Subarumor

Mystery Solved!: This should be very useful to someone else with a heater problem since I have not seen this 'solution' in any other heater post. After my experiments as stated above, I concluded that the heater core fins must be clogged up. But when I examined the core, the light was clearly passing through all the fin passages so I was stumped. I soaked the core in hot soapy water overnight just to clean it up for the install the next day. When I examined the soapy water the next morning it was totally black with dirt! Ah ha! So I rinsed the core clean with the garden hose, replaced all the foam on the heater box and flaps, tested all the flaps, reinstalled everything back to spec, and tested it for 2days. Result: the heater is pumping out warm air continuously now! Conclusion: the heater core fins accumulate a thin film of dirt over the years that reduces heat transfer to the passing air eventually causing 'heat stroke'. Lesson learned: "The neater the heater the sweeter".

Hey thanks guys for the rapid response. Yeah, I checked the flapper door valve before I removed everything and it swiveled and I could hear the vacuum 'swoosh' sound so I assume the vacuum canister is working in the engine compartment (and I could see the hoses are connected to it). When I push the 'Heat' button, I can detect an initial warm flow of air that lasts for about 3secs then goes to room temp. so I'm thinking something is trying to work but doesn't last long. I soaked the core in soap and hot water overnight then blasted the fins with the water hose to clear them out and now soaking in vinegar to remove any possible deposits inside and out. I washed all the loose foam off the heater box and since nobody addressed that issue I can only conclude that might be the problem. I'm going to try putting some foam tape on it for whatever its worth. However, it seems like any vent leak would still warm the passenger compartment so I'm not too optimistic about it. . . .

I have a 93 Loyale wagon, 190k miles, 5speed, a/c, heater . . . did I say "heater"? Heater exists physically, but never seems to get hot so I don't know if I can say I have a real heater. Radiator and thermostat were replaced, temp always hovers around 20% of the way up the temp meter when engine is warm, no coolant leaks. Input hose to heater core is too hot to touch and output hose is almost too hot to touch but not much differential so I thought the core fins were congested with dust and dirt (I already tried flushing out the core in both directions and it flowed freely). I removed the heater core and found nothing unusual! I could see daylight through all the fins and hosed water through the pipes in both directions and it flowed freely with nothing but water coming out. So now I'm perplexed and irritated (for doing all that work for nothing). Does anyone have an answer to this problem? I read all the past posts about heater issues and no help there (expect for heater removal tips - thanks). I would like to know about the following possibilities: 1. All the foam around the ducts and heater have deteriorated - would that cause loss of heating? If so, wouldn't the heat still get inside the cabin? 2. How do I replace all that foam? 3. If the heater core passages are clogged, would I still get free flow of water out the pipes? 4. Would soaking the heater core in cleaner make a difference under these circumstances? Any other ideas? I'm at a loss. It's cold out here in the winter time so it's worth it to me to get this repaired.

Well, it all sounded so clear when I read SkiShop's explanation . . . but then it got muddy with Naru's admonitions. I believe it's a semantical misunderstanding over Naru's imprecise use of the word 'vacuum' (ie: not explicity stating which vacuum he's referring to). Anyway, I'll assume it's working in reverse of the MPFI system so all is ok. All ignition components were recently replaced, timing is at 18degs, air filter is clean so those aren't an issue. Diagnostic test showed it was actually running lean, but getting some soot and fumes at the tailpipe! Confusing. All I can conclude is that it's pumping oil out the tail (it's using about a 1qt/800mi nowadays with no external leaks evident) which would explain the lean mix concomittent with the 'high' hc. I replaced both cats 2-4yrs ago but maybe they're fouled. Thanks for the feedback. I don't have any more ideas.

My 1993 California Loyale passed smog for every test except it was 3pts high on the low-speed hc test. I have an SPFI, 5speed, with 180k miles on the car. I noticed the fuel pressure regulator vacuum line has zero vacuum at idle and when I rev the engine! I blew some air into the passage and it only exits from a port ABOVE the throttle plate! According to theory, it's supposed to get manifold vacuum below the throttle plate so it can actuate at idle to reduce fuel. So why is it ported to above the throttle plate at atmospheric? What's funny is I don't have any idling or other problems associated with a faulty fuel regulator, yet it appears it's not doing anything. The shop manual shows the SPFI engine has the port above the throttle plate too. However, it's below the throttle plate for the MPFI engine! Anybody have an explanation for such a strange setup? Is the regulator in the SPFI just a 'fuelish' invention in this case?

