four-fleet-feet

One thing to do: Get her to contact someone LEAVING that duty station, preferably someone who owns the same vehicle. They can tell her some important things: what parts are the hardest to find, so she can pack some to go with her, what the usual sale value of the vehicle is so she can decide NOW whether it's better to sell or bring it back (paperwork for return - don't have it all = ), and last, what her average repair wait time will be. Some places have very long wait times to repair even the simplest things. If that is true where she's going, make sure she has repair manuals and a basic tool set packed! Anyone can learn how to fix simple stuff, and if it keeps her on the road, that's worth the price when a shop wants six weeks and then it's 'maybe it'll be done, maybe not' in another country! Especially worse if you don't speak the mechanic's language fluently.

Nipper - no codes as per the dealer. I can accelerate just fine - on the flat. The cloverleafs I use most often are not flat. Downhill or flat no problem, just curving or straight uphills. I have PLENTY of heat. Defroster is fast and my toes are toasty. Car warms up quickly and stays that way. I have no temp jump during the problem-climbing periods. Running 60/40 Prestone antifreeze. Changed 2/08. No leaks. Now this AM I have a slight rattle from the engine compartment. It wasn't there before the oil change. It was loud enough that aircraft-engineer could hear it as I pulled into his driveway. We haven't even started to figure that one out, yet. Mileage is now down to 20.5. Bummer. I was getting 25+ until late November, and then it started to drop about .5 per tank. Figured the 'PCV plate' was the same separator when I was told the engine would have to be pulled @ 6 hours labor. Boo. This problem's driving me nuts....

Aircraft-engineer and I are at our wits' ends here. 1997 Impreza L wagon, 2.2, automatic, 175k. For the last two weeks I have had no power while climbing. For those who know the Puget Sound area, if I climb a hill doing anything under 30, I can't get any speed up. If I'm climbing from a stop when I get to 20 MPH it's like I hit a wall. I can't get any oomph until I nearly stomp the pedal to the floor, which drops me into passing gear and I slowly get into 3rd. It revs my engine up to 3000. Once I hit the crest, I'm fine. Zooming along. Cloverleaf on-ramps - I run out of ramp before I get anywhere near 50, let alone 60 (the speed limit). Climbing ramps... you gotta be kidding. South Hill on 512 is doable, but only if I stay at 55-60. If my speed drops I'm doing the tortoise again. Had Dragon to Puyallup Subaru yesterday. They can't find ANYTHING wrong, just a leak at the *$$%**! cam seals/o-rings again (that we replaced Feb 08), and a leak at what they're calling the 'PCV Separator Plate Seal'. Is this name another one for the rear seal retrofit from the plastic plate to the metal one I've read about on here? They also can't find the cause of the cold-car rattle/click/noise (which I had an earlier post about) from the front driver's side. Not the CV. Not the brakes. Car was too warm to check the bearings, which we're leaning towards being the problem. Will do the thermometer test on the axle when we have time. As far as what we've done to figure out the no-go bit, here's the list. New battery (mine died this week). Plugs had less than 12k on them (NGK) so we put on a set of dealer wires. No change. Fuel filter has flow but it's been on a year. Air filter only 3k and looks white top + bottom with very little dirt. I have a new one but the 'old' one is darn near new. Changed fuel to plus. Premium last week didn't make a dent in this. No CELs. Oil change yesterday with 5-30. Trans flush done summer 08 at the dealer. Fluid levels OK. Problem didn't start until after the Seattle deep freeze in December. I didn't drive Dragon for the two weeks; that's what buses are for. I put in a bottle of Heet during the freeze just in case I had condensation in the tank (3/4 full). But she ran fine from Dec. 26th to about Jan 4th, the day I had the problem start. I'd put ina tank of gas on the 27th, from Fred Meyers. Problem got better yesterday, when I had only a 1/4 tank gas (Federal Way Costco; I switched brands to see if I'd gotten a flood-damaged tank of fuel). I filled up with Plus (Chevron) and bang, the problem's back this AM. This station's on a hill and can not have water in the tanks. No rattles, bangs, and other than the drips of oil from the seals, no leaks. No starting problems now that I have a new battery, and no shifting problems on the flat/while cold/manually. I just have a no-go-up-hill car. I'm out of ideas. Anyone else have any? TIA.

