mentis

Hey guys, I wish somebody would have told me about EA83Ts when I bought my turbo wagon! But... I was a poor college student and $400 seemed like the right price . That being said, with all the maintenance it's had (and still needs), it's lasted a long time... and still cheaper than having a car payment .

I think I just might do that... thanks for the insight! If it is the turbo, that might explain why the wagon's not as quick as it used to be. What's that turbo run for these days?

The check engine light has come on a couple of times very briefly in the past, and with a few minutes of driving went away again. This weekend I changed fluids and put in new plugs and d.cap (still waiting on wires :-\). After that the light has been on continuously. Unfortunately I'll have to wait till Wed. to get the codes checked since I don't have that capability... So yeah, not sure why. I was pretty careful not to knock anything loose, so not sure. One thing I did notice however, is that there a little air hose that's not connected right under the turbo air intake duct. I'll attach a pic. Not sure how long it's been like that, probably a long time, but the end of it seems to be plugged with some clear plastic stuff (silicone maybe).

Not really that crazy I think... but here's a pic of the old wagon a bit overburdened on our 3000+ mile (cross country) move. Maybe the crazy part is that it's a EA82T .

Hey, I'm pretty sure I'm having the same problem. Except that I thought it was more of a fuel delivery issue... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102014 So how about this... if it turns out that I need a CTS, I could buy yours from you, cause I do have a turbo. I'd like to make sure that it's really what I need, but your description sounds an awful lot like the problem I'm having. If you like, you can check out my thread and watch the video linked there. Then maybe you can tell me if yours starts in a similar fashion?

Btw, I finally started a another thread for the starting/fuel issue here... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102014

Figured it was time to give this problem it's own thread. My '87 GL-10 Turbo Wagon seems to have problems starting after the engine's warmed up. It seems to me that it's a fuel delivery problem, because the starter appears to be doing it's job. Don't have any problem starting cold, just turn the key and it starts up. Warm, I have to give it a good bit of gas to start and rev it so it doesn't die out. Though made for the rattle issue thread, you can see it having a heard time starting up in this video... The check engine light's on, which I haven't had time to get checked yet. Will do that Wednesday. I listened for the fuel pump with the engine off, and it seems to be working. Not sure how to check if this could be caused by a faulty fuel pressure reg. valve, but I read that can often cause problems. Gloyale suggested in the other thread that this could be due to a CTS. Not familiar with the acronym, but is he referring to the Coolant Temp Sensor? Since I'm not a mechanic, I don't understand how that would cause warm starting problems. Again, thanks in advance for any light you guys can shed on this issue! EDIT: Issues have been solved. See solution post on page 4 = http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showpost.php?p=849375&postcount=36

Cool... I'll keep that in mind. Not sure if it's the cat making the noise though. I got under the car while it was doing that, and listening in the vicinity of the cat, and I must say that the noise was not as audible in that area as it was directly above the engine. Would there be any point to removing the exhaust from where it goes into the engine to inspect it? Or is that not a good idea ...? I'm attaching a photo of where it sounds like this might be coming from...

Thanks barracuda... I know the engine mounts were replaced a few years ago but the trans mount was not. So I do know that the trans mount certainly is due for a replacement is is probably the cause of another issue (an engine shudder). Could be the culprit of the rattle... maybe. Here's what I discovered just now... I inspected the exhaust pipes while letting the car idle. Again, at first while engine's cold no noise. Slowly, the rattle starting coming in at a very low frequency (once or twice per minute maybe). Then it increased as the engine warmed up and got louder. I checked for broken welds as suggested above but found none, and checked for clearance etc. There seem to be no external parts coming into contact or shaking to make any such noise. When listening closely, the noise does seem to be coming from the bell housing or the maybe the top of the exhaust pipe that attached to the engine/turbo. Sorry I don't know my terms well, but when I touched the top of that exhaust pipe I could actually feel the rattle the most. Don't know if that's transfer from elsewhere but it feels like it's coming from the inside of that... hope that sheds a little more light on this. And thanks to all of you for your willingness to help! I'm very grateful .

Yeah, I might start a new thread for that, we'll see how it goes. I did another little test on the rattle issue... I thought that maybe I just can't hear the rattle when at higher speeds, etc. so I put it in 1st and let it coast. Sure enough, the rattle was audible then. So now I'm not sure if it's present in other gears or not, but my whole idea of it only making noise with the clutch disengaged is out the window. Might still very well be the throwout bearing though. I know the clutch is getting worn out and in need of replacement... And the CTS would be... Coolant Temp Sensor? Sorry for my ignorance ... but why would that cause a fuel delivery issue?