Thanks for all the 'speedy' responses. To Zukiru: Yes it still runs fine. Nothing unusual to report. Can't figure the mileage because the odometer doesn't move either. To 86 Wonder Wedge: It doesn't pop at all when decel under load so your theory is incorrect? To Gloyale: It's not the cable because I lifted the drive wheels and ran it to see the speedo pinion wasn't turning inside the tranny. So I guess only the insiders at Subaru know what relevance the speedo input has to the computer.

I have a 1993 Loyale, 5speed, 2wd, wagon. The speedometer broke inside the tranny and it will be awhile before I can repair it. The Engine Check light remains on with code '33' all the time as I'm driving so I assume that the cpu is obtaining speed sensor readings to make adjustments to the engine. What kind of adjustments does it make based upon this input signal? Leaner/richer fuel mix? Timing advance? Or . . . ? The manual doesn't explain such detail. I just wanto know what it's doing to my car when it thinks the car is going zero mph.

As I said in my post, I used Subaru sealant (the expensive one) and it's not the side cv seals that are leaking. It's clearly coming from inside the bell housing and tossed around outside it. I guess it could be a wobbly bearing and that would cause it leak there, but I set the bearing into the inset as instructed and the case halves meshed perfectly. I turned the shaft manually and didn't detect any wobble. Is there any other way to test for wobble with the tranny installed? Thanks for you help.

Ok, I dyed. Actually I'm still alive but I did the UV thing and shined the light on the tranny. The oil is clearly seeping from under the bell housing in little rivulets and splashing onto the driveway and some onto the right axle and catalytic somehow. There is nothing coming from the axle seals on either side. And I only poured the UV fluid into the tranny so it's not engine oil. Since I already replaced the input shaft seal and used Subaru sealant all around the casing, where else could it possibly leak from that area??? I'm totally flummoxed, baffled, and frustrated. Any ideas?

Thanks for the responses. The input shaft seal is the one I replaced. I set it into place carefully fully oiled on the lips and placed the 2 case halves together carefully. If it's leaking then I don't know why. I actually wento NAPA and bot the UV fluid yesterday. However, I realized that using it would only cause the fluid I already see accumulating on all the surfaces to light up. If it's leaking from the input shaft I won't see the trail because it's covered by the bell housing. The tranny guy said yesterday that the 2 axle seals look dry even though there is oil splashed all around them. It's not the power steering fluid because that level is always full but the tranny fluid is the one that goes low after awhile. Plus the tranny guy examined the leaking fluid and verified it was tranny fluid. It's still acting like a ghost. I'm thinking it's excessive pressure inside the tranny causing oil to blow past all the seals? Is there a vent somewhere in the tranny? The dipstick doesn't appear wet on the outside.

My Sub must be haunted - a mysterious oil leak appears under the transmission that never goes away. I have a 1993 Loyale 2wd, 5speed, non-turbo, 153k. It was oil-free last year and ran fine, but suddenly developed an oil leak a few months ago. I thot it was the rear main seal so replaced it and the clutch. It still leaked. I took it to a tranny shop and he verified it was tranny oil leaking. I took the tranny apart and replaced the main shaft seal (with original Sub part) and sealed the halves together with sealant. It still leaked. I took it apart again, double-checked the main shaft seal for damage or alignment, used Subaru sealant on the case, then reassembled. It still leaked. I then replaced the 2 axleshaft seals and o-rings (Sub parts again). It still leaked. The oil pools under the bell housing and on top of the p-side crossmember and is wet on top of the p-side drive axle boot and on the cat (making the smelly). There is nowhere else I can see where tranny oil could leak. I can only guess that it may be leaking from the filler tube because the dipstick is missing a washer? Or is there a way to develop internal pressure inside the tranny causing oil to blow out the new seals? The d-side area is dry. Can anyone figure this 'ghost' out?

The dash end is secured by a clip. It's the tranny end that's not turning. I elevated the front wheels, put a stick into the speedo shaft, put it into gear and the stick didn't turn. That verified that the trans speedo shaft isn't turning. I believe it got disengaged from the drive gear during assembly. Any hope? Or do I have to dismantle the tranny again?