Just thought I'd throw this in. What weight oil are you running? On my last oil change some *dojo* put in heavier oil than I run (let's just say it wasn't 5/30) and Dragon really didn't like starting in 14 degree weather. I knew my battery needed replacement, but even with a fully-charged fresh battery she didn't want to turn over and stay that way without a tap on the gas pedal (more than one, actually). She ran as rough as a washboard until she was up to full operating temp. Once she was hot she was running/starting as usual. Less than 1 year on NGK's, 60/40 antifreeze, gas with Heet and topped up with Premium. Couldn't figure out the cause until I called the dealer who'd done the oil change while I was on the road. Yes, they'd used heavier oil than I'd requested. Replaced oil with lighter, usual weight. No problems now. I wouldn't want to run with thicker oil in the c-c-cold weather we've all been having. If you do track this down to the oil I'd say a block heater is in your future if you're already running 5/30. Wish I had one this year! Maybe even a battery warmer. So does everyone else in Seattle; none to be had. All backordered...

Came from ARIZONA. Oh boy. Since my parents retired to Arizona, I can tell you exactly what to do. Anything rubber on that car needs to be checked ASAP. If the previous owners didn't replace the hoses, you need to check them all, and probably replace them. The dry, long, spring-summer-fall heat dries out everything rubber on a car. Especially check the door/window seals - if they're cracked, you'll be driving a boat before you know it. Especially hatch seals. Tires are almost definitely toast, if they look worn. Dry rot doesn't take long when it's 115 in the daytime and 105 at 2AM. Check your spare. Reflected heat into a trunk area ruins spares down there. You don't want to find THAT out only when you get a flat. Grease your jack, too, or ol' squeaky will be a bear to crank. I'd check all brake lines, as well; people drive like idiots in the Southwest, the brakes will have had hard use. A full coolant flush might be a good idea, since the system was working hard down there. Also, since there are very few Subaru dealers in Arizona, and most mechanics haven't a clue how to work on one (as I found out this summer when I was there), if you don't have dealer work receipts in hand, check and/or do a full fluid change for the entire vehicle (diffs, trans - especially trans, there's a lot of stop-n-go due to a lack of freeways, brake fluid too). You've probably already checked the oil, but unless you beg, ask, and demand 5-30 oil in the Southwest, it won't be put in. Most of the time, it's just too hot down there. If thicker oil was accidentally put in, you'll want to get it out before the heavy snows. Make sure you drain the windshield/hatch washer bottles/lines system at once. You can't even buy non-freezing window wash except in Flagstaff, and only from about Nov-Feb or so. You don't want to replace your lines or pumps. You might have issues with lubrication points, since sand gets into everything when the summer sandstorms pass through. A good job with an oiler or grease gun on squeaky bits (wipe off the forced-out sand) will take care of that. However, if you just got a cherry ride with dealer work receipts, I salute you on your wonderful deal. No rust, no wet soggy moldy carpet, no frost-speckled paint, and probably no mouse-nibbled harness. Also minimal chance of having a hailstorm-damaged windshield. Yes, Virginia, there ARE some good things about Arizona. Just don't tell my Mom I typed that...

I've learned the hard way that Subies sometimes don't like any other kind of aftermarket parts other than OEM Subaru ones. You never did say what brand thermostat was put in. Subies really do need an OEM t-stat. Since you've already said the heads are leaking, we already know you do have a gasket problem, but if the t-stat isn't reading or operating correctly you'll go mad trying to diagnose things. I speak from experience here. Rodding out that radiator needs to be done. Stop leak causes more problems than it fixes. Whether you do the head gaskets yourself or farm the job out, do the radiator work first. You don't want that gunk in there. If your hoses are marginal or just who-knows-how-old, you might want to consider changing them at the same time you do the head gaskets. Stop-leak traces can build up inside them, float loose, and cause all sorts of headaches. Like banjax a new water pump, clog a new t-stat... oh yeah, BTDT 17 years ago. Cost a lot of aggravation to track the source down. Unfortunately. Above all, be wary of that Chilton manual. I've found a few problems with my Imp manual, and now I doublecheck. If you find things are really going badly, stop and research on the web. You might have found one of the *many* errors in Chilton's Subaru books. Also, you might want to put in from-a-dealer Subaru coolant when you're done. The Subaru coolant conditioner doesn't mix well with the wrong antifreeze - when you go get it at a dealer (or online) talk to a sales rep and ask what NOT to mix it with, or your newly-clean rad is going to need some more work. A bit more expense, but who wants to do head gaskets twice? Once is much more than enough. Do it right the first time and you'll never have to do it again. Good luck!

