four-fleet-feet

What brand gas/what octane and which fuel inj cleaner did you use? Dragon had the same problem about a week ago, I'd tried all the likely suspects and she was still surging/rumbling/giving me grief at any stoplight. It was suggested I use a bottle of Techron to see if it helped. Was using Chevron Plus, but ran it out to less than a quarter, put in a bottle of Techron and then a full tank of Premium. Problem's gone, gone before I had an eighth of a tank used. I had already put in a new air filter and checked the hose/flap was clean when the box was off. Put in a tank of Plus yesterday and problem's still gone! Yay! If you've been using a cheaper brand of gas, or used that ***!$$#!! stuff from STP - the black bottle - try the Techron. Run out your current tank before you mix them, though, as the combination will probably mess up your fuel filter. I'd also make sure you have a new fuel filter to slap in, as the Techron may loosen enough sludge in your gas tank/line to conk your old one out. Better out of your engine and into the filter, though!

Well, here's how Dragon failed on her rear pax strut: Push on the hood/hatch/trunk hard. Car should bounce ONCE and stop. More bounces? Something's Bad. Look at the car from all angles on a known FLAT surface. One side/corner/end lower or higher than the others? Not good. Get under the car and look at the assemblies. Grease/wet spot on a strut? Bingo, we have a replacement coming. As you can guess, I need a new rear strut. Not to hijack the thread, but is Subaru a car which needs a PAIR of struts when replacing, not just a single replacement on an axle?

Anyone know where the connection points for the dealer full trans flush are? I had a flush done at Avondale Subaru in Arizona back in March. Was told I had an oil leak after the flush was done. Funny, I hadn't had one in over two weeks of hard driving! Hadn't seen a drip. Later that day I had a new leak (two small spots) under the car, and swiftly got back down to them. The mechanic told me (again) he'd checked out the car and that I had a leak at the oil pump seal. Aircraft-engineer and I had just done a timing belt service, and I had no leaks afterwards for over 2000 miles. This just seemed weird. But we didn't replace the oil pump, just the seals, so I shrugged it off and just kept checking the fluid. I checked the transmission, and it was OK. Since the fluid wasn't red, I believed the mechanic. However, the drips weren't exactly under the pump - but off the driver's side just back of the radiator. Later, a day or so later, they appeared under the oil pump. OK, I thought, Houston, we have the oil leak back! Boo. Not much of one, the drips were merely dime-sized. Well, I had the same dealer do an oil change yesterday, before I (finally) go home, and voila! A new mechanic AND the service manager come tell me I have leaks on both transmission cooler lines. I get under the car and see them. Forward ends of the hoses, both of them, leaking just off the radiator cooler. The fluid had run back to the crossmember under the oil pan and dripped down, pulling the old oil leak stains with them from before the timing belt service. Hence the red not showing. The old mechanic was no longer there. He'd also told me I had a head gasket leak (which I knew was wrong, and posted a question about it), and this new mechanic went over the oil pump carefully. He found no sign it had ever leaked since the belt service. Nothing wrong with the head gaskets, either. I strongly suggested I shouldn't have to pay for the hoses, since they were not leaking before the flush, and I was really annoyed I'd been misinformed - twice - about the source of the leaks. Unfortunately, the dealership doesn't think so. I'm still going to get them done (cheaper than a new trans), but do I need to worry about damage somewhere else? If this was the connection point Subaru used, case closed, source of problem. I know Jiffy Lube/Pep Boys/most other shops use the lines as the point to hook up their flush unit. If Subaru dealers use another point, what do I need to look at to see if there's other collateral damage? Dragon's shifting well, now that she has that cup of fluid added to her. (We know the stick reading problem - is it low, or isn't it? Do it thirty times, still don't know, guess low ) She was only starting to shift a mile or two late this last week, and not hard shifts, just not as smooth as she was after the flush. You know, I'm kind of glad I tore a CV last week, or I'd have driven home on this and never known! $300 CV - ugh. Saving $2000 transmission - yeah, that really IS priceless.