I have a 1993 Loyale with EA82 and 5s MT. I successfully replaced the main input shaft seal to the tranny recently thanks to the posts found here, but after I was done I noticed the speedo didn't work. I tested the speedo shaft for turning prior to assembly so I don't know what happened. I reattached the cable to make sure it was slotted into the speed shaft but it still failed. The speedo shaft in the tranny appears to have dropped about 1cm from its prior location so I'm thinking it isn't meshing with the driver gear. Without the speedo working, the odometer doesn't work and the Check Engine light stays on (code 33). Anybody know how to lift up the shaft from the outside or correct this without dismantling the tranny again? (ugh). If I leave this alone, how is the fuel mix affected?

Thanks for the suggs. Problem went away by itself after a week. It appears to have been residual moisture somewhere in the engine after I washed it.

Thanks for all the suggs. I removed the oil pan (wasn't too tedious) and cleaned it out manually (it had a lot of 'mayo'). Then I ran the ATF for a day as you suggested. Installed a new rack and pin while I was at it. With 'new' heads and gasket and oil it runs like new. Even the valve tick went away.

I have a 1993 Loyale with an EA82 engine and 200k miles. The head gasket blew out and antifreeze leaked into the oil. I verified the blown head gasket at a radiator shop. When I drained the oil, white 'goo' came out with the oil. I will remove the heads and have them serviced with new seals and gaskets. What I wanto know is do I need to flush/clean out the oil passages and oil pan of any remaining slimy goo? If so, how do I do that without tearing the engine apart. I would hate to install a new pair of heads and gaskets only to clog everything up again with Suba-goo. I couldn't find anything related to such a procedure in the forums. Any ideas?

I just purchased a 1993 Impreza 5speed, 2wd, EJ18s engine with 200k miles. It passed smog in California on the first try. Compression was about 140psi on one side but only 100psi on the other bank. I don't know if that's ominous or not. I cleaned and gapped all the spark plugs and checked all the ignition wires. The problem is it has a massive flat spot right off idle after starting the car. I can press the accelerator about 3/4 of the way down and the engine doesn't rev past idle until I actually floor it (then it revs normally). It stumbles for about 3 seconds then drives normally thereafter. This problem doesn't reappear at all afterwards and car drives fine at highway speed. The problem only appears when I turn the ignition off then restart so happens regardless of engine temperature. This is reminiscent of a carb engine with a bad accelerator pump but since I have MPFI I don't see how it can happen. :-\ Never see any warning lights on the dash either. Anybody have a clue, what to do?

Thanks for the responses. I tried an aftermarket oil gauge but I don't wanto use the ones that have direct oil feed (too risky). The electronic ones don't coordinate with the original Sub sender in voltage and the sender that comes with it doesn't fit the unusual thread size in the oil pump. I'm in the Los Angeles area so I'll just peruse the local junk yards once-in-a-while to find a gauge panel. If the center panel is interchangeable then I guess I can use any of them? I'm just worried about the wiring - what a pain to have to trace every wire to see where it goes.

Thanks for the response. I believe the GL is substantially different in features than the DL so explains why you encountered such different wiring. The GL is closer in species to the the Loyale so I'll be searching for a panel from a GL or Loyale that has the 4 gauges. I found some in the junk yard this week but they were either automatics or 4wd so had different displays so I couldn't use them. So did you actually get the GL panel to work in your DL? How bad was the wiring change?

Hello: I'm a Subie Newbie here. I've owned 3 Subs for the past 15yrs. My last was a 'perfect' 86 GL Wagon - it had all the features I liked about the Sub. My favorite feature was the instrument panel with the speedo and tacho neatly placed in the center and the 4 other gauges clustered around them (temp, oil pressure, voltemeter, fuel). That car finally saw the end of its days a few months ago so I bought a 93 Loyale of that lineage (couldn't find anymore suitable GLs). Unfortunately, I found they terminated that wonderful GL instrument panel and left out the oil pressure and voltmeter gauges. Now there are only 2 empty spaces there like missing teeth in a mouth that bug me no end. I don't understand why Subaru eliminated such a great ergonomic feature that made it unlike any other Japanese car - it's a real disappointment. My question is this: Can I replace the instrument panel with one from an older Sub without much difficulty? The gauges appear to be integrated with the panel itself so can't be installed separately (ie: it appears I have to replace the entire panel?). I'm wondering if the wiring plugs would be the same or I would have to analyze every wire and rewire the whole panel. I've wondered the wrecking yards in my area and seen many variations of old Sub panels depending upon year, manual/auto, turbo/non, etc. Aftermarket gauges with their wiring are awkward and unsightly to install anywhere outside the panel anywhere near the dash so seem untenable to me. Any suggestions?