All you need to do is take off the driver's door panel, get under the dash, futz about with your wiring harnesses, and contort yourself a bit. It can be done. I USED to have the installation manual, or I'd offer you a copy to see how it's done before you give up on the idea. It went into the Black Hole of 'can I borrow that' and didn't find its way home. What you need to be certain of is that the kits actually contain the wiring harness splices, the door actuator, at least 2 fobs, as well as the module AND the instructions. I've seen kits which are missing either the splices or the door actuator so they can soak you for more $$ in the long run. Although I did find a door actuator at a JY, I've never found usable splices and fuse harnesses I could actually use. So I have a module, fobs, and a door actuator, but buying the missing parts will cost more than all the others cost me to begin with. So I'm still using a key. Just FYI.

Got her last Dec. 24th. The plugs are from Jan or so, as were the tires, but aircraft-engineer 'didn't want to do' the wires. They're who knows how old. So I'm going to do them - after I pay the turnip blood for my insurance the last week of this month. That insurance is why I really can't just go to Smart Service or Roopair or Pacific and just get it diagnosed and fixed. I just need an idea where to look; I can always drive aircraft-engineer's green Imp while he's gone! But he's going on a road trip during the holidays, and I'll be without a backup car if we can't track this down during the time he will be here (17th to the 24th). Had a sound spike as I went across a double set of rough train tracks this AM. That's when the description for the sound hit me. It sounds EXACTLY like when kids used to stick a playing card in their bike spokes. It oscillates, and it's definitely somewhere in the driver's side front. Sound went down to less than a whisper within 100 yards. By the time I was climbing North Hill (another 50 feet) it was gone and we sailed up the hill. I just can't see anything wrong from up top (all fluids are good, nothing loose, all belts OK), and I can't do getting under Dragon, but nothing's hanging loose. Brakes were done just before I bought her, about Nov 07. Last tire rotation showed nothing amiss (Aug or first week of Sep 08). She steers straight, and brakes straight. Climbs like a demon and doesn't wobble or lurch on descents. Curves are no problem, even in the rain. The odometer works just fine. So, other than scaring the wits out of myself by reading all the horror stories on here about sounds disappearing after putting in the FWD fuse (and looking in my wallet to find not even a moth right now), any other ideas where to look? Dragon is leaking at a valve cover again; it MIGHT be driver's side (I can't remember what a-e said before he left). Could it have dripped on something enough to loosen it? Oh - my neighbor thought it might be piston slap. Although it did start doing this when Dragon was stone cold in the morning, it only happens when she's moving. So no piston slap. However, her idle's a little rougher than it used to be, but nothing severe, no stalling. I only noted this when I drove my brother's car followed by driving mine for comparison.

Why does this stuff happen when aircraft-engineer is across the country? Anyway, Dragon's not happy. 97 Impreza L wagon, 2.2, 4EAT, about 178k on her. After coming up from AZ I noticed a weird tick-tick-tick in the front. I can kinda feel it under my left foot, but there's nothing loose. There's no grinding noise when I turn, no problem when I brake. It's come and gone, and I can't hear it with the window open - only when the window's closed and I'm on a quiet road. At first I thought it was a CV. No sign of a tear (not as far as a quick peek can show, anyway). Then a stuck speedo cable. It only happened when the car was cold, and then slowly started doing it when it was warm. It wouldn't start until I was going over 20, disappeared about 45, but then I was aware of a tiny sound when I was going faster. OK, not so bad, but I had a bad tire valve the other day and threw in the FWD fuse. The sound mostly disappeared. Once the tire was fixed and reinstalled, I took out the fuse and voila! Sound mostly gone, but it's still there at a very tiny volume. Trans fluid dealer-flushed less than 8k ago. No other issues. Drives OK, changes gears OK, no warning lights or other stuff. Turning right or left, uphill or down, does not increase the sound or make it change. No vibration in the steering wheel. The only thing I've noticed is a drop in my mileage from 25 to about 21-22, even though I've bumped up my recommended 32-psi tires to 35. Running reg unleaded. Fuel filter, air filter, plugs less than 10k. Timing belt service less than 15k ago. I did NOT have this sound appear until I came back to the higher humidity/colder weather of Washington. Just before I left AZ a dealer went over Dragon and didn't notice anything wrong with the driver's side CV boot, the brakes, or anything mechanical. I also had them install two transmission cooler lines because I had oil damage to both of them (Dragon's on-purchase oil leak, presumably). Was going to try a new PCV/fuel filter/plug wires for the mileage problem, as well as that little round foam thingie on one of the hoses (whatever it is, it's in the center of top of the engine and looks like a small foam donut on a thin black hose - it looks tatty), but I don't think any of those are the cause of this annoying rattle. Money's a little tight right now. I really don't want to go to a stealership to get diagnosed with absolutely no advance clue what might be wrong. Any idea what to look for/how to test Dragon so I can find a likely culprit? When my brother gets back we'll have maybe 8 days before he has to go on the road again, and it might be snowing for half of them. TIA. Glad to see the board back up!