Actually, yes, you should. Here's my last suggestion on this thread. Quit shopping around to save a dollar here and there, go with one of the bigger Subaru parts resellers on the Web (NOT eBay!) and get your transmission from them. You need a good one; since you're not shopping locally, get one from a company with a track record and good customer service. This board has members all over the world, and we are not shy about telling you which companies have been fair with us, which have gone the extra mile, and which we wouldn't let our worst enemy take their Subaru to if it was the last shop on Earth! There have been a few really good and tested places mentioned on this thread, and if you do a search, other places have been mentioned in those transmission replacement threads. You only want to do this once; being penny-wise and pound-foolish when shopping online for expen$ive parts can backfire, and you want this tranny to last. Now, nothing you can do to your old car will change the fact that your current tranny is definitely toast - driving a marginal one kills them! Until you swap it out and fix the other issues (oh, yes, from your codes you have others) this car isn't going anywhere, safely or not, at all. Do not drive this car again (even around the block) to 'see if it's better now' until you get ALL the work done. We've told you what you need, suggestions where to safely shop, and not to get certain things. We all have Subarus and want to see your car get on the road with you. We're not miracle workers, though. Unless you get a good transmission, and then install it AND the other parts needed, it won't be fixed right. If you drive it while something else is wrong, you could put every penny you spent on the trans at risk. You, my fellow Subaru owner, are driving another vehicle or are on public transportation, until it's all done. I hope. So, please, get a good one, come back and let us know, and then we can help with the other issues. Hope to see your car (and you) happily on the road someday, f-f-f

I'll beat everyone else to asking a few questions. What kind of plugs? Are the wires Subaru or other? What O2 sensor did you use (OEM or another brand)? Did these problems come up before you put all the new parts in/were you putting them in running this down? Or did the problems start after you started replacing parts? If so, which part did you work on/move/disconnect at that time? Have you checked your fuses and looked at your harness? Could you have gotten rodentized? Sensors, injectors... I wonder if it's a computer problem. Have you checked your electrical system for faults? I'm not really good at problems like this, but this is what I'd look at first, anyway.

No, but I needed an oil change and I couldn't find a Purolator! D'you have any idea how hard it is to find Subaru ANYTHING in Arizona? Even the dealers say 'gotta order that' even just if it's a PCV valve. I was lucky I found a Fram! I found two Purolators only because the parts manager of that PepBoys was a Subaru fan and he ordered them for his car. Don't worry. Tomorrow AM Dragon's going to the dealer to get an oil change. The $28 is going to be well-spent, since they offered to do a full check and make sure she was safe for the trip home to Washington. If they find anything wrong, I'll fix it myself - but I'll know what TO fix. Since changing your own oil on hot concrete (not to mention the 110 degree heat by noon - or 'only' 100 at 7:30 in the morning) is akin to oiling yourself and pretending to be the steak on the grill, it's worth every penny to have them do it. Besides, I kind of like Pennzoil. After all, I've gotten over 500k miles out of my last 3 cars using it!

Yes, Auto Zone rents tools. They also have the reader for your car and will read it for free. Have it done again and make sure they give you the printout sheet (looks like a register receipt with all the pulled codes and possible solutions). O2 sensors don't go bad often, so I'm glad you've decided to get a Subaru one for your car. Why do this twice if you don't have to? Unless you still have your Subie in 100k when the next one gets popped in, that is. If there's one thing I've learned on this forum, it's when to get OEM parts and when it isn't necessary. This is one of the times OEM is just worth it (the main others being plug wires, knock sensors, and PCV valves). Don't think you have to go to the dealer to get this installed, though. If you have access to a trusted mechanic, you can always ask questions and do it yourself. The feeling of 'I did that!' is worth any greasy hands or bloody knuckles, trust me. (Just call me 'She who told the dealer to go stuff their $175. LABOR charge to put in the Subaru knock sensor I already had!' Sheesh - that WAS a stealership! Ten minutes of my time and I was off to lunch!)

Thanks for both replies! Silly car idled 8 minutes with no rumble this AM (train crossing). Yesterday it did it twice in a minute at a short stop light. I guess I can clean the IAC again, Dragon's air filter only lasted 5k in Arizona (dusty + smog). I'd figured that couldn't be it, but maybe it's gunked up again. As far as the Techron goes, oh heck, why not? It's why I use Chevron gas in the first place. Never used the straight additive, but I guess it can't hurt. If it loosens sludge, I'll need a new fuel filter, but after Arizona's crappy gas (lots of mandated additives) it probably wouldn't hurt. I always needed to slap a new FF in my other vehicles after a trip to see the parents! Arizona gas = yuck!

