Hawkeye4

For the dome light - I was not too clear. There should be a way for the light to turn on/off when the hatch is opened, but I can't figure it out. I realize there is a three position switch on the light itself. Either way, I feel pretty stupid for not being able to solve this. Wayne - Thanks, I will check next time to see if the indicator lights are on. That's a great idea. I hope that's all it is. rigfennid - Thanks for the tip. I've heard other postings to the contrary. I think I'll go ahead and order an aftermarket kit. Crutchfield is a pretty knowledgeable source for this stuff, so I might just buy from them. A keyless entry with remote start would be ideal. Did I mention this car has over 222,000 miles and is still running strong??? Thanks again for the replies.

Everyone was so helpful in identifying my starting/idling problem (was the coolant temp sensor), that I might as well post some more questions: 1. Where is the the switch that turns on/off the light in the rear cargo area when the hatch is opened? Is it built into the latch? Mine is not working. 2. Keyless Entry: Do I need to install an actuator in the driver's door if I want to install keyless entry? I did this once on a 1993 Legacy, and it was a pain in the butt. I would hope that this newer model doesn't require the same. 3. My climate control is dsyfunctional. At times, the switch gets stuck on defrost/floor. Eventually, the function will perfom as switched. Does this sound like a swith problem or mechanical issue? Maybe some folks have had this same problem?? Thanks again! Love the Subbie's.

Possible final update: I just installed a new coolant temp sensor this evening, and my first drive seems to indicate all is better! No starting problems, and the idle is back to normal (700 RPM range). Thanks to everyone for your help in identifying this possible cause. I figured at $20, it was worth the risk to replace the sensor, so that's what I did. It took me a while to find it (I looked up some pictures on this message board, and that, too helped tremendously). Hopefully my test drive was not a fluke :cool: ! Thank you!

Here's an update: The starting problem has definitely been happening with more frequency - almost all the time when the car is warmed up. It will almost always start fine when cold. I've also noticed that now the car will stumble a bit from a stop, when warm. Idling: Still not as huge a problem. When warm, it idles at about 1200 RPM. If I put it in N or P, the RPM's briefly go up to about 1700 RPM, then back down to 1200 RPM. When cold, the same test starts at about 1300 RPM, then up to nearly 2000 RPM, and then clear down to about 750 RPM. I don't what all this means, but it seems abnormal. The idling range in part varies from below 1000 RPM to occassionally near 2000 RPM. I guess the conclusion is that the idling is erratic and unpredictable. Sounds to me like the coolant temp sensor is a good place to start. I'll check that and/or replace it and see what happens. I don't think I have the tools to test fuel pressure. I haven't replaced the fuel filter, but that's not a bad idea, either. Note, the problems seem to only be at start-up and idling. The cars runs down the road just fine, and is getting OK gas mileage. This is a great resource, please keep the comments coming!

Andan - Fortunately, I've never had an injector problem with a car before. I'm not sure how to test for a bad one. Or, is there a way to fix a "leaking" one? If there were a problem with an injector, wouldn't the problem happen ALL the time? I have run some injector cleaner though the system twice, to no avail. frag - Yes, normally, the engine is usually warm when the no-start problem happens. There have been a couple occasions when the engine was cold and it happened. How do I test the coolant sensor? One thing I've noticed with the idle - if I put the car in Neutral, the RPM's usually drop down. Otherwise, the idle stays up near 1200+. Then I have to really push the brake to keep the car from moving.

I posted a message a while back, and have done tons of searching in this forum on this topic. I've gotten some clues, but still have no idea what's going on or where to start: 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback, 2.5L The problem is mainly with starting. It happens randomly - the car won't start, so what I've learned to do it to hold the accelerator down and it will start and run rough for a while. This tells me that the car is flooding. The black smoke tells me that, too. What is wrong? The car also has a problem with idling fast, to the extent that the car will lurch forward. This is also random. Because the problem comes and goes, I suspect a faulty sensor. Maybe a bad o2 sensor? But there is no check engine light or code to check. And it has two o2 sensors, so how would I know which is bad? Once the car is running, it drives down the road just fine. Also, I have read about problems with idle control valve (IAC), and that it needs to be cleaned. Does this sound like the culprit, and if so, what's the right way to clean it? Any other ideas? Where should I start? THANK YOU!!

Thanks a bunch! I see that there is a product called Auto-Rx that may be worth trying. Since the heads were just rebuilt, I doubt the valves are out of adjustment. Is piston-slap serious? Does that indicate a worn piston (I assume)? Would piston slap noise dimish like mine does after about 15 minutes? I wonder if I have a bad 02 sensor, but the computer isn't reading it yet. But I don't want to go spend $100 on one (or two) if it's not the problem. There must be some sensor problem causing the flooding. Also, with the engine racing, it does sound like the throttle body (recall) problem, but I have this documented as repaired. I didn't see anything under the dash that looked like keyless entry, but I want to be sure before I go get an aftermarket unit.

One more thing - this car doesn't have keyless entry, but I want to add it. This is a long shot, but might there already be a module plugged in under the dash? If so, what would it look like? I added aftermarket keyless entry to my 1993 Legacy and it was a pain - I had to install an actuator in the drivers door. From what I hear, installing keyless entry (and possibly remote start) will be a lot easier on this one. I have read that this model has a notorious problem with the head gaskets. I assume that mine will be OK now. Any other pointers that anyone would like to add?

Hello - LOTS of questions... I am happy to finally join this forum. I have owned many Subaru's over the years: 1983 2 door Hardtop, 5-speed 1986 Wagon automatic 1984 4x4 Hatch, 4-speed 1993 Legacy L, auto, AWD Now we have a 1997 Outback. I bought it from a Subaru mechanic. It has 220,000 miles, which really doesn't bother me. The heads have been rebuilt, new timing belts, oil pump, water pump... 1. I have had the check engine light come on a couple times, and found it to be the knock sensor. I also had a bad rattle from the exhaust shield, and fixed that (I'm thinking they might be related). 2. On occasion, the car will be hard to start. It's obvious that it is getting flooded due to the black smoke when started and sometimes a gassy smell. 3. On one start, the engine raced up to about 3000 RPM for a few seconds. Other times, the idle seems to be a little high, and the car wants to lurch forward. I have a hard time blaming all of this on the knock sensor (I have reset the computer, too). The car has newer platinum plugs, and newer wires, plus a clean air filter. 4. Finally, this engine makes a more pronounced ticking noise than I've ever heard in a Subaru. It's almost like hearing two hard wooden sticks rapping, if that makes sense. It goes away after 15-20 mins of driving. Is this valve/lifters? Do the solid lifters make that noise? Or is this "piston-slap"? By the way, what does piston-slap sound like?? I will add that this Subaru gets the best MPG and performance that I have seen in a Subaru, so I think the engine must be in fairly good working order. Also, the recall items have been addressed, i.e., the throttle body issue. Thanks!!!