Fairtax4me

Voltage seems a little high. But I don't think that would throw the code. Service manual says to check exhaust gases first. Dunno about you but most people don't have the access to an analyzer to do that. So we can skip that step and move on to the next which is check the connector for poor connection. If that turns up clean you check the sensor with a scanner that will read the maximum and minimum voltages from the sensor. And if they are less than .1V difference then you replace the sensor. The last check is to check the harness. Ignition switch ON, Pin 3 should read about .2V with the voltmeter grounded to the engine. Pin 3 is the bottom pin on the connector. If it is less than .2V the harness corrosion in the wires or a poor connection somewhere between the sensor and ECU.

You must have driven for a long time! I rode around for a week with a scanner on loan to me from our Snap on tool rep. Never got either of those to set in 500 some odd miles. That got me to digging around and found the general consensus was that they just don't ever set, but they didn't need to in order to pass. I would love to find the list of conditions required for those to set. I'm surprised that the state doesn't give you a guide for cases like this. I guess that's the gummint for you.

Brake system failure. The ( ) is supposed to represent brake shoes. (drum brakes, even though pads are shaped differently they still use the same symbol) Check the brake fluid. I think the light in only turned on in Subarus by a low fluid level. If it's low, you may have a leak.

Ouch! Short trips= Prime territory for sludge. Sludge is just as bad, and can be much much worse than simply going past regular oil change intervals. Combine sludge WITH extended/missed changes and you have a recipe for disaster. No joke, it is nasty nasty stuff. http://www.schleeter.com/images/BMW%20oil%20sludge.JPG http://delanytowing.com/candiscorner/media/blogs/a/oil-sludge.jpg I haven't heard many sludge stories with Subarus, but no car is immune to sludge buildup. There are lots of cases with Toyota Saab and VW engines suffering extensive damage and even locking up due to sludge. Best way to avoid it is to change the oil at scheduled intervals, and to go a step further use synthetic oil. Not saying that sludge caused the problem in your particular case, but if you care about your engine, you need to get out and drive it further and more often. It needs to get up to normal operating temperature and stay there for at least 15 to 20 minutes (the longer the better) on a regular basis, at the very least once a week. Idling in the parking lot doesn't count because that doesn't replicate the conditions the engine will face while driving. Turbo's don't generally go bad from being "under used" but the conditions created when the car is driven too softly or for not enough time can lead to wear and failure of the turbo.

Nice find. Like I said, the shop that does the inspection should (we can only hope) know which cars have exceptions.

My car has 177k on it and just got 33mpg on a 435 mile trip over thanksgiving weekend. Lots of stop and go and still only used 13 gallons.

Check the wires to the wheel sensors. Especially the ones in the back. They're not exactly protected, and you'd be surprised how sharp snow can be.

Did the light come back as soon as the engine started or did it come back after the car started moving?

My car does that. I don't have any codes though. I just figured it didn't like driving cold. Only does it the first or second time into second then it's gone until the next morning.

I think THIS is the thread he was linking to, but he got the wrong URL somehow.

You guys think Subarus are bad, try changing the plugs on the rear bank of a 3.3L Taurus engine. Or worse, a Windstar. And even those aren't all that bad compared to the 3 valve 3.0 V6 Mercedes used for years in the late 90's and early 00's. Twin plug, and they're on the bottom half of the head next to the exhaust manifold. Can't change them without removing the engine.

My first though is cable adjustment. Is it possible that the arm inside isn't positioned properly? Most of the time there is only one way they fit because the shaft will have a flat cut in it for alignment.

Required maintenance and the scheduled intervals should be in your owners packet in the maintenance manual. Dealers often add on little things to make some extra coin and call it the "Recommended" maintenance package, or add on a lot and call it a "Premium" or similar package. It differs between dealers but they should have all of their service packages clearly posted in the service department. Most dealers also have brochures detailing their services that should have a list of what is included in each package.

You can check the TPS adjustment with a voltmeter if you have one of those. Try searching the board for a Forester service manual. I'm sure someone here has one you can look at online or download.

From what I've read, those two monitors don't ever reach the "ready" state on the older models. I'm pretty sure there was an exception for early OBD2 vehicles for emissions testing. The shop that performs the inspection should have access to the regulations concerning all of the readiness monitors for every car.