And NOW we cut to the chase. The information in your last post answers a lot of questions. Only $1400 to spend? Forget getting a trans from eBay. Get online with good, reliable Subaru parts resellers/rebuilders, and get something with a warranty. You're going to need a LOT of parts, probably, not just a trans, so I'd seriously consider if you want to keep the car at all, at this point (it's starting to sound like an abused money pit), or if you can handle this being a multi-stage repair which will take time! If you need a reliable transportation car RIGHT NOW, and you don't have the money to do the repairs, maybe getting out now is worth considering. $1400 can get you a decent, reliable car which will get you where you need to go - if you put out the money for an independent mechanic to give the car a once-over BEFORE you buy it. Before you castigate me for saying no to eBay, I should tell you I'm a seller and a buyer, and although my Dragon has an eBay timing belt kit inside her, the seller was carefully researched. The price was also less than $200. There is no way on this Earth I'd shell out for a transmission via eBay. The shipping cost alone could shock you, and if there's anything wrong, you'll be facing an uphill battle to get any satisfaction. How about this: if you decide you want to keep the car, list everything you know or have done to it all in one post. I know some of the other posts in this thread have seemed flip, but we really did need the error codes, how many miles were on the car, and all the other things you've only told us in your last 3 posts. We're really nice and helpful, we just need info to work with! Oh. One last thing. STOP DRIVING THIS CAR! You're heading for an accident - you're lucky you haven't been in one already.

Here's the specs: 97 Impreza, 2.2, Auto, 169k. 5k on NGK plugs, fuel filter, PCV, timing belt service (all except oil pump and thermostat), and antifreeze, 3k on dealer trans flush, 28 miles on new air filter and knock sensor. Did not change plug wires, but resistance was ok at the time. Due for oil change. 5/30 Pennzoil in there now, on a Fram filter. (Yeah, I know, I have a Purolator for the next!) On Sunday I started having a surge/stumble at idle during long stop lights (3-street merge point). It rapidly became severe enough that I turned off the a/c; no change. It was happening about 3-4 times per light change. Immediately changed knock sensor (had a PO325), thought it was due to severely retarded timing. Under throttle smooth on Sunday before sensor replacement (although no power); smooth as silk after changing the knock sensor. I can accelerate again, and 75 is no problem. Even stomped acceleration/power to spare is easy. However, long idles at lights (or in a parking lot in Drive with the brake on) still brings up a stumble. It doesn't stall, just rumbles once and then runs fine. If it sits longer at idle it may or may not happen again. No pattern to the length between them. It can be two minutes, or ten. It's no longer a series of them, so perhaps it's not due to the sensor. Yes, I cleared the code; no CELs now. Been using Chevron Plus gas. Any ideas where to look? Aircraft-engineer and I have no clue. TIA, f-f-f.

Well, you might not have insurance or plates, but you'll need: A helmet, not cheap. A pair of bicyclist's gloves, for when you will eventually get dumped by an inattentive driver/pothole/storm grate/other thing in your way. Medical insurance for repairing what will get damaged when you ARE dumped (I used to commute by bicycle every day, rain/shine/dark/light, I know whereof I speak, here!). And, last but not least, money to pay your ticket. Ticket? Yes, a ticket. Check with your local gendarmes. Many cities, counties, and even states have made small powered engines like this one illegal for public on-road use. I'll bet the ticket costs as much as a tank of gas for your car, too. (don't even try to argue with Aircraft-Engineer on this thread - he's my brother and I can assure you he will drown you in logic and facts until you give up and see that 'resistance is futile' when concerning silly homegrown methods for saving ga$ - before you flame me, I said homegrown for a reason - if/until this gets perfected, definitely, not probably, not anytime soon, this will only be a dream in many eyes and a moneymaker for those preying on the desperate or foolish or gullible, which he is only trying to prevent! Call it a service provided, gratis, to all who might not know the ins and outs of engineering, physics, and simple d'oh reason! I'm sure we'd all hate to find out a board member, or anyone else for that matter, has been taken for a ride by these hucksters.)

