Adnan

Hi, Yes, sounds about right for a clutch pack replacement. As for whether it should be done ASAP, that depends on your driving conditions. Going in a straight line is harmless for the driveline. If the '95 has the shorting plug under the hood (like the '96 does), you can temporarily disable the AWD system by installing a jumper there. This will buy you some time but the solution still is a clutch pack replacement. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Well, you're fortunate that your CEL came on. Read the error code that has been set and that should be the starting point. I'm assuming you meant bad crank sensor. If so, yes, the two can be very much related. The way the engine management works is that the crank sensor tells the computer where the crankshaft is with respect to TDC. In conjunction with the cam sensor (cam turns one rev for every two of the crank), it knows exactly where the engine is in its firing sequence and timing. If the sensor fails, or is intermittent, the computer gets lost. Unpredictable things can then happen and you're fortunate that you didn't damage something. If you don't have a code scanner, take it to almost any corner garage and they can hook one up and give you the code. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Since all starting problems are associated with either fuel, air or spark, it may be best to look at the easy ones first. Do you get any error codes? If so, that ought to point to the problem. Check to see that you have spark. An intermittant ignitor could cause grief. My guess as to the problem is fuel-related. You don't indicate if there is a pattern to the hard starting, for example, does it always give trouble if the car has sat for a few hours but doesn't if you start it within a short interval? If the check valve in the fuel system fails, the system bleeds off pressure. As a result, when you try to start it, there isn't enough pressure to get the engine to fire. Try this; let the car sit overnight and then turn the ignition on but don't crank the engine. Give it half a minute or so to allow the fuel pump to pressurize the system and then crank. If it fires right up, you've located the culprit. The more esoteric problems can have to do with bad crank or cam sensors, etc. but those will set an error code. I'm guessing you have a fuel problem. Good luck and let us know what you find. Regards, Adnan

Hi, The ignition coil is very easy to replace, located as it is on top of the engine. Plug wires are pretty easy too. Why do you feel your coil pack needs replacing (pretty rare)? As for the plugs themselves, they can be a bit of a pain but patience (and small hands) pays off. On my 96 OBW, I found that it was possible to replace all four without removing the washer fluid bottle but the battery did have to come out. The trick is to use a ratchet just enough to loosen the plug and then spin it the rest of the way by hand, otherwise the ratchet gets stuck in those tight quarters. Make sure you use some anti-seize on the threads of the new plugs and buy OEM ones only. The speedometer sensor may require raising the car; I don't know where it's located but it will be on the driveline after the transmission. Check the Haynes manual for that one. Hope this helps, Adnan

Hi, As has been mentioned, you most likely have the torque bind problem caused by wear in the clutch pack or scoring of the housing. However, make sure your four tires are matched with equal diameters as that can also be a problem. I have heard that flushing the tranny oil (not change, power flush) followed by a series of figure eights in forward and reverse sometimes helps. Follow that up with another power flush. Otherwise, unfortunately, $800-900. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Yes, the usual suspects - crank oil seal (most likely), oil pump seal (second-most likely) and cam seals. In any case, the timing covers have to come off to deal with any of the three and to diagnose the exact cause. If you get in there, you may opt to fix it all. Regards, Adnan

Hi, This may be a long shot but what if the toothed wheel that triggers the cam sensor is the problem? I think the ECU would still set a "cam sensor" code because it doesn't see a trigger when it should. With the sensor out, rotate the engine and inspect the surface going by. Look for damage or anything that seems out of place. A second possibility is that the gap between the sensor and wheel is too large (or too small). Check for debris that prevents the sensor from seating exactly where it should. By the way, does this engine have two cam sensors or just one? Regards, Adnan

Hi, While I'm not familiar with the specific model, here are a couple of answers to your questions: IAC - Idle Air Control. This is the little motorized valve unit that controls the idle speed of the engine. It is essentially a computer-controlled valve that opens and closes rapidly, under the engine management's commands to vary the air allowed into the engine when the throttle is fully closed. That's why modern cars have such a rock-steady idle. MAF - Mass Air Flow sensor. This should be located in the intake air tract. Start from the air box or air filter housing and work back towards the engine. You will find a block-like part with wires coming out of it. This unit senses the mass of air being swallowed by the engine and based on this (and other inputs), the computer opens the injectors for just the right amount of time to ensure a correct fuel/air mixture. The O2 sensors (oxygen sensors) will be located in the exhaust tract, fairly close to the engine, usually, although some cars have upstream and downstream sensors on either side of the cat. Hope that helps. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Misfiring can be caused by a problem with sparking or fuel mixture issues. Fuel mixture can become a problem either through a defective injector, insufficient air or insufficient compression. I doubt that air is the problem, so the one to rule out is compression (stuck valve?). Put a compression gauge on it and make sure the cylinder is okay. Taking the ignition route, yes, plugs and wires are important (did you check the gaps on the plugs? are they OEM? are they sufficiently torqued down?) but there are a couple of other items in the chain that could be a problem - coil pack and ignitor. Unfortunately, those are difficult for the DIYer to diagnose. Same for a injector. My approach would be to check compression, then the ignitor, then coil pack and finally, injector. Assuming, of course, that your plugs are correct and wires are the right kind (resistor/non-resistor?). Also, use a good fuel system cleaner, in case you've got a clogged injector. When was the last time you replaced the fuel filter? Multiple paths, I know, but you can address them one at a time and hopefully, find the culprit. My '96 once came up with a #2 misfire, which turned out to be a spark plug that had worked itself loose. Ever so slightly, but that was enough. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Going by the fact that running at high RPM keeps the temperature in the normal range, I would guess that there is a clog in the system somewhere, such that a high water pump RPM is needed to get sufficient flow. Try using a cooling system cleaner, one that will go through and remove buildup. Make sure that it's approved for aluminum engines, though. When doing a coolant flush, do you also open the block drains? Good luck, Adnan

