jeryst

Replace the heater core immediately. Breathing coolant can cause serious health problems.

I had the same issue and a new battery fixed it.

If you think you can find a WRX in that price range that hasn't been beat to death, or modded into unreliability, you are dreaming. I've been looking for a long time and haven't found anything under the $12k range that I would even consider. I've come to the conclusion that it would be cheaper to lease one.

I have a 97 Impreza Outback Sport that has an ABS issue. The ABS comes on on dry roads during breaking, especially at highway speeds or going downhill. The brake pedal gets hard,then there is a click and the pedal pulsates and the car swerves to the right. The ABS light does not come on. Also, I don't know if this is normal or not, but when I press the brake pedal, the automatic transmission disengages, taking away any stopping power due to engine compression. It is extremely scary, and has gotten so bad that I have disconnected the ABS module and have gone back to manual breaking. But I would like to have it operational on icy roads, so I am looking to troubleshoot the system. Local garages have not been very helpful, and I can't afford to take it to a Subaru dealer. How can I determine if it is the ABS module or a wheel sensor, and if it is a wheel sensor, which one?

I have a 1997 Impreza Outback Sport. The shocks and struts are starting to get a little tired, so I was wondering if there are some aftermarket items that are fairly close to the price of stock replacements that would provide better cornering and handling. Is there anything else I could do, like larger wheels and low profile tires? what mods would give me the best bang for the buck?

Ok, I admit that I've used the foam. I once had a 94 Loyale wagon and noticed that the rear carpet would get wet wherever it rained. I checked and found holes in the rear fender wells. I filled the holes with foam, trimmed off the excess and sprayed on some black under coating. Drove the car for another three or four years before other problems forced me to junk it.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to reconnect the power to the unit and see if I can get a code.

When I hit the brakes on my 1997 Impreza outback Sport, it feels like the ABS brakes are coming on and it pulls hard to the right. It feels like the car wont stop, so I have to let off the pedal, then press it again, and sometimes it will stop doing it. It's doing this on clean dry roads, whether I'm going fast or slow. Sometimes it does it and sometimes it doesnt. Could it be a sensor on one of the wheels, or could the ABS module be going bad? I disconnected the ABS module and the brakes are working normally.

I put a parts wanted ad in the classified section, for some interior parts. Basically someone stole my 97 Impreza Outback Sport and yanked out the whole stereo assembly. I was wondering if anyone knows if parts from any other year/model would work. I;ve included two pics, one of how it looked before, and one of how it looks now. I dont need the radio as a friend gave me an extra head unit he isnt using. I'd appreciate any advice or opinions.

Thank you John. You were 100% correct. I just went out and unhooked the airbox again and when I lifted it up, I noticed that the largest breather hose had popped off. I put it back on and it stays running now. Thanks again.

Car is ten years old. Highly unlikely, but your heater core could be leaking. Do you smell coolant?

I just changed the spark plugs in my 1997 Impreza Outback Sport, and now it wont stay running. When I start it, it starts right up, settles into a nice smooth idle, runs for exactly 7 seconds, then stops running. I have tried it multiple time, one right after the other, and it does exactly the same thing. in order to get to the rear plugs, i unlatched the air cleaner box and pushed it up and off to the side, & I also took off the windshield washer reservoir and pulled it forward. I didn't disconnect any wires. Does anyone have any idea what may be going on here? Is it possible something got disconnected that I can't see just by a casual inspection, or just looking at it from the top of the motor? I thought that maybe I might have to reset the computer or something, so I unhook the battery waited for a few seconds, and then hooked back up. But it still does the same thing. No engine check lights or anything else coming up that looks out of the ordinary.

Have your fuel pressure checked. Sometimes a weakening fuel pump will show up first when going uphill.

If I went from a 205/60r15 to a 205/60r16, wouldn't the outside diameter of the tire remain the same while just the diameter of the inside opening increases by an inch?

My 1997 Impreza Outback Sport needs tires all the way around. After doing some research, I've decided that I would really like to get a set of Goodyear Triple Treds for it. The problem is, that my stock tire size is 205/60r15, and they dont come in that size, so as i see it, I have the following 4 options (in order of preference)... 1. Get the next larger size of 205/65r15. I know these tires arent much bigger, but I dont know if they will fit, or if there would be any issues. If anyone can tell me if this size will definitely work or not, I would really appreciate it. 2. Get the next smaller size of 195/60r15. I know this will work, I'd just like to get some opinions. 3. Find some 16 inch rims, because they do make the tire in 205/60r16. This is added expense, and the tires are already fairly pricey for my budget. Plus it would take some time to find a set of used 16 inch rims. 4. Find a comparable tire that comes in 205/60r15. I really like the TripleTreds because according to all the tests, they pretty much come out on top in handling, and traction on both wet and dry roads, in their price range. But if someone knows of a good substitute that is similar in price, I'd like to know about it. The MSRP on the TripleTreds is $135, but I've found them going anywhere from $99 to $145. There is also a $60 rebate from Goodyear up until the end of May. I'd really appreciate some advice, because the tires are so bad I'm actually not driving the car, and riding with someone else for the time being.

OK, thanks. I'll work on the PCV angle first.

It is smoking blue out of the tail pipe. I let it run for 15-20 minutes but it didn't stop. Maybe a ring cracked or something like that. Oil pressure seems to be fine, and it doesn't miss or run rough. But it should have stopped smoking in that amount of time if it was just oil that seeped in.