I used to use Turtle Wax until I became fatally annoyed at a problem with their cans and/or bottles sealing loosely or cracking. I always liked their wax, I just hope they've fixed their packaging. Let us know if you try it and it stays fresh for you. I've been using Meguiar's lately, but I have to keep a few old toothbrushes and 91% alcohol handy. It seems to gravitate to anything you don't want it on, especially black plastic, by magic! As to Meguiar's being expensive and a bit of bother, I hate to wax my car. Any car. I want to do it as few times a year as possible, because I feel the labor in my back and shoulder for days. Meguiar's lasts and lasts. All you have to do is wash your car regularly and only reapply when you're a) in a snowfall requiring lots of removal, or hail season or a big dust storm. C), every week for looks, just doesn't happen in my driveway.

I do hope you come back and give us more information. However, I hope that 80 miles is a typo; if you thought your trans was toast and you drove 80 miles on it, it just might be for sure, now. I've been in three vehicles which have died from minor trans problems ignored (not by me!) until it was too late, and I can flatly state when they went for good it was scary, since all 3 were on the freeway when they gave up the ghost! Bang, rattle, oh-no, let-me-over! time. You'll decel from whatever speed you were going to nothing flat. If you even think the car's dying, give it a rest and don't drive it until you're sure what's wrong. Keep driving on a minor problem and it won't be minor. (These days, nobody's going to give you room to pull over, they're all gas-raged out!)

Had to fix a mangled lock earlier this year. To save you some time, here's my hindsight on the problem. FIRST, call your assorted Subaru dealers for their recommendations on locksmiths. Find out who they use! Most dealers will tell you. Call more than one dealer. If the same locksmith is doing everyone's cars, that's your shop. SECOND, call that locksmith and see what they would charge to slap in a new tumbler for you. You may need to take the car in so they can have a look at it. Price too high? See what the charge would be to rekey a lock. THIRD, if you're going to rekey, get thee to junkyards aplenty to see if there's a donor car. That's the hardest part: you will waste lots of gas. Find one? Get it out. Be prepared to work and wiggle things for a while on a car that old. Pack a can of WD-40 or other spray lube. FOURTH, back to the locksmith. If you don't have your Subaru master key or a submaster, make sure you have your key code. Don't have that? Take your best key and definitely make sure your registration and driver's license match (or, in this case, get the car's owner to go with you). A good locksmith won't start until you can prove it's your car. Once they're done, all you have to do is get the new tumbler back into the car. The reinstall won't be included in the rekey. Don't feel like messing with it twice after the j/y? That's why the locksmith costs so much more for a full-service replacement. Cost in WA for full-service replacement at the locksmith was nearly $200, half of that a factory/dealer new tumbler. Having it done at the dealer cost even more. Just so you know to sit down before you hear the quotes. I'll admit that providing my passenger door with a new junkyard lock cost little in parts dollars - $10 for the tumbler, and $25 for rekeying it to match my other locks, including 2 master keys, but the cost of the gas/hassle was much more. I think we had to visit 10 junkyards to get a match for the handle around the tumbler, since it was cracked. So, if anything other is broken, get whatever parts you can at the same time. The little metal clips holding the assembly into the inside of the door panel are most important. A plastic or rubber putty knife comes in very handy to peel away old door handles from old Subie doors, by the way. Don't use a metal one.

I like it! Tried a Smart Car. I felt like I needed grease. Not enough space for cargo IMHO. Let us know how reliable your car is; if they come to the US I'd take a long look at one. I just wonder how it would climb in the mountains (perhaps pack a tow cable and offer money at a rest area for a little help up and over? ) Enjoy!

I agree with not using the Autolite, but my 97 Impreza manual states that the Champion plugs are the ONLY ones to use if I can't get the NGKs. However, with the recommended NGK plugs costing about $8.59 for all 4 at National, I just buy those. Heck, I'm going to swap them every year, so why fuss about the plat/iridium bit? What you'll spend getting plat/iri plugs which might last 100k will be more, probably, than you'll save getting into your engine yearly and just changing the plugs with new NGKs and being done with it! Hey, it's only 4 plugs, remember? I've worked on bas**** V-8s which were a real pain. I don't miss that Chevelle at all. That MIGHT have been a car which deserved the expensive plugs, just so I could ignore them for longer.... not..... I was too cheap to buy them then and I'm still too cheap now. Why all the fuss? Open manual from your Subaru. Read recommendation. Buy those plugs. Put in. Obsess about something else! (Wait - no flaming the girrrl here, please )

Yes! Dealer only. Otherwise you'll just throw good money at it and still have the problem in a short while. Yes, the VIN is necessary. Seems there were several in use for the same model year, (well, that's what I was told :-\ ). If you do it on your own, pay attention to the angle of the sensor when you install it (as per the pix on this board). If it's the wrong angle your CEL will come back on. Look at it this way: it'll be done for the next 100,000 miles..... When I hit 260k I'm just going to pull it, replace it and the O2 sensor again, and be done with it, I've had enough of the CEL thing.