Hi, The previous model of Legacy with the Phase I engine was notorious for leaking oil from the crank and cam oil seals. This leak would end up on the exhaust and cause a burning smell. The second source of oil leaks were the valve cover gaskets which would, you guessed it, deposit some oil on the exhaust. I don't know if the Phase II engine (which you have) is prone to the same misbehavior or not but it's easy to check. Go under the front of the car and look at the crank pulley. If the bottom lip of the timing cover is oily, you've probably got leaking seals. From above, reach in around the cylinder heads and run your finger along the valve cover gasket on the underside. If it comes away oily, you may have a leak there. If so, try tightening the bolts up first; chances are you'll need to replace the gaskets anyway. Regards, Adnan

Hi, While I can't specifically tell you where to look, there is a possibility that this can be solved electrically. On our '96, there was a connector under the hood, right side, on the firewall, pretty close to the hinge. I would assume that the 98's are almost the same. This connector was designed to allow disabling of the AWD system by simply shorting the pins. I would first check that connector to see if there is a short, for some reason. If there is no short there, look at the schematics (Haynes Manual) to follow the line to see what else lies in its path. Hopefully, you'll be able to track it down one element at a time. Hope this helps. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Besides the head gasket and leaking cam & crank oil seal issues, take a long, hard look at the tranny. Make sure the car is running in AWD mode (there's a connector on the right firewall, right near the hood hinge, that can be shorted to disable the rear wheel drive) and with the steering in full lock, drive the car slowly ahead. The problem with the '96 is that the transfer clutch pack eventually wears the housing and starts to bind. You will feel that as a shuddering in the drivetrain under high steering angle conditions. The fix is pretty expensive; a new clutch pack and housing or a total tranny swap. We just had a '96 ourselves and it exhibited this problem (fairly common with that era of 4EAT tranny). Otherwise, at 85k miles, the car was very good. No head gasket problem at all but yes, I did replace the crank oil seal and valve cover gaskets. As for fuel, the car is designed for 91 octane. While it will run fine with 87, it means that the engine management will retard the timing to eliminate knocking. You lose performance as a result. Hope this helps. Regards, Adnan

Hi, Just purchased a 2002 Legacy Outback wagon to replace our '96 (which met an untimely death on a freeway) and I was wondering if there is an aftermarket manual available. I had the Haynes manual for the '96 and it was pretty decent. I know that Subaru offers on-line, fee-based literature but I'm hoping there are alternatives. Thanks, Adnan

Hi, Thanks for the detailed information. Our '96 then, had the Phase I DOHC EJ25 but it never had head gasket problems. I fixed the crank oil seal leak as well as both valve cover gaskets and then, not a drop of anything on the garage floor. Sounds like the defining difference is the SOHC configuration, a question easily asked over the phone of any average owner, if told what to look for. It appears that the 2000's had front brake problems but other than that (since brakes are easy and inexpensive to replace) it seems to be the model of choice. Again, thanks. Adnan

Hi, My understanding so far is that the EJ25 engine from '96 through '99 has problems. It is a DOHC design. From 2000 onwards, the EJ25 became a SOHC design and uses a metal head gasket, plus a conditioner in the coolant to inhibit corrosion. These engines don't have the HG problem. What then, is a Phase I versus a Phase II? Is the SOHC the Phase II? Also, is it obvious by looking at the engine that there's only one camshaft on each bank? I assume it is. Lastly, what is the date from which the SOHC engine appeared in the Legacy Outback? Thanks for your input, Adnan

Hi, We've just lost our '96 Legacy Outback in a roll-over accident. My wife, who was the only one in the car, seems to be okay but the car is probably gone for good. I have to say that it held up really well and she walked away from it. Some idiot tried to pass her on the right shoulder on the freeway, causing the accident. In any case, she wants another one of the same, given her confidence in the quality of the car. The '96 was fine but I'm considering something a bit newer. I work on our cars myself and had no trouble doing the routing stuff on the '96 such as timing belt, oil seals, etc. We had the 2.5 DOHC which was fine, except for poor gas mileage. I have heard about problems with the later 2.5 DOHC engines. How do I tell if a car has this one? What were the dates to watch out for? In general, which models would you recommend buying? We do want another wagon so the Legacy is our first choice. Many thanks for your input. Regards, Adnan