky toy (Pella) and every other year or so sucking out about 2 quarts and replacing with a bottle of Lucas and toping off with tranny fluid. My VW TDI as "lifetime" fluid. I don't trust it. I do it every 60k or so. It seems that if a tranny had long been igonored, that it's better to continue that treatment. It's the only thing I know of that seems that way. Where maintenance could actually possibly be bad if it had been ignored long enough.

Around here the crank sensor often gets corroded in the hole pretty bad. Not uncommon for them to break during removal. Then it's a bit of a mess. Don't know how much salt/chemicals you folks see. May be worth spraying it days ahead if you can.

Post a meaningful location. Someone here may be able to steer you to a mechanic with firmiliarity of Subaru's or assist you to do it yourself.