Wow, thanks for going to all that trouble! I really appreciate it . I will do some more poking around today and check this are out. Again, thank you so much . On another note, after doing additional reading I came a across some info that says fuel pressure regulator valves often cause fuel delivery problems before the pump does. If this is the case, perhaps that's what I need to check out for my starting problem. Would that be a part that works better when it's cold?

Thanks again . I will look for those... and you're right it does sound like that might be it. Couldn't see an inspection panel for the bell housing either... is it the one on the top above the flywheel? Or is there another...? ------------- I got another issue which I thought about starting a separate thread for, but I'll just ask in here for now. As you might have noticed in the video it's having some trouble starting up as well, which is why I was having to give it some gas at first. This is another problem that only happens after it's warmed up. It has no trouble starting cold, just warm. Doesn't seem to be electrical, and the starter is doing it's job. It seems not to be getting enough fuel when starting warm. Could this be a simple as a fuel pump, or would this be an issue with the fuel injection system?

Thanks for the input! I will certainly try to negotiate on the price, assuming that the car is still available and that the seller replies to my emails :-\.

Good question. They are rather small turbos though, aren't they? I always assumed that because the turbo was so small it didn't do that much. But I am also pretty sure that I'm lucky if I get 100hp out of my wagon right now. It's lost a bit of umpf over the years . Still not sure if I'll end up getting that Impreza though. The seller hasn't been responding to my recent emails, so I don't know what's going on with it.

LOL... gaping cravass is right! That's one of the best things about that wagon. I do transport a lot of artwork, which the wagon's been perfect for so that is a concern. However, I don't need much vertical clearance, so it'll probably be ok. I'm sure you get more gas mileage for sacrificing a bit of that metal . Something tells me it's going to do a lot better than my current Wagon . Even though it's a turbo, it's got very little power in it. Can't remember the stock hp on those, but I know I'm not getting that at all...lol.

I believe that's correct... Edit: Let me clarify that. While driving this does not happen. You only hear it while coming to a stop (therefore low rpms) with the clutch pedal in, or while idling. As long as the clutch is not engaged, it doesn't matter what gear you're in. So the answer is yes, I just wanted to be clear .

As I was driving the car this morning I noticed a few other details I forgot to mention. 1. This noise doesn't happen when the engine's cold. So when I first start it in the morning it sounds fine, and only after the engine's warmed up does it start to make that noise. 2. It only makes this noise while the clutch is NOT engaged. Usually while idling it's most pronounced, but also when I'm letting off the gas (as mentioned before) with the clutch pedal in and letting the engine wind down to idle rpms.

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it! I'll see if I can check those things out .

Oh, and btw... I put up a video and separate thread for the rattle issue. Tell me if you think this sounds like a heat shield to you... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101941

Exactly... had to deal with all of that. Had the timing belt done before the big drive actually. The first thing I dealt with for about a year were cooling issues . By the end I think all the hoses got replaced, lol... and the radiator!

It's been a good car to me I must say. I've had a lot of work done to it over the years, and pretty much figured it was worth spending a few hundred each year. Beats a car payment for sure. I originally got it for $400, and have had a ton of stuff replaced. The engine's always sounded pretty good, and after doing another oil change on it today it's still sounding quite good. It's all the other stuff in the car that's not doing too hot... lol. I feel I can wait on the clutch for a while still. But there may be other serious issues to deal with too, so I am wanting to trade up. Feel sad letting this thing go though... I drove it cross country over 3000 miles when we moved to NC, and the only thing that happened on the way was a little $5 coolant hose busting!

No they really aren't. It's lame because I'm having a hell of a time finding a decent one! I'm going to be getting my old turbo wagon inspected middle of the week, and then I'll know more about whether I'm finally going to retire the old gal... :-\ Here's the thread for that topic if you're curious... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101852

I seem to recall one of the mechanics having done that a while back and not finding anything. Wouldn't hurt to try again though. Now I just have to find that inspection plate under there .

One of the problems that seems to have gotten more pronounced of late is a rattle that makes my wagon sound like a pinball machine . I've uploaded a video in hopes that someone here might know this noise... About four mechanics over the last six year have told me that it's just a heat shield. "Oh yeah, we should have just removed it while doing the work on it" they always say. Every time I work on it myself, I check for loose heat shields if possible and haven't found any. At this point, it's not really sounding like a heat shield to me. It seems to be coming from the back of the engine/clutch/transmission area. You can really hear it rattle in the beginning of the video when I let off the gas. Thanks in advance for any help. I could really use it .

Thanks for the insight . It sounds promising then. Seems to me that it's a good deal for the money, and I might get the seller down a bit in light of some of this maintenance that I'll have to do .