Not being gloomy, just being honest. See, I'm from the Northwest, where Subarus are as common as the rain. I live on a street of 7 houses and five have at least one Subaru in the driveway. Every Wallyworld and Target and even the corner food mart has Subaru filters, fluid which will go into an older Subie, and other things you need on a daily basis. In Arizona these things just aren't on the shelves. Since you have a 98, call around and order a few parts if you haven't changed them in the last year or two: a thermostat, PCV, and rad cap at the least. If you need one you'll have it, but chances are a dealer may not have them. Waiting a week to get a thermostat sent in is silly if you don't have to. Most of the stock in Arizona leans towards the newer cars, since it's only recently that Subaru sales have taken off in the Phoenix area. A lot of out-of-staters have moved here for the low real estate prices, and they brought their Subies along. I knew I'd have trouble finding things when I drove down to visit Mom, but I never expected it would be as bad as I've discovered. Just keep up with your maintenance, keep a spare part or two (and I'd think about getting a pair of good belts in your house; keeping them inside the car down here is a good way to destroy them, but unless you're hauling around a set of tools, you'll be visiting a shop. Better by far to say 'honey, bring me...' than have to say 'order this, please, how long to get it?' IMHO). You can save a lot of money by ordering online and having it sent to your house. The $50-75 worth of parts would be worth the lower hassle, I think. If you plan on keeping your car you'll end up needing them anyway, since the heat really accelerates the lifecycle of many parts. You'll find wiper blades will die in about 2 months. If you haven't been out in a monsoon storm yet, you might think about swapping all 3 of your blades; rain here doesn't come down in polite sprinkles, it comes down in buckets so thick you can't see ten feet. (and if you haven't done your brakes, the way others drive in the rain down here will make you run to the nearest shop or store for the parts! Valium for when you get home on a rainy day in Arizona is highly suggested. - seriously.)

I gotta find this place, if it's still there, since I've called down the book and had no joy. Jeffx, if you head out to the West Valley you'll see a red, silver, or black Imp on the 101 most afternoons. Mine is the black one and both of the other Imps honk when they see me, and I just wave - after all, most Washingtonians would die rather than honk our horns. If I honk at you, it's the end of the world as you know it, or you're about to get a Darwin Award. Dealers: there's a good one around 20th Street and Bell Road, but out in your area I really don't know. I think there's one in the Mesa area, but I haven't been to it. I've not heard anything good about the one in the Phoenix downtown area. Scottsdale's supposed to be good, but I haven't personally used them. Avondale doesn't stock diddly, you have to order everything, no matter what it is, and they don't take American Express. Imagine a Subaru dealer which doesn't stock knock sensors, or o-rings for oil pumps, or PCV valves, or even radiator caps for Imprezas! Puh-leeze. Hold it, wait... you people don't even stock the plug wires for my car? Outta here! Bell Road has a much better parts selection. Who wants to wait a week to get your car running again? If you break down you'd better just get towed to a dealer if you're not going to DIY. Most shops have no clue how to work on them, and you don't want to donate the learner car. Don't do your own maintenance, either? Just get used to going to PepBoys for Purolator oil filters before you pull into your shop of choice, because most oil change places don't even have Subarus on the shelf. If you don't want a Fram filter, PepBoys seems to be the only place which stocks the Subaru Purolators. And you may even have to get them ordered. Same for air filters, but here I just use the Frams. You won't find them at Wal-Mart, so prepare to pony up more money. If you haven't already guessed, Arizona isn't Subaru Land. Counting down the days until I can get out of here......

