etc

Just pure incompetence on their part, obvious the wrong part. I found the right part for the NGK plug wires for '98 2.2L: any idea who has it in stock with fast shipping on the East coast. The local dealership has only 2 wires in stock, with each wire costing $20.... SOA430Q118

To complicate the matter, we also have a 99 OBW with 2.5L, if these will work on 2.5L, I will keep them. (I don't have the car with me to compare it to) My best guess is, they confused 2.2L and 2.5L engines. Possible? For an example of what works, see the same pic, the plug wire right next to it.

It's not a question of male/female. You should see what's wrong in this pic:

Take a look at my coil and the ends of these spark plugs - they don't fit at all. Question, are these the right wires for 2.2L? Or is my coil the wrong one (But how is that possible if the car ran with the old configuration?)

Let me get this straight -- the new NGK plug wires look right but the ones that came with the car (pictured on the left) are the wrong ones? And the coil that's installed on the car is wrong also? Please explain this mystery.

Question on plug wires. I got NGK 9126, which is for 2.2L engine. However, taking the wires out of the box, it doesn't look like they are the right ones. The spark plug ends fits but they certainly don't fit on the coil end, here is the difference. These don't fit onto the coil at all. The orig is on the left, new ones are on the right. Are these for 2.5L engine maybe?

The official dealer fix (the last time I checked a few years ago) is to add some stuff to the cooling system. Having said that, our family 99 OBW with 2.5L is doing fine at 180K miles.... with a very neglectful owner (who basically drives cars until they stop and don't move) So apparently 2.5L issues are a lottery.

Thanks, I got both NGK plugs and wires. $50/set of wires at rockauto.com

Scanning carsurvey.org, it looks like the head gasket problem is pretty common on 2.5L but seems that occasionally 2.2L is also affected. Looks like the key is to not overheat the engine. I also had a 1.8L Loyale, and that too had headgasket issues. (No apparent issues when running, but when pulled the heads, saw cracks)

lostinthe202, Thanks for the wealth of info. I do not have any repair records at all, not even oil changes. Short term projects include oil/coolant flush, alignment and misc stuff. I will throw some Mobil 1 in there (I have some extra laying around), just to increase the interval a bit if nothing else. I plan to work on the timing belt issue sometime this spring, when the weather gets a bit nice, although it's not all that bad right now. Is there any way to examine the condition of the timing belt without taking it apart? It doesn't make any strange sounds FWIW.

You know, I would love to get a 2.2L/manual combo, should be fairly bullet proof but it had to accomodate someone without a passion for 5 speeds. On a different note, we also have a 99 OBW with the dreaded 2.5L and to my surprise, at 180K miles, it still exhibits NO symptoms of any head gasket issues.

I will clear the codes after plug and wires are installed.

Thank you... That was easier than I thought. I pulled the codes and got P0301 and P0302: Cylinder 1 and 2 misfire detected http://www.obd-codes.com/p0301 That would explain the miss between 2nd and 3rd gear. (But no miss at idle or throttle) I am replacing the spark plugs and plug wires. Are there any other things I should look at? I am hoping that plugs and wires will fix it. The spark plugs didn't look too bad upon examination, so it's probably the wires.

1998 Legacy L, 147K miles, auto, 2.2L. Fairly spartan vehicle, no power options at all, which is fine with me. Currently doing the tune up - plugs, wires, and also brakes, et cetera.

Have a 98 Legacy L wagon, that throws a code. Got a OBD-II scanner but cannot find the place under the steering wheel where to plug it in. Where is it located?

How do I remove the rear drum brakes? I got the wheel removed but cannot remove the center nut (1-1/4" deep socket) Seems like it needs *a lot* of torque but I don't want to break something. Do I just twist it off with a breaker bar?

I will bleed it first and then see what happens. My next stop after that would be the calipers, although I don't know how to determine that they are bad.

OK. So ignition coil is not a part that should be regularly replaced? I get some rough miss between 2-3 speeds, but it idles well and runs well at full throttle. I am doing all of the above, but should I also look at the coil, at least visually?

Thank you, I was on the old forum also...

No, it doesn't feel like that at all. Question: Should I try replacing the calipers first, as the most likely source of trouble? (And then bleed the system) Or the MC? Or the brake lines -- how hard are they to replace? If they are rubber, this means I don't have to bend them like metal ones.

The years are 97-99 but it seems not applicable to this situation. More details: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.subaru/browse_thread/thread/5942f9fccecafcb2?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=subaru++recall+master+cylinder# NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 99V040000 Component: BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:MASTER CYLINDER:OTHER Manufacturer: SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. Year: 1999 Make: SUBARU Model: LEGACY Manufactured From: APR 1997 To: MAR 1999 Year of Recall: '99 Type of Report: Vehicle Summary: Vehicle Description: Passenger and sport utility vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS). (The 1999 2.2 liter Legacy vehicles are excluded). In extremely cold weather, the brake pedal goes to the floor and the vehicle stopping distance is increased. This condition causes the vehicle stopping distance to be increased, possibly resulting in a crash. Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. Owner notification is expected to begin during April 1999. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Subaru at Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Hm, gets more interesting. What do you mean, "expanding fuel line?" How is that possible? How do I diagnose the bad Master cylinder?

OK, the 2.2L Legacy '98 has no distributor... question, what else do I replace aside from plugs and wires?

I kind of have a similar situation with my '98 2.2L, it kind of stumbles or misses a bit in 2 to 3 gear. I will plugs and wires and fuel filter. Are there any other ignition parts that are replaced during the tuneup? This doesn't have a distributor, does it?

We also have a '99 OBW with higher mileage that stops better. There is definitely something not right with this one. I doubt it's the rear brakes since most of the braking happens with the front brakes. Its the calipers or it's the MC. I will probably just replace the calipers, a good thing to replace anyway, and see what happens. Good advice... thanks.