Fairtax4me

Did you not disconnect the battery before removing the alternator? If not, the main fusible link is probably blown.

Try looking up an Air/fuel ratio sensor instead. Not sure if Subaru was using them at that point but they are much more accurate and generally better suited for use in turbo engines, vs a standard oxygen sensor. They cost more too.

Ivan does Subaru repair all day every day. You're much better off to remove the engine and put it on a stand to work. It takes every bit of 4-5 hours to remove an engine the first time, especially a a turbo with all of the piping for that thrown into the mix. The DOHC heads need to be disassembled before they can be removed from the block. And room between the frame rails is lacking. Resurfacing the heads is usually a half day at a machine shop, maybe longer if you have a valve job done.

Installation pictures were taken with the front of the engine (belts) at 12 o'clock, rear of the engine (bellhousing) at 6 o'clock. Looking from the front the wire should be clocked at about 10:30. The "safe" area is fairly obvious once the old sensor is removed.

They've been known to cause strange issues like this. You can take it off and check under it for giggles. Usually the base can be cleaned and coated with anti-seize or some other anti-corrosive paste. Might just check and clean it before spending $40 on it. I'm trying to remember if the turbos have more than one knock sensor though. I think the 6 cyl engines have two.

Oddness! Fits perfectly into the strange electrical problem category.

Nope. Re torque doesn't work on these. Just gotta replace them. I'd guess you'll have some issues with corrosion on the heads around the coolant ports. The heads usually need to be resurfaced anyway. How long have you had the car? Was the coolant green or blue-green when you bought it? (Did you check?)

Check ground connections for the ECU. You might also unplug the ECU connector(s) and reconnect in case there is a poor contact. Also unplug and clean the harness connectors on the bellhousing.

The 2.2s aren't too picky about plug wires. I've run Car-Quest house brand, Standard Ignition, Napa, even a set of no name cheapies I snagged from a junkyard car on both of my 2.2s at one point or another and never had an issue with wires. Did you gap the plugs before installing them? Should be .039-.043". Any standard copper plug should run just fine in that engine. If you got platinums or one of those those multi- electrode types they're a waste of money. Check to make sure its not the thermostat housing leaking first. If it is get a thermostat gasket froma dealer and install that. If its not the stat housing you'll have to pull the water pump again and put a dealer gasket on it. Most of the aftermarket kits come with paper gaskets that fail in no time. Dealer gasket is rubber coated stainless steel that works very well. Smoke from the y-pipe is an oil leak probably from the separator plate. All too common issue on these but should be fine to leave alone for a little while as long as you keep an eye on the oil level. Eventually you will have to pull the engine to reseal the plate. Check out Beergarage.com for good pics and writeup on the separator plate.

Daggum Double post.

Look on the back side of the wheel at ~3 and 9 o'clock, there will be two screw holes. Remove the screws and the center section will pull straight out. Disconnect the wire plugs and you can set it off to the side.

Somebody is just trying to capitalize on a fuel efficient car. Mileage is great for a car that old but its still an old car. Low mileage does not mean well maintained, and that can actually be worse than high mileage. And with poor paint and probably rust hidden underneath its not worth anything near $3500 in my book. I could see $2500, but it would have to have perfect paint and NO rust. All of the seals and gaskets replaced and recent timing belt and water pump. I'd just walk away from that one.

When you filled the system how much coolant did you put in? It should take right about a gallon and a half or a bit more. If it took any less than that it didnt get filled all the way. Foam is never a good sign, and I don't think it's because of the flush treatment. Either the coolant is boiling due to insufficient flow (low level) or you have a bad head gasket. A combustion gas test (aka block test) will tell you if there are combustion gases in the cooling system.

Mileage isn't the issue, overheating is. The DOHC 2.5 especially does not do well after overheating. The rod bearings are easily damaged and often fail within a few thousand miles in glorious fashion. Find a rebuilt 2.5 or do a 2.2 swap.

Check here: http://www.cars101.com/subaru_archives.html That body style was made from 1993 to 2001. Way too many options and models to say what it's worth without knowing something more about it. Wagons could have been AWD or FWD, some may not have the AWD badge but that doesn't mean it's not AWD. Best way to tell is peek underneath to see if it has the rear differential. Seen here:

It almost looks like an opening for a cabin air filter. Strange though because these older cars didnt have that. Gonna 4th or 5th the new thermostat idea. And it may be smart to back flush the heater core and bypass piping while you're changing the t stat. The cooling systems on these are stranger than most. Coolant is always flowing through the heater core, which is part of the bypass route, even when the thermostat is closed. This bypass route is designed to keep the thermostat open in cold weather since it is on the inlet side of the water pump. It delivers hot water to the thermostat housing via the heater core. If there is an obstruction in the heater core or bypass piping the coolant in the bypass may not be warm enough to keep the thermostat fully open in very cold weather. This causes the temperature needle to climb as coolant flow through the engine block slows due to the only partially open thermostat. This can get so bad that it actually causes overheating in some cases, because the thermostat closes completely. Aftermarket thermostats are prone to causing trouble due to their smaller size. If it has an aftermarket, swapping for a dealer tstat and getting fresh coolant in the engine is the best way to start. When you refill the cooling system after swapping the tstat, fill the engine block first through the upper radiator hose, re-fit the hose, then fill the radiator with the bleeder screw on the passenger side open. This prevents air locking the block and overheating from the lack of coolant.

Clockspring for sure. If the light in the main cruise switch doesn't come on its probably just a burned out bulb.

Engine efficiency does not equal fuel economy. And it's impossible for us all to drive around at 2500 rpm with the throttle wide open all the time. One day when we all fly to work maybe that will be possible, but for now you'll get your best fuel economy between 2000 and 3000 rpm at 15-20% throttle. Even though that is not the most efficient operating point (as far as power output and heat generaton are concerned) for the engine.

There are a few plastic bushings in the "knuckle" part of the linkage that wear out after a while and cause exactly that problem. Depending on the type of linkage you can replace just the bushings, but some require replacing the whole knuckle because of the way it's built. There used to be some threads floating around here with pictures comparing the two but the last time I checked the pics were all dead.

Everything was AWD after 97-98 so its definitely that. Engine could either be a 2.2, 2.5, or 2.0 turbo depending on the trim level of the car, and the difference can mean a price tag of anywhere between $4000 and $20,000 for that year range. It would help if you at least got the VIN. But if you go back look for the badge on the tailgate that says what trim it is. WRX, RS, TS, etc..

Your best friend will probably be Subaruoutback.org, though there is a fair amount of info on those floating around here as well. Seat heaters as long as the heat pad isn't cracked should be a relatively easy fix. Heat pads take a lot of time, and a pair of hog-ring pliers.

There is some way to reprogram the remotes (I don't know it exactly) might check in your owners manual for the procedure. If that doesn't work you might need a new remote. Sometimes the buttons break.

The adjustable rockers do make quite a bit of noise when they are out of spec. And yes, each valve will make its own noise, despite being driven in pairs by the Y rockers.

That is a GREAT looking car! Damn Good deal for $3300! Should be a good reliable driver for quite some time. Time for a brake fluid flush though, and I'd also change the ATF, and differential oils front and rear.

No difference in the way the sensors work AFAIK. Just different plugs. Should be as to swap the single lead plug at the engine harness end to match either sensor type and it should work just fine.