idosubaru

check your air filter. how is the ignition system? coil, plugs, wires, cap rotor? fuel filter (i doubt it, but easy to replace) anytime i'm faced with a problem i like to replace all this stuff to start, because it's cheap, keeps the car running good and eliminates them from the possibility. except the wires, i have magnecor wires that will never need replacing. everything else, i replace often. i don't know jack about brats...i guess it's carbed but if it is not - how are your fuel injectors, fuel pump? see any fuel leaking around the fuel injector seals? if it's carbed i can't help you much on fuel supply.

unless i missed it, i didn't see a front crank seal in the list. if you pull the cam carrier there are a couple clip-on orings for oil ports on each side (i think there are 2 on each side for the 4 cylinders) that you may want to replace. and you will DEFINITELY want to replace the cam-carrier to head reinforced oring (one on each side). it's at the bottom corner of the cam carrier where it meets the head. this oring can be purchased from subaru or www.thepartsbin.com. i've ordered a number of them from thepartsbin. the actual mating surface of the head and cam carrier is sealed with a tube of sealant as mentioned in another post. and if you pull the cam carrier you can also clean all the HLA's. there's also a small spring under the bolt that retains the oil rail on the cam...just pulling the valve covers will give you access to that. clean that out while you're in there. oil pump has a spring in it as well, just clean them out, no need to replace. when you reseal the oil pump be sure to apply a very tiny bit of sealant behind the oil pump (do not let it touch the gasket) where the 2 halves of the block come together. get some good light and run your finger across the block, you'll see a zig zag pattern behind the oil pump where the two halves of the block come together. apply a small amount of sealant to that area. i'd check the cost and compare it to a complete head gasket kit. a good head gasket kit will come with all of that stuff and more (for the XT6, corteco kits come with the timing cover seals as well - fel pro does not) and might be cheaper if you can find a good supplier or somewhere on-line. i've had 5 XT6's and resealed one XT4 and each time i've replaced the oil pump seals it's cleared up all lifter nosie. clean everything up good and torque it down properly. installing a new oil pump is overkill....kind of like: "hey, installing a new engine will take care of that tapping noise". there's also a way to construct a very small metal tube so to speak and insert out of muffler tape or something....insert it in the 2 oil ports to prevent the mickey mouse gasket o rings from getting sucked into the oil ports. but i've never actually done it. if you have deformation problems with your gasket or like getting it done while you're in there, that's what you would want to consider. probably a good time to replace the PCV valve. not sure about your surging problem. how's your water temp sensor and assocaited wiring harness connections? if it doesn't accelerate that could be your HLA's not functioning up to spec's.

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FWD XT6's have coil overs from the factory so they will work as well. They are nice because you get all 4 struts and you're done. Be advised the car will lean forward with this set up. Cutting the rear coils down will level the car out. But it will sit much lower than the air suspenion XT6. I advise addressing this issue somehow, as the braking and handling of the car are not what it should be if it's riding with the rear up higher than it should. Probably minor, but I did notice a difference. I drove one of my old ones like this for awhile. The Impreza struts need to be modified ever so slightly - easy to do. just spread the bottom flange out a little bit as needed to fit. Nice thing about this set up is to get find the newest Impreza stuts you can because you can get later years than the 1991 XT6 FWD struts so the struts will be newer. These struts are all old, so parts are hit or miss. Usually fine, but not as nice as getting low mileage or new.

if it's 4WD i'd check U-joints on your rear drive shaft. sometimes you can crawl under and tell it's siezed by looking at it. if you remove the axle (not very difficult) you can check for a seized ujoint or a lumpy feeling in the ujoints, this indicates they are on the way out.

sounds like it's not going into the correct gear. does the gear light on the dash read the correct shifter position? there's no front u joint so i'm guessing it was the front axle or am i missing something? have you checked all the circuits to the inhibitor switch? seems like if that thing was compromised at one point, it or it's associated wiring could be damaged as well. have another one to swap out? there are plastic parts on the inhibitor which are not the most resilient pieces after 15 years of operation. i think this switch is an excellent place to start. are there any actual shifting problem to indicate internal issues? the FSM has tons of information for stall speed and line pressure testing if you have the patience to do that.

not sure what it is...but i tried a spiral max years ago on 2 different XT6's and definetly did not notice any difference.

awesome. thanks. i'll be doing that to mine.

dude i got a drivers side door dent just like that. PLEASE provide details on how you did that. my door has stripping and decals that will never match the rest of the car if i just swap doors...plus the whole key thing is a pain as well. mine also has protective molding like that. i've pulled motors, trans....just about everything but i've never done jack with body work. TIPS PLEASE!