Can anyone give me advice on which engines would be an easy swap in a 1990 Loyal Turbo SW? I'm pretty much in a no-win situation. I've talked about the car on here before. The car has very little rust, only has 123k miles on it, and since I was driving it a long distance to work, I invested over $2500 in new parts and mechanical upgrades. Everything works and ran fine. Then it started leaking oil pretty vigorously, but instead of fixing it, I bought my sons 1997 Impress Outback Sport. I threw the Loyal in storage and didn't start it all winter. Well, I started the car the other day, and now its smoking. I don't know what could have happened, but its probably going to need the engine replaced, so now I'm in a no-win situation. I doubt if I can sell it for anything, and its just too nice to scrap. I'm thinking if I can find another engine for it, I can always use it as a backup. There are no Subaru mechanics around here that are willing to work on it, so having it rebuilt is not an option, but there are garages that are willing to do engine swaps. The new motor doesn't need to be a turbo as long as it has enough power to keep it fun to drive. Just looking for opinions.

Just bought my sons 97 Impreza Outback Sport. It runs fine right now, and only has 106k miles, but I'm thinking ahead. The car is almost rust free, and I really like it, so I was thinking of making it a little more fun when the time comes.

Anybody interested in it at $2k? I just noticed that one of the boots is ripped and the axle is starting to make some noise, so I'll have the whole thing replaced. I've put another1000 miles on it, and was planning on keeping it, but my son just offered me his 97 Impreza Outback Sport, which I really like, so I bought it. Now I have two cars I dont need-lol, so the wife says I better get rid of one.

You really need to determine if the sound is engine related or coming from some other component. Does it change if you are turning left vs going straight vs turning right? If you only hear it when the car is moving, it's probably a drive train component and not the engine. I had a sound I couldnt figure out one time, and I took the car to a garage that had a device they called a "Chassis ear". Not sure if thats what it's really called or not, but its pretty cool. They attach wireless sensors to different parts of the chassis and take it for a road test. A technician in the car has a receiver with headphones, and he can select each sensor individually to determine what area the sound is coming from. Once they isolate the area, they then move all of the sensors to that area and do it again, pinpointing the sound even further.

Thanks for all of the replies. I wasnt looking for an arguement. It's just that I've bought and sold a lot of classic cars over the last 20 years, and options and/or rarity can mean a huge difference in price. For example, if you tell the owner of a Hemi-Cuda that his car is just another Cuda with a different engine and is not worth more than a regular Cuda, you are probably in for a fight. And with classic cars, there is a big difference between a rust bucket vs a car in average shape vs a car in great shape. I know, I know, a Subaru is not a classic car. I just thought the same rules applied, considering that the value guides list this particular vehicle as having a much higher value than a regular Loyale wagon. I guess, in the case of a Subaru, the value guides and rarity dont really mean anything. Good to know. Either way, I havent sold it yet. I've been driving it because it's just fun to drive, and because there have been few times in the last 30 years that I havent had a Subie to drive. Maybe I'll take AKghandi's advice and keep it as a toy.

My 1990 Loyale wagon was overheating when the AC was on. II noticed the fan wasnt coming on. I started wiggling wires around and the fan started working. It now does not have any problems overheating no matter how hot it is and how long I use the AC. Probably a little corrosion on the connector.

True, but since I spent all of this money. someone else doesnt have to. Anybody that buys an older car is probably going to need to sink quite a bit of money into it. This one doesnt need it. Evey used Subaru I have ever bought needed work done (timing belt, brakes, axles, etc). Look at it this way. If you had the choice of two identical cars, and one had everything replaced, and the other one didnt, which one would you choose? So obviously the maintenance adds some value.

1990 Loyale Turbo 4WD Station Wagon. Only made one year. 122k miles. AT. PW. PD. PB. PS. AC/ AM/FM/Cass. Inspected until 02/14. I bought this car to drive to work (150 miles/day), so I put a lot of money into it (Between $2K-$3k) replacing things and trying to make it very dependable. Recently, I changed jobs and bought a truck, and I no longer have need for the Subie. It's a great running little wagon, and I hate to get rid of it, but I just dont want to keep up two vehicles right now. When I bought the car, it had 102k original miles on it, and it is a southern car. Body is really solid. Previous owner hit a deer, so the whole front clip was replaced. Here is a list of items replaced on the car within the last 15k-20k miles. All work was done by professional garages. All parts were bought new. All belts All hoses Complete timing kit (belts, adjusters, tensioners, etc) (at 105k) Both front axles Both rear shocks Muffler and tailpipe Starter Alternator Various sensors Brakes and rotors New radiator Tranny flushed and fluid and filter replaced Coolant system flushed and coolant and thermostat replaced. (About 300 miles ago) A/C system charged (Last summer. Still blows very cold air) All new tires (less than 3k miles on them) Ball joints The car has a lot of quirks (Like most old Subarus) and it does have a pretty agressive oil leak in one of the head gaskets, but other than that, it runs like a top. I drive it almost every day because it gets a lot better gas mileage than my truck does. Everything except the cruise control works. Just starting to show some rust in one of the fender lips, and rockers. A few parking lot dings. Interior is very nice (blue cloth), but the plastic in the rear cargo area is sun faded. Carpet is nice. NADA lists it as $2000 low book and $4700 high book, and that's not taking the low mileage into account. Anyways, I'm going to sell it, and I'd like some opinions as to what you guys feel its worth considering it has has so much done to it. Click on the thumbnail below to get a large photo.