Fairtax4me

Wires on what? The MAF? Tried that, no change. It did quit once, but I don't think that's evidence enough to indicate a wiring issue. When it's idling the wire harness doesn't move at all, and it will still die on it's own. I forgot to add in the first post that when the MAF is unplugged, then engine will still start and run the same. Idle is a bit higher (800 rpm) and throttle response is a little slow, but other than that it runs the same.

Ok, 96 legacy 2.2. Runs awesome, good power, no missing stuttering or chugging. Out of nowhere, and seemingly at random, it will just die. Sometimes it will cough one or twice, the idle will fluctuate a bit, lasts maybe three seconds then all is well again. Most of the time it will just die. Driving down the road it does the same thing. Any gear, and seemingly at any random time the engine will just quit. Seconds later its back running (all on its own usually because it's still in gear) and away I go. I've driven for a half hour with no trouble out of it. Then it might do it a dozen times in five minutes. CEL is on and shows a code P0100 MAF sensor circuit malfunction. It just doesn't act like a bad MAF sensor. Never hunts for idle, it doesn't stumble or anything when it's running. Air temp and/or motor temp have no noticeable effect. It might die right away on a cold start, it might warm up first and then die. Then sometimes it won't idle for more than 30 seconds on its own without dieing. Always starts right back up right away and runs just fine. I've searched and searched, and read page after page and can't find anything else that is described like this. All the other MAF threads that I can find are rough idle, loss of power, or stumbling under throttle. And that's what I've normally encountered with MAF related issues. So has anyone else run across this? Any suggestions on what to check? Haven't tried a new MAF yet, but it does die if the MAF is unplugged. Help?

Junkyard. If its just the canister you need, they all work the same way, you can rig up one from a Ford (I know, god forbid) or any other car/truck and it'll work well enough.

There is Autocheck.com It's part of Experian. Just as good as Carfax, and half the cost for a single report.

The Ebay kits sound great. Most of them are cheaper than the kit I looked at on rockauto too. Thanks again for the help guys! Time to start reading...

Thanks for the info guys. I'm gonna go ahead and get it. Looks like I'll be hanging around yet another forum in my spare time. What do I search for to find these kits on Ebay? Is it just the belt/tensioners or does it have all the seals and stuff too? More than likely I will just pull the engine, do ALL the seals, clutch, timing belt, water pump (which I think is leaking) all in one shot. Then I can make it nice and pretty before I put it back in. The heatsheild I could care less about. If it gets really annoying, we've got a welder at the shop. Im not realy sure if the MAF is bad or what. It has a code for it, but it doesn't act like any car I've ever driven with a bad MAF. It runs just fine, but occasionally it will just flat out die. It starts right back up like nothing happened. Even when driving down the road it will randomly just quit, like it lost spark. After a couple seconds of coasting it will come back to life and keep right on going. Maybe it needs an ignition coil or a CPS?

Thanks for the reply Olnick. Edmunds Nada and KBB hardly ever agree on market values. The price is what the company paid for it so it's not really negotiable unfortunately. If it were any cheaper I probably wouldn't hesitate to jump on it. I talked to one of our technicians who owns a 95 legacy wagon, he said the transmission noise sounds pretty normal. I'm still not sure, but I can get any transmission for $85 from a junkyard not far from me. So even if it throws in the towel a few months down the road, it won't be that expensive to fix it. I did get a better look at the oil leaks on this thing today. Either the pan, or something directly in front of it on the front of the block is leaking pretty good, as well as the passenger side valve cover. I didn't pull the timing cover so I have no idea what it looks like inside there. I guess the smart thing to do would be to pull the engine and just replace whatever I can find that needs it all at once. From what I've read this is a pretty stout engine, so I think I can feel comfortable dropping a couple hundred bucks in it to get it in decent shape. I actually couldn't find an exhaust leak. I crammed a rag in the tail pipe and it built up so much pressure it spat the thing out like a canon. But there is a heat shield loose on the drivers side manifold that is rattling like crazy. Other than that, it needs some bushings, but that's pretty much it. I'll have to think about it another couple days, but at this point it looks pretty promising.

Howdy all, Soob noob here looking at a 96 Legacy sedan that got traded in at the dealership I work for. I can get it for $1300 and I'm wondering if its worth that with the "issues" it has. 2.2, 5 speed, 155k, runs like a top. Check engine light on, code P0100 MAF circuit malfunction. Needs a clutch, also has a bit of a whine when in first gear. Seems like a pretty solid car, not much rust that I can see, but the whole bottom of the thing is covered in gravel dust. Small clunk in the steering which I think is the inner tie rod end since the rack bellow on the passenger side is ripped open. Valve cover gaskets are leaking, and it has a small exhaust leak. Gonna put it on the rack tomorrow or tuesday after work and get a good look underneath, but I think I've got it all pretty much covered here. Paint is still shiny, but far from beautiful, it needs to be detailed something bad. The main thing that concerns me is the transmission noise. I'm not familiar with Subaru transmissions so I have no idea if it's normal or what. I can only hear it in first gear, it may be there in all gears, I don't know. The exhaust leak makes is a bit difficult to hear everything well. Im also wondering if there any any common issues with these that need constant attention. Seems to me that Subarus are fairly reliable machines, and Im looking for something to use as a DD for a little while. I think this might fit the bill but I don't want to have to dump too much money into it to make it driveable. So what do you guys think? Suggestions on what to look for? Thanks alot, Scott