Take 'em back! If you're lucky, they'll give you a refund instead of making you wait before your real tires come in. Take that refund and RUN to another tire seller. Especially the refund for the more expensive tires if they make you wait! Don't let them try the old 'store credit' bit for THEIR mistake. If you're close to a Costco, go there. I've been running nothing but Costco tires (well, bought/installed/rotated at Costco, they sell other brands) for over 17 years, and never ever had a problem! You'll save money in the long run, which makes the Costco fee worth it. I won't shop at Sam's, let alone a WallyWorld, unless I can't get whatever-it-is somewhere else. Their people are clueless. At least Costco trains their tire people. I think Wal-Mart just throws them in the department if they know what end of a car to point into the service bays. I know someone who works for a Wal-Mart. This person stated 'Training? You're joking, right?' I don't think this management-level person was joking. From what I've personally seen, they'll hire anyone. (That said, some might remember I'm running non-chainable tires on Dragon. That was MY fault; they wanted to sell me the smaller tires which were compatible with chains, but I opted for the larger ones which were the same size as those already on my car when I bought her. My bad. I then had to buy snows. $$$ mistake on my part, not Costco's.)

I'd change the belt before you leave, you're overdue. However, you'd also have to fix the oil leaks at the same time, or it's for naught. Can't spring for it now? Make sure you get a timing belt and carry it with you, as well as the instructions for replacing it. From the mileage you stated, I'm guessing you might go into non-Subaru areas. If you end up with Joe Blow to throw on a belt to get you home, he probably won't have a clue how to do it. Also throwing on the belt to get you home, if the leaks aren't fixed, can just ruin it as well. (Dragon used to have a 'you're on fire' oil leak, before we did her t-belt service - I know this one well!)

The following is how to program a 97 Imp - probably the same. 1)Turn the ignition key to the On or Run position (do not start the engine). 2)Check to see if there is a 20 amp fuse in the harness (it's under the dash-ugh) 3)Open the driver's door before proceeding - trust me on this. 4)(Here's the tricky part, if you've never seen it or done this - you need to get the underdash off and find the button. Helps if you can take a look at one or find pix of it first.) Press and hold the programming button on the wiring harness. In 15 seconds the door locks will cycle 3 times to indicate the system is in programming mode. DO NOT RELEASE THE BUTTON. 5)Press the Lock or Arm button on the remote 2 times. The door locks will cycle each time a button is pressed to confirm it is programming. 6)Repeat Step 5 for second remote. Do not release the programming button. 7) Since you are programming only two remotes, do both a second time. (Yes, push the button twice for EACH programming session.) There are four programming slots in the module. You need to fill all four slots. (If you had 3 transmitters, you'd do one twice and the other two once, or for 4, all four once only. If you had only 1, you'd do it four times.) If you don't fill all four slots the thing won't work right. Highly suggest you keep door open while confirming you did it all right - or make sure you have keys in your pocket just in case. After both remotes are programmed, you can release the programming button and turn the key to off. Then you will need a Tylenol or aspirin, as the position required to do all this is contorted. TESTING PROGRAMMING: Close all doors (with dome light set to 'doors') Press Lock button on remote. All doors will lock. Courtesy light will turn off. Parking lights will flash once. Press Unlock on remote. Driver's door will unlock. Courtesy light will turn on. Parking lights will flash once. Press and hold Unlock on same remote. All doors will unlock. Repeat with second remote. If everything happens as it should, you are done! (If not, it's , you're probably , you get to start over...) If the second time doesn't do it, go get new batteries for the remotes. IF YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY: Your parking lights will flash. Either press remote unlock once, or turn ignition to on or run position and press programming button for one second. Your courtesy light will stay on for 60 seconds if you don't lock with the remote. Just so you don't wonder if something's wrong.