Unless this car's been in a wreck, or you've driven in very high dry heat for a substantial amount of time (think southwestern US @ 115 for months at a time over the years - and the car isn't that old, plus you live nowhere near the screaming hot belt!) look somewhere else for the problem. Even with twice the years on my truck, and thousands of miles on the road in the heat and cold (15 years at the time, and about 300k), I only needed to do my bushings/ball joints after a front-ender accident when the collision place 'missed' doing it and I was at the max dollar amount before Farmers would total it. It cost a lot of aircraft-engineer's time and blood and hassle to get it done. Not to mention the parts aren't cheap even if you rent the tools. Also, if the bushings are shot, there will be other damage. They only go when something makes them go, and if it's age, trust me, other parts have given up the ghost with them! In my case, it ended up being new center link, new control arm, new idler arm, new ball joints on one side (but we did all 4), as well as the bushings. If you had that much damage I think you'd have seen it by now. One telltale sign something is toast is the vehicle often won't hold an alignment. Or a wheel keeps having trouble - tread, loss of air, going out of balance, that sort of thing. You didn't mention any of that. The job's a PITA on a Chevy - I shudder to think of doing a Subaru. Don't even think about it unless you've checked everything else AND a Subaru mechanic tells you they're bad and it has to be done. After seeing it done once, knowing what it entails would make me have it done next time... at a shop... just FYI. Worth the money to have someone else do it! You could do it yourself, but why??????? Not worth the hassle.

Pulled the rear on my Imp and replaced the pax bearings. After 5k miles my alignment's still as spot on as it was before the bearing replacement (and my new tires show no abnormal wear). If all you are doing is replacing the bearings, you should be fine. How long ago did you have your alignment, and where? Many shops have rechecks in their warranties, so if you are really concerned, you could ask them to do a free recheck. Just don't mention the work you did...

How quickly you need to fix this is up to your personal annoyance threshold. I had my car nearly 6 months before my knock sensor code popped up. It didn't happen until I was in Arizona and driving cross-town in 105 heat. Then it became a daily thing - light was off on startup if it was under 100, then it would pop on as I either tried to get onto the freeway or leaving a light if I idled longer than usual at a traffic light. It wouldn't come on in cooler weather (think 80 here, that is cool in summer Arizona), even if I was on the freeway going full tilt. It also wouldn't come on if the humidity was high (for Arizona, that's about 40%, and only in monsoon season). When it was off I could sail around town with the AC on full blast and get 25+ a gallon; as soon as it came on I could watch the gas needle dip with every mile. So, it's a tossup whether you get tired of paying for more gas or get really tired of not having power to get around on the freeways. I could barely get Dragon up to 50, let alone 65, the Phoenix in-town speed limit. Get a real Subaru sensor; aftermarkets don't work as well, and you don't want to do this twice, do you? This is one part where stealerships or online Subie parts sellers are your only options. Don't want to pay a stealer for the work? Get the part yourself, and then search how to do a knock sensor on this board. Print it out, and any competent mechanic can do it for you - and probably for quite a bit less! Make sure you trace the wiring into it at the same time, as well - maybe a mouse had a snack on the harness.

Here's a list of what to check before we can help you further. Do as many of these as you can and let us know what you find. ***********(OOPS-NOW I read the date of OP) Ask your GF if she can do these things. If she can't, at least you can tell her what to have checked by someone in her area. It's most important to make sure she goes to a mechanic who's worked on a Subaru before!!***************** Change the air filter, first. If you can't remember when it was done, that's a sign you NEED to. Need an oil change? Do it and see what the oil's like. Change the PCV filter as well as the oil filter. I'd recommend a dealer PCV. No change? Then you go deeper. Check all the fluids (front diff has a stick), especially the trans. Dirty? When was the last time it was flushed or drained/refilled? Are you low on power steering? Check for leaks. It won't have anything to do with the power problem, but if it goes out in the mountains your GF won't thank the car for it. Check the brake master cylinder, too. If there's a brake problem, don't let her leave before fixing them! Fluids fine? Then go on. Pull at least one plug and take a gander at it. Worn? Gapped so far out your eyes goggle? Change them! Use what the manual says - my Imp manual states either NGK or Champions. I'd go with the NGK. Don't get any other brand. They may be fractionally cheaper, but it's not worth the hassle. Subies don't like most other brands. Wires old and dry? Get new DEALER-ONLY wires. Don't skimp here. Again, more Imp problems come from non-dealer wires than anything else. While you're at it, it's most important you check at least the accessory belts. Dry? She doesn't know when they were changed? Then does she remember when the timing belt was done? If her timing's off that car's going to run like a slug. If it's the timing belt, you can do it yourself, there's lots of posts on here about it, but if you don't want to tackle it a dealer will be more than happy to. For about $750 theyll change the lot - timing belt, water pump, seals, gaskets, thermostat, the fluids they have to drain, the whole shebang. But it's not that hard to do on your own (aircraft-engineer and I did mine, and we'd never worked on a Subaru before). For $200 in parts you can get it done in a couple days, weather permitting. By the way, I know some people keep detailed service records. If your girlfriend isn't one of them, I'd get her an auto-repair log when you're at the stores getting the parts/tools you need. If she has records, wow! Tell her you appreciate that. Look at her average gas mileage for the last 6 tanks. Going down bit by bit? I'd certainly think plugs/wires/timing. That will tell us if this is a new problem or an ongoing one which just became too bad to take any longer. Good luck - and if she thinks she'll just tough it out until she gets home, tell her not a chance. If it's climbing like a slug, she can forget the passes. BTDT. ************Hopefully, she made it home!***************** (And, even if it isn't the problem, a coolant change and a new radiator cap would be a good idea this summer.)