as for the CV boots, i'd ignore them if you're sick of them, the time and the money spent. especially the inner joints. i have owned 5 XT6's.....i've driven up to 50,000 miles on a completey torn and missing front CV boot. if they start clicking while driving straight...then think about replacing them. otherwise i don't see any reason to worry about it. i have had a split rear cv for 2 years now, and that's through driving in snow, mud, off road, and about 50,000 miles. the outer front cv won't last quite as long because of all the movement. and by *last long* i just mean they will start clicking sooner - i've never actually had one fail. the only axle i ever had fail was BRAND NEW (completely blew apart into lots of pieces)?? anyway - depends on driving, you drive all highway it will last a long time...off road, less time.....in sand, very little time. like i said...i drive 10's of thousands of miles with broken boots - who cares, i just replace the entire axle when i have something else to do down there. for the coolant....fill it up and look for the leak. you want to look for it before the engine i warm - that's when it smokes, burns and is difficult to pinpoint. when you first start it and the outside of the motor is cool, it's easier to see leaks. 1. remove oil cap and look at underside of cap and in the filler tube. see any white foamy stuff? 2. fill cooling system and look for leaks. 3. fill cooling system and start car and look for leaks. also look under car, at the exhaust manifold and out the exhaust pipe and look for coolant coming out. 4. change your oil - look for coolant mixed with the oil. 5. do a compression test

it's done all the time on jeeps. the XT6 is a little light duty for them, but they use it because they can pick them up for 50 bucks. it's just an electric motor - give it 12 volts and you're good to go. running constantly it probably won't last long, have it cut on when you turn the wheel. the power controller isn't necessary, adjusts boost for different speeds and conditions. without it you just get the same boost all the time.

insurance companies are flexible - but you have to be persistent. they won't budge unless you're serious...but if you are, they will up the amount. there is no *law* that says they can't give more. they will give whatever it takes for them to avoid being sued, but as little as they can get away with in general. a friend had someone total his 80's volkswagen with a ton of miles that he had spent a ton of time rebuilding...all stock, nothing performance really. but the motor was perfect. it was totalled. of course the insurance said they'd give him like less than a thousand for it. he gave them hell and they eventually coughed up to actually fix the thing in entirety...a few thousand dollars on an early 80's VW. he had to threaten to sue, but they eventually caved. have a lawyer write a letter and results may go your way. talk to a real estate attorney or a *nice* attorney, they'll do legitimate stuff for cheap, but they're still a lawyer. or write it yourself and send it return receipt verification mail.

oh and i have that transmission code pulling saved on my computer...otherwise you would have never seen it! i wouldn't have typed all that out, i have it so i can copy and paste for occassions such as these. now quit reading this and go change your fluid and filter.

yes the POWER light flashing at start up indicates a problem. if it flashes the 16 or 17 times at start up - it is essentially the same as the Check Engine light for the transmission. in the end there's not much you can do to a transmission. best to replace the fluid and filter, install a tranny cooler and make sure you don't have any leaks. there's a few solenoids that aren't too hard to get to throught the transmission pan, but other than that there's alot involved in working on a transmission. it could be benign...meaning you're not causing any problems by driving it and there is nothing functionally wrong with it. mine blinks every time because of the mods i have to the electronics so i just ignore it but i keep an eye on my transmission. the TCU thinks there is a problem, but i know it's okay.

be sure not to confuse oil or ATF burning off the exhaust with exhaust fumes. if there is previous oil or ATF on there or you have a very small leak (or a large one) it could hit the exhaust and burn off and it won't smell good.

be sure not to confuse oil or ATF burning off the exhaust with exhaust. that will smell terrible and gets carried all over the place, the guys next to you at the stop light won't like you.

do you have an exhaust leak, that would be my first guess. just having a leak below you will be enough to be annoying. an exhaust leak below the floorboard can also leak through bolt holes that hold the seats in place on some vehicles. those bolts may be rusted, stripped and have enough play in them to allow some fumes to enter the car.

i never pull the radiator to do timing belts, i doubt it was removed. keep an eye on coolant level. if you had a bubble, the temp gauge would likely move around a little. keep an eye on it. check to make sure the thing has a thermostat in it. people remove them for various reasons. keep an eye on your coolant level. make sure you have hoses going to your heater core, it's possible it could be bypassed, not likely but best to look as it takes 2 seconds. i've seen these hoses/heater core get clogged. pull both hoses...attach garden hose to one and turn it on, and let it blow all the coolant and/or dirt and grime out of the heater core. this could free it up, seen it work before.

