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I think it was in kilos. Just a guess. :-/

Heeheehee...yeah. One morning it was only 6 degrees above zero and yet there was quite a lot of liquid precipitation on the rear of the vehicle. It seemed to be attracted to the fuel tank.

Well, one 'sure quote' was 236 Lbs. but that seems kinda low. I would guess around 350-400 Lbs. --Damien

Yeah I used to get intermittent problems like that on the '96 auto I used to own. Sometimes it would suddenly slip while in gear without notice. My transmission had some torque bind issues as well. I don't think it was specifically torque bind but had some similar symptoms. One of them was a really loud 'thunk' when shifting into Park after a drive. I think the problem was related to one of the solenoids. I was likely a electrical/electronic issue (I think a circuit was over-biased or something). Swapping TCUs didn't help. I drove it for nearly 100,000 miles in that state...but towards the end the transmission really had enough. Unusual symptoms like that can surely crop up after severe weather conditions regardless of the road (or what you learned in science class). --Damien

I had that exact problem once, too...it was recommended to get it rebooted immediately. My two cents, --Damien

Yeah he's right. These models are mainly for normal road driving but they are outstanding in slippery or snowy conditions due to the engine design and low center of gravity. It's wise to realize those things about various car models, anyway. When the big lizard sitting in your driveway gets pissed...it can get very unpleasant and sometimes it takes multiple hospitalizations for people to realize that.

My mechanic didn't think that there was such a thing as an interference EJ22.

Well actually there is such a thing as a 95 OBW auto with a 2.5L engine. But I read that very few were actually made. Apparently it was some sort of test (or pilot) model... --Damien

Yeah, I know that feeling, too. It's like the car shrunk and sits in your lap. At that point it more like sailing...and less like driving (let alone the luxury of flying). Personally, I keep about 50 lbs in the rear and get studded snow tires. Give your car some claws! --Damien

Maybe Sauron is pissed and wants to 'teach you a lesson'...

If you're going to use synthetic there are (supposedely) only three good brands. They own patents on it and won't sell them. Mobil 1 is one of them and I can't remember the other two. All the other kinds may just be marketing bull. So keep that in mind. --Damien

Think also if your EJ22 is a swapped engine. Many EJ25s developed head gaskets leaks and were replaced with the much more reliable EJ22s. I thought my 98 OBW had an interference engine but in reality it has an older non-interference EJ22 in the bay. --Damien

So yeah you may have get the Seafoam stuff anyway. Believe me...it's a very effective organic solvent.

That's most like it then....but who knows... Again that slight change of a physical characterteristic can put the chemistry into a whole other part of the curve so maybe if you use synthetic and additives you can eliminate that symptom. Don't knock them until you try them. Cheers! --Damien

so yeah...chances are that's probably it. The timing belt is probably off a tooth or two...

ok...but what could be causing that? Are you sure those instruments are properly calibrated?

My guess is that the oil ring on the piston is not scraping the oil effectively from the cylinder inner wall on each stroke. That tiny residual amount likely goes up in smoke on each revolution. I'm told that if even a single pin-drop of oil is wasted on each engine revolution the pan would be bone dry within like...a few miles of driving. I get a similar problem from time to time to time. 150 miles of highway driving and the pan would be down a quart. Other times absolutely very little. Sometimes I can go a thousand miles and the pan would only be down hardly anything. What seemed to exacerbate the problem was driving in trying conditions (snow, slush, rain). What seemed to alleviate the problem is using additives. I usually put in a few ounces of the Lucas stuff in the pan per oil change and I also use their gasoline additive, too. Once I spilled a bunch of the gas additive and, seizing upon that opportunity I lighted the stuff I cleaned up with paper towels. It was definitely combustible but not volatile. It burned smoothly and uniformly. I took a whiff of it and it smelled a lot like plastic. So it's a petroleum byproduct but not an oil or simple hydrocarbon. With those additives in use I really seem to be able to drive a full 3+ thousand miles and typically I only have to add a quart at most. I also use synthetic oils a lot, too. Mobil 1 was purported to be on the of 'good ones'. One interesting property of Mobil 1 is that is expands about 6-7% (by volume) when heated to a typical operating temperature. I also use 'Startron' as well in the tank. You could be driving a lot on an odd end of a curve, too. If your engine is running hotter than normal (due to driving conditions or a heavier load) and the oil is 'iffy' it could be just the right set of conditions to cause a serious symptom. A lot of ethanol in the tank may also exacerbate the problem somehow. Such high temperature and pressure as is found within the combustion chamber introduces many additional potential factors that may have unforseen and unexpected chemical consequences, anyway. It's really difficult to 'nail it' without lots of experimentation and/or consulting experts. Bear in mind that the 'boxer' design of the Subaru engines may help cause just that kind of side-effect (among others). Hope that input helps, --Damien

Well, you'd be surprised. The alcohol they mix into fuel nowadays is hydrophilic. Overnight, if the weather conditions are right, it can draw a full cup or two of water right into the tank. It tends to settle on the bottom of the tank and when you try to turn it over it gets sucked (along with other mysterious bio-reactive stuff) right into the fuel delivery system. I use a fuel additive (Startron) esp. during the wintertime. It greatly increases the miscibility of the fuel-alcohol-water mix. It also aids significantly its combustability and adds a few extra HP, to boot. The manufacturer claims it's a type of 'enzyme' and, for all I know...it may very well be. I buy in bulk and use about an OZ per tank. For $.83 a tank it's well worth the $$$. Cheers! --Damien

Yeah...for real...cars love drugs, too!

Yeah...I guess if the circuit isn't complete it causes the relay to work differently...kind of a nice feature...it alerts you to something wrong right away. Cheers! --Damien

It was the bulb...the socket was completely corroded...took me 20 minutes to dig the bulb base out of it. There was a lot of dirt in there, too...I have no idea how it got in there...but...I've seen stranger things appear spontaneously. Cheers! --Damien

What's a 'stalk'?

Is this switch user-servicable? Flaky filament? That would be an interesting one...usually when they vaporize or decay that's it. Could be the 'hair of the dog' in this case...hehehe...

Hi, The left turn signal on my 98 OBW is acting oddly. It blinks about twice as rapidly as normal and the rear light does not flash at all (although the front one does). It does work normally at times and none of the bulbs are burned out. I'm guessing it's a relay or something like that...what else could it be? Thanks, --Damien

no not in this case because it's a 'wobble' not a looseness. Poorly machined splines, soft steel, worn stub or a combination of all three.