Most dealers look up knock sensors by VIN. Since you've done an engine swap, maybe you were given the wrong sensor. Subaru uses many knock sensors, they all look alike, but the wrong one will set codes until doomsday or until you pull it and replace it. If you know the VIN for the engine donor car, use that to get your new sensor. Or just mention the new engine and the donor car's year, and cross your fingers. My 97 Imp had at least 7 sensors used in its model year, or so I was told. Also, if you don't leave that battery undone for at least ten minutes it'll just repeat the code. I know the manual says one minute to clear the code. Don't believe it. If your sensor is correctly oriented, torqued, and clipped into the harness correctly, ten seconds to CEL after startup seems like a repeat code to me. Of course, if you pulled one off an older donor you didn't own from day one, perhaps the older engine didn't have an OEM sensor on it. That might be the problem, as well. Hope this helps!

Awww, you'd take the pan off and give all those cold, homeless rodents no place to go when it's cold? Why, they really need it, since it's a place to sleep off the meal they just had on your wiring. Call it the Motel 6 of the moused-car world: Subie 4 - and we'll leave the pan on for you! As you can tell, I hate plastic pans too...

It's one year ago today, at 1:35 in the afternoon, that my old S-10 was totaled by a careless commercial truck driver. By 8AM the very next day she was totaled on the spot by a Farmers inspector. I knew the frame horns were bent, so it wasn't a surprise. I thought, 'not my fault, so I'll get a check and go car shopping next week. I have rental coverage.' Ha. What was I thinking? Get the lawyer. End, stop, do not pass go, if anyone was injured you're going to need them. Deal with your insurance company if State Farm's giving you the runaround and you have a good relationshop with your AAA agent. However, sign nothing. Absolutely nothing. They may disguise their 'by signing this you attest you will not seek further compensation than that already offered and taken' crap by having the fine print in another form you think is innocuous enough to sign - trust me, they're NOT on your side in this - so sign nothing for AAA or State Farm. No matter how they whine. Your lawyer will be very happy - it's probably the first question they'll ask you. I was wrecked Aug 29th. I didn't get a check which cleared the bank until Nov. 5th. I was jerked around by my Farmers agent, which led me to change agents - but it was better than dealing with the other company, who literally coudn't talk to me until the commercial driver talked to them. Well, the driver never did and his insurance company claimed responsibility be default. His boss fired him. He lost his WA commercial license. At least some good came out of it, right? Not really, since I didn't have a lawyer. Farmers actually tried to pay me NOTHING for my 91 truck in perfect mechanical and external/internal shape. OK, she was dirty and needed a bath, but Farmers insisted that was proof positive that I hadn't taken care of my truck! Aircraft-engineer said the words 'we're getting a lawyer NOW' and they more than tripled the amount first offered (which, after my deductible, would have been zero, natch). Fool that I was, I took the offer (trying to avoid the court route) and they paid up. Sorta. Money still didn't cover Dragon. The other company refunded my deductible, or I would have gotten a lot less. I ended up getting new glasses out of it (mine inpacted the windshield pretty hard) but Farmers wouldn't pay for the bleeding in my eyes because I couldn't prove it hadn't been there before the accident. Who goes to an opthalmologist every six months? According to their rules, that's the proof I needed and didn't have. On medical bills (especialy ongoing ones) they can be awful. They're trying to frustrate you so you'll give up and sign. DON'T! Farmers also wouldn't pay for medical bills after the accident because I didn't need an ambulance at the scene (and therefore my back problems six weeks later weren't connected) I hurt for months. Alas, I had already signed that 'aver and attest I will seek no further claims' by that point. Dealing with Farmers' claims office in Oklahoma City was a real pain. They either didn't send paperwork out to me or lost what I sent back. By the end of it all I'd had three claims agents and finally a claims MANAGER handling my case, and my local agent refused to help me. I have a new Farmers agent now, very nice and helpful... may that Puyallup agent rot in h*ll....... I had to give my rental car up because the b***h Farmers agent I HAD (note past tense) screwed up the paperwork. Instead of a month, I had that Nissan Maxima two weeks. No car, and now no money to buy another car, even if I could get to the dealers by bus? I knew, right then, I should have gotten a lawyer. Dealing with trucker's ins company was out by that point, though, since I'd already signed something for Farmers. That signature gave them jurisdiction. However, the State Farm people don't seem to be very helpful in your case, either, whether you have signed something for AAA or not by this point. GET THE LAWYER. I hope your family is doing better soon.