For conventional oil, yes that's probably too long. :-\ Driving habits have a big impact on oil life. If that is 4k miles of mostly highway criusing, then that may be fine. But for 50/50 mixed or mostly city driving you would want a shorter interval of about 2500 - 3000 miles with conventional oil. Synthetic oil in city driving I would think 3500 - 4k miles would be fine. Mostly highway you could stretch that to 5000+ if you're not driving really hard.

Most common reason for a turbo to "die" is lack of regular on time oil changes. Proper maintenance is crucial for the longevity of a Turbo. Missing even one change or regularly going over the change interval leads to heavy wear on the bearings, and eventually acids in the oil combined with the heat from regular driving will score the bearings to the point of failure. At which point you start blowing white smoke. Hard driving and heavy use of the turbo creates high temperatures in the turbo case. The turbo doesn't have a system for dispersing that heat on it's own. It relies on fresh oil, and in some systems antifreeze to help keep the unit cool. If the engine is turned off while the turbo is still "hot" (after a hard run) the heat can actually burn off the oil inside the bearings. Leaving residue, and causing the turbo to "dry start" on the next engine start. This again leads to wear of the bearings, which will eventually lead to failure. 2 main rules for turbo longevity. 1. Change the oil regularly and often. 2. Give the turbo time to cool, about 2 minutes of idling, before shutting off the engine.

That's what I figured I would try to make. Something that goes from the radiator to the jack plate under the lower cross member, and have a section I can easily remove or hinge down to get to the oil drain plug and filter. I just don't want snow/slush packed up in the radiator and accessory belt area. That's asking for real trouble.

Does the pedal feel normal? Air in the system would give the pedal a mushy feel, like stepping on a pile of foam. In really bad cases the pedal will hit the floor and stay. Definitely check to make sure the release fork moves full swing when you push the pedal. It should be something like an inch to an inch an a half of travel at the plunger. If it only moves a half inch, then it's cylinder related. Doubt the TOB would be the reason unless it's making an awful grinding noise when the pedal is depressed. If there is any adjustment for the pedal height try moving it higher. I couldn't explain why but it may be that something slipped (incorrectly installed plunger) and the pedal throw is now insufficient to completely disengage the clutch. It can't hurt to try bleeding the system if the release fork doesn't move like it's supposed to.

There's about an inch an a half on the roads in some places. I don't care so much about it being packed up behind the wheels, but all over the front and bottom of the engine and in the cross member where the steering rack is... that kinda bothers me. The fans won't run in weather this cold but I don't want to have to deal with a blocked radiator. I think I'll try and fab up a shield of some sort to put under there. Maybe galvanized sheet metal? I wonder how well it would hold up?

What kind of splash shields are usually under the front of a second gen legacy? Driving around in the slush today and the car started making funny noises. I checked when I got home and there was god only knows how much slush packed up under the front end. It was all over the suspension, axles, lower cross member, and packed up behind the radiator so much that it had both fans jammed. Problem is I never see any cars in the junkyard with splash shields still under them so I have no idea what is supposed to be there. Any help?

Looks like what we got, but it's still coming down here. My yard isn't big enough to play fast 'n furious in though.

Kartboy.com sells aftermarket short shifter kits. Scoobymods.com has a whole section on Kartboy parts and several writeups on the short shifter kits. http://www.scoobymods.com/kartboy_stuff-f88.html?f=88

This Forum http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/ is your friend. Torque converters don;t really go bad unless something inside physically breaks (metal fatigue, it does happen) and it will then grenade inside. The transmission itself is the much more common root of trouble, much more so on the SVX it seems. Lots more info on the SVX forum. Good luck with it!

Now I know where I'll buy mine if the one in my car ever quits. Much better deal than the "Worldwide" brand that advance sells, which I'd never buy anyway because of an incident with a BMW starter for a friends car. Long story short 3 (three) Worldwide rebuilt units and not a single one was right. Had to waste a whole day waiting after each one for another one to be ordered in. After a whole week I finally got the car back together with a Duralast unit that has been in the car 2 years now without a hiccup.