That would sure solve the problem - but not in the way I'd like. Arizona is practically car theft state #1. I wouldn't have to worry about fixing the lock, though, would I? Anyway, I've tried teflon lube, graphite, and every other thing a locksmith has to lube the cylinder. I wish I'd just had all three replaced in Washington before I left! Alas, hindsight is perfect. When I was in the j/y it would have been so much easier to strip the donor all at once, even if it was pouring rain and just about 40 before the wind chill with at least 6" of mud on the ground... lots of fun. It's either rob a bank time or run up the Amex at the dealer - oh, wait, the dealer closest to me doesn't take Amex! Nuts. I had a heck of a time finding a good locksmith in Washington. It's harder to find one here in Arizona; I've been trying. Not many have seen a Subaru, let alone worked on them. AAA actually laughed when I asked them for a good Subaru-savvy locksmith. "In Arizona? Fat chance," I was told. "Dealer." Ka-chingg! Too bad I can't talk to the seller. I'd like to know what she did to Dragon to mess up all her locks (save the hatch). Then again, considering the state the rest of the car's panels/interior was in , perhaps better not to know. Of course, it was 110 today at 11 AM, and the key worked just fine. Not that I'm complaining or anything, you understand, just going Thanks for the help; now, all I need is to be lucky. I drive the deserts at night. The last thing I need is to break down in a rest area with no phone coverage at 2AM somewhere west of Needles! NOT the place you want to be struggling to get your car to start (cue theme to Twilight Zone here)

I'd give Nipper's list a go, but here's a couple suggestions. You mentioned new plugs. What kind did you use when you did it, or did you have someone else do them for you? I'd check what was actually put in. If you can do it, I'd actually pull one plug to see what it looks like. If it's normal, that's good. If not, that might clue you in to a problem. If you don't do your own work, when did you have your air filter done? If not lately, change it and see if it helps. Matter of fact, even if you did have a shop look at it, I'd still get into it and pull it all the way out. It might look clean from the top, but turn it over and take a look. I've had shops tell me I didn't need a filter after a top-peek check when mine was so crudded up it was disgusting (when I'd already planned on changing it - myself!), and one time they actually forgot to put it back in during an oil change! (Jiffy Lube, and they paid dearly for what that mistake cost my truck's engine on its 1500 mile sojourn three days later - now I always double check any work done on any vehicle I take in for service anywhere. My poor truck had all sorts of problems from that day on. I can't watch, you don't work. Yeah, I have a few mechanic-trust issues...) I only mention the air filter because you said the problem goes away when you go to raise the hood - more air? Also, if you had any kind of service under the hood which required anyone to disconnect lines for anything, double-check them. Loose vacuum lines and other things of that ilk can cause all sorts of problems. If you've had any flickering on-off CEL, get it read even if it isn't still on. Maybe you have some chewed-up wiring due to last winter's cold Colorado critters! A check of the PCV filter wouldn't hurt, even though it probably has nothing to do with this. Many people forget all about them. They're cheap. Get a dealer one. Good luck; there seems to be a spate of rough/high idling going around the board.