the transmission does not always go into fail safe mode when the POWER light flashes. POWER light coming on when you stomp on the gas or accelerate is normal, that indicates a power mode, basically that the transmission will use different shift patterns for better acceleration. that is normal. first thing to check - there's a shift resistor usually connected by the strut tower. if this is faulty or has a bad connection, you'll get the POWER light. i have mine unplugged because it gives firmer shifts, and my POWER light comes on because of it. but i don't care, because it doesn't affect anything else, just better shifts, less lag. this droppiing resistor could be bad. if you have an extra, swap it out. at the end of this post is a list of numbers indicating the faults - this resistor is not included in that to my knowledge so i'm not sure how it's supposed to work. ALSO - if your POWER light is flashing but the trans doesn't appear to be in "limp mode"...safe mode, whatever you want to call it - in other words it drives fine and doesn't lock the center diff then i would defintely check this resistor. when this thing is unplugged it makes the POWER light blink but doesn't affect any functionality of the trans. also - before doing all of this and after you check that resistor - how is the fluid? how old is the filter? as old as these things are ATF flushes, new filters and transmission coolers are EXCELLENT ideas for anyone that wants to put lots of trouble free miles on an auto transmission. POWER light blinking 16 (or is it 17) times at start up indicates the TCU has a problem with something. POWER light indicates the TCU is receiving one or more signals that it doesn't like. you can coax the TCU to spit these codes out, it's a real pain in the a!!. like turn on ignition, shift to park, do 3 jumping jacks, turn your radio to NPR, drive in reverse uphill for 0.3 miles, remove left tire, shift into 3rd gear, push your 1st hold button, click lap belt and drink 2 bottles of water... here's another thing to try and i'm not going to explain it, just try it. if the POWER light blinks at start up....try this....while the car is running turn the steering wheel all the way to the left or right and drive the car (don't hit anything!) for like 20-40 feet. keep the wheel turned all the way, turn the car off and then try to start it again. it may not blink this time. this will only work if the center diff (transfer clutches) are engaging and your 4WD is locked....and it's a long shot, probably won't work but does sometimes. if it's the dropping resistor or something then it won't. okay here's how it really works...this is going to sound so convoluted and dumb, but i promise this is the the way to read the codes: START THE ENGINE and allow it to warm up for about 2-5 minutes... Turn ignition all the way off. 1) Turn ignition ON (don't start the car) 2) Check if POWER light comes on (if not, light or circuit is faulty) 3) Turn ignition OFF 4) Shift into "D" range and turn 1-HOLD switch ON 5) Turn ignition ON 6) Shift into "3" range and turn 1-HOLD switch OFF 7) Shift into "2" range and turn 1-HOLD switch ON 8) Depress accelerator halfway (I just tapped mine to the floor once) If the light stays lit continuously, the range switch, 1-HOLD switch, idle switch, or the circuits of any of the above may be faulty. Otherwise you should get 11 blinks (total of 12 if you count the 2 second blink before the items are checked) (pay attention!!!) A "no problem" condition should be represented by 0.1 seconds of light, then 0.9 seconds of off time for each of the 11 things on the list. A problem consists of 0.6 seconds of light and 0.4 seconds of off time. These times are very close, but you'll be able to tell a difference I promise. Quick light is no problem, long light is problem. You'll have to count to see which one indicates the problem! List of items checked... 1) Speed sensor #1 2) Speed sensor #2 3) Throttle sensor 4) Shift solenoid #1 5) Shift solenoid #2 6) Shift solenoid #3 7) Duty solenoid B 8) Duty solenoid C (4WD only) 9) ATF Temperature sensor 10) Ignition pulse 11) Duty solenoid A good luck,

yeh.. they were both OEM.. I dont run anything thats not from the dealer __________________ 86 GL Wagon - 4wd DR 5 speed Man. EA82, de-emissioned Hitachi carb MODS: Complete SPFI Air intake, Ultra White Foul Weather Lights, Accel Superstock Coil i didn't know Subaru carried Accel Superstock Coils.

i'm not sure how the wiring is routed in the XT, but in the XT6 the O2 sensor wire runs through an opening in the cross member. it is unlikely but possible for the wiring to wear through and short out against the cross member. probably not your problem since you likely have all new wire there, but something to check if the wiring is old. good luck mike

i had a newer CV joint blow apart last summer on my XT6 and someone else on the xt6 site just had a brand new one with like 10 miles on it blow apart as well (like within the past week). sounds more common than i thought, not exactly the kind of part you want failing. really confused my AWD. lock up - no don't do it - lock up - wait maybe i should'nt - let's try locking up. i hit my toggle switch to lock up the transfer clutch to get me to a parking spot. would really suck for this to happen on a FWD.

if it only leaks going up a hill, idle it on a steep hill for a few minutes and keep an eye on it. or just let it idle flat for awhile and keep your eye out for leaks. gettings the revs up a little might help as well. there's a reinforced o-ring between the cam tower and the head, this oil port can often leak. as can the cam tower seal and valve covers and valve grommets...just about anything on a car this old with who knows what kind of prior maintenance or lack of. if you can't see where the leak is coming from, maybe it's not clean enough.

i had this happen last year on my XT6. don't recall how old it was, but it wasn't all that old. the outside drivers side joint just blew into pieces right after putting it in drive at like 10 miles an hour in the parking lot - metal and ball bearings all over the ground. luckily i have AWD so the rear wheels got me back to a parking spot. if your car didn't vibrate and now it does after the axle broke - could it be that the axle damaged anything when it snapped? did it happen while you were driving fast? did it slop around? maybe something hit your rotor or tire? how long did you coast or drive after it broke? if it vibrated and slapped around enough maybe you knocked a wheel weight off or hit a rotor? i doubt this is the case though. are the tires properly torqued and the axle nut tight? if it's awd, