Fairtax4me

Lithium grease is chassis grease. It's not for differentials or any other oil lubricated parts. It will not offer any added protection, as a matter of fact it may degrade the fluid if added to gear oil. The cheapest cheap off the shelf 80w-90 gear oil works just find in Subaru Diffs. If you want to spend some extra money for 75w-90 it won't hurt, but don't add anything to it. Go get a grease gun, and save the grease for when you need to service ball joints and such.

No dash kit needed. The side brackets simply unscrew from the old radio and dash pocket and screw onto the new head unit. Save yourself shipping cost and time you can get the harness at walmart for under $10. If you've never had one of these apart, two hidden screws in the top of the ash tray slide will ruin your day. A stubby philips screwdriver will be needed to get to these. The center console trim pops out easily after you remove the two screws under the console lid.

4-5 seconds seems too long to be a CPU issue. Usually if the CPU is shot the PS will power on for about half a second then failsafe and turn off. Probably the Mobo is shot. Will it let you power it on without the CPU in the board? It probably won't do anything on the screen but the fans should run. If they cut off after a few seconds you can probably assume the Mobo is bad. Check out Geeks.com. They usually have some pretty sweet deals on cheap computer stuff. You can replace the Mobo and CPU for probably under $50. A few things need to be matched up. Form factor, ram type, do you need AGP or some kind of PCI slot for video card. that sort of thing. New board should come with all the drivers you need. Swap your accessory cards, ram, and all that jazz over and plug it in.

White plastic? Like squishy vinyl sorta stuff or the hard brittle kind like PVC? Actually it probably doesn't matter. Either way it would just get chewed up. I wouldn't try any strange solvents since they might damage the seals. Compressed air probably wouldn't hurt anything. Take the drain plug out and the air has two escape routes. You should really only need like 20-30 psi for an air nozzle anyway. A couple sweeps in the fill tube should get some turbulence going on in the diff and might knock it to somewhere that you can see it at least.

H6 plugs are a BE-Yatch from what I've heard. the ones I've seen don't look easy either. The SOHC 2.5 plugs are easier than 25D plugs but still need some creative thinking and a swivel adapter or plug socket. Those 00+ outbacks have had my eye for a while. A little more room and more ground clearance. They don't have the 2.2 bottom end power but that could be corrected I think with some decent cams. I'm guessing you want the interior/cargo space of the Legacy wagon/Outback so a Forester would be out of the question? The Foresters tend to be a bit cheaper cost-wise. Bit cheaper build-wise too though. Not sure what kind of fuel mileage the newer cars get though. I would expect high 'teens - low twenties out of the 2.5. Any kind of water for that long would probably do a car in for the most part. Wiring gets wet, control modules, connectors, motors, switches, all ends up corroding in short order. Just too much work to strip the car and swap every electrical component, (not to mention seats, dashboard, door panels, other coverings) clean the crud from everything, and expect it to be right afterwards. Water's a beach. Shame to have to part with an "ole faithful" car because of it. :/

MAP sensor and the pressure sources switching solenoid. The solenoid allows either engine vacuum or atmospheric pressure to the MAP sensor. You'll get codes for them if you bypass them, and may get poor driveability. Best to leave them alone. If the vacuum hoses are damaged, cut, etc. replace the hoses.

What vehicle was this on?

That's chassis grease. Use it for lubricating ball joints and tie rod ends and U joints and such. Not for transmissions. You can't use some gear oils (such as ones that contain molybdenum) in clutch type limited slip differentials because they alter the friction characteristics of the clutch plates. Molybdenum embeds in the clutch plates and friction discs and causes them to slip easily, making them basically useless. It does the same with synchronizers in a transmission, making them slip easily, which is not what they are designed to do. Synchros work by applying friction to the gear hub when engaged. The friction causes the freewheeling gear to match speed with the shaft it rotates on. Without this friction the synchros do not work, and you grind the teeth on the gear hub when trying to shift. The VLSD in a Subaru doesn't care what's in the gear oil. The viscous unit is sealed and filled with it's own special silicone fluid that does not mix with the gear oil used to lubricate the ring gear, pinion gear, and bearings in the differential housing.

That can depend on the issue. What I mean by "not necessary" is that it isn't holding anything onto the frame of the car. The swaybar doesn't hold the wheels on, or keep the transverse arms in place, or keep the wheels going straight. It's just there for the ride. (literally) It counteracts body roll/sway by preventing excessive opposing motion of the control arms in relation to each other. It does this by transferring torsional force across the bar to the opposing control arm. If both arms move up (or down) in unison, the sway bar has no effect on this movement. Only when the arms move in opposite directions does the sway bar work to counter that movement. There are things it can affect, a bent sway bar can cause tire wear problems or stability issues. A broken link or worn bushings can cause clunking or knocking sounds. Sway bar related noises are usually easy to diagnose. Just disconnect the ends and zip tie them up out of the way.

BEER GARAGE!!! Love your site man! I always send people there for the great pics you take. Glad to see you found us!

Nope. I'm running no rear sway bar on my car, along with several other Outback strut lifted vehicle owners on the forum. It's not necessary, and you probably won't be able to tell the difference.

You usually want the subframe spacers to bring the lower arms down that extra inch, but it's not needed. If the sway bar is still attached to the lateral links, unbolt it. Then use a big prybar (or your foot) to push the hub/knuckle assembly down until you can get the lower strut mount bolt in. Then use a jack under the knuckle (be sure to put it under the knuckle BEHIND the brake disc, not under the brake disc) to make it swing back up and pivot so you can put the top bolt in.

Those things are so gawdawful ugly. Anyway... So you're sure all connections are clean and tight (did you know they have pin testers to see how tight the grip is for these finicky plugs now?), you've swapped the E & F coils to other locations, and still have the codes after replacing the PCM? Some googling says: http://www.permoveo.ltd.uk/tabid/122/OBD-Error-Code/P0355/Diagnostics/Chrysler/Default.aspx Which sounds like pretty sound diagnostic advice IMO. Only issue being you may want a wire diagram or PCM I/O pinout. And you definitely want to check this with a High Impedence DIGITAL meter if you decide to try the DVOM method. Computers don't like analog meters for the most part. Much more helpful than the Schysler forum. http://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/chrysler-pacifica-15/p0305-code-p0355-code-2004-pacifica-14116/ Hopefully his name is not an indicator of occupation, "Chrysler Tech" says code P0355 doesn't exist. I do still suspect that alternator as they can cause some crazy wacky issues, especially with that kind of mileage it may be beginning to go bad. You might try checking for AC ripple on the output lead. Problems like this kinda remind me of the RF interference problems Lincoln had on the 04-06 LS. If one of the coil packs near the electronic throttle body went bad It would screw with the data signal sent out by the ECU and would confuse the ECU. It would set a code for the throttle body and go into Limp mode. Very strange occurance. Not sure how often it happens now since they had a campaign to replace the COPs on all of them. :lol: I just read the thread you linked to! Too funny! :lol:

Filler pipe rust is common. There are a few styles of fillers, but the differences are pretty obvious. You can use one from a Legacy or Impreza, AWD or FWD does not matter. Try to stay within a year or two of your car if you look for one in a junkyard. Remove the cover on the one on your car first (only 3 or 4 bolts) so you can get a general idea of which filler you need. A new one is about $90 i think from a dealer, but you can usually get lucky enough to find one in decent shape on a junkyard car. The plastic cover on the filler is what causes the problem as it traps dirt against the filler neck. Just leave it off of the replacement.

See that's the problem. I can't find any shorts. I've checked as much of the wire harness as I can get to and I see no chewed or chafed or crimped wires. The ground for the MAP is (according to the FSM ECU I/O) shared by several other sensors and since none of them are acting strange I fail to see how that can be the problem. Got a solid 5V at the sensor, reference is good. The only thing I can think, and this is based on schematics for a Toyota ECU so it may not be the same for the Subaru, is that there is a resistor that bridges the reference and signal traces in the ECU (a "pull-up" resistor if I understand correctly). The resistor would have to be open internally, providing no pull-up reference to the signal trace, which would tell the ECU that the signal voltage is out of spec. Or, what I think is more likely, there is a poor solder joint or connection, or corrosion (some form of high resistance) inside the ECU on the MAP signal trace. Unless there's something I'm missing. I'd like to open it up to see if I can see anything obvious, but don't want to take the ECU apart without having a known working spare on hand.

You can get a matching bolt from a hardware store if they carry metric in that thread size. I'm pretty sure those are grade 8.8. 10.9 would be better, but those are harder to find. Doesn't need to be rated any higher than what's stamped on the head of the bolt.

Did you remove the fuse and check it with an ohmeter? Did you check the fuse connections for corrosion? Did you check for voltage in the fuse panel? Specifically at the number 2 fuse. Any other electric components not working? Blower fan, rear defrost, glove box lighting, horn, signal/hazard lights, gauges?

I would think that a bit high. The Frankenmotor is usually something like 12:1. I've tested a few stock EJ22 engines and they come in at about 190 - 200 psi. Stock compression ratio is supposed to be about 9.7:1. As a ratio, that works out pretty evenly. 9.7*20=195 12*20=240 Of course these numbers mean nothing scientifically. :-p 16:1 compression would be way outta the ball park for an N/A EJ engine though.

I search the parts manufacturers website or try to find some history about the company. If they make OE parts for some makes, pretty good chance they have made OE parts for the make you're looking for at one point or another. As Gary said, specs and suppliers change from time to time. The manufacturer that made the original rings for a certain engine may not even be in business anymore. The vehicle manufacturer just finds another source. There is usually a test cycle to determine which rings they find suited to their needs, then they make a deal for an order based on cost and production times. http://www.npr.co.jp/english/company/business.html

Having driven both in the snow I can say I didn't notice any major difference between my 96 MT and my 95 AT (which I no longer have). The AT was just as able to climb the hill I live at the bottom of as the MT is. My test is to stop completely in the middle at the steepest part, then start going again. Both did so without slipping even a small amount. If I put the right foot into it all 4 wheels will spin, and the car accelerates quite nicely uphill, albeit a little sideways. Normal driving and cornering on snowy/slushy roads was no problem for either, even with cheap all season tires. Emergency braking is a bit of a task, but is manageable. Normal braking is fine except for going down a steep hill, the ABS is a little intrusive, which is where some dedicated snow tires would make a large difference. Overall, it is a bit easier to start the auto going uphill without spinning, but even with some wheel spin, both still proceed in the desired direction with little trouble.

The slow blow fuses under the hood can be difficult to visibly verify if they are blown. Suggest you remove them and check each with a multimeter. The clock is part of the instrument cluster, correct? That would mean the whole instrument cluster is losing power when the key is turned off. The only thing I can see in the wire diagrams that might make sense, is blade fuse number 2 (should be 15A) in the under-hood panel might be blown, or may have a poor connection. Fuse number 2 provides power to the radio memory, the instrument cluster memory, and the interior/dome lights. If the radio does not work at all, that could be related, depending on how the radio works internally, or how it was wired by the installer. Installers do not always use the correct harness power wires for memory and main power.

That wire is not an issue, just push it to the side with everything else.

I would buy a local car (go south to VA, not quite so much salt used here) and use it as a winter beater. Park the nice ones for better weather. If you value them, keep them away from the salt. It will find EVERY little crack and crevice and the rust will take over, even with any coatings you can manage to spray on the car. What's one more car to your fleet? :-p

Probably poor connection or frayed wire in the door cord. The panel is easy to remove. A small cover behind the release handle with a philips head screw behind it, a cover about the size of a quarter under the door pull handle with a large philips head behind it. Remove the gusset cover on the upper front corner (the black triangle), or tweeter cover and tweeter. The flat gusset cover you may need to pry off with a flat screwdriver. The tweeter cover should just pop off with your fingers. Then pull the edges of the panel sharply to pop the clips loose all the way around the panel (there are about 8 - 10). The middle one in the front is a press-through design and will probably go flying so cover it with your free hand to catch it. Grab the rear edge and pull up and out until the tabs clear the top of the inner door skin, now rotate the rear edge down and front edge up slightly while pulling out to dislodge the panel from the release handle. Takes less than a minute once you've done it a few times.

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn! Well now don't we feel sheepish if that's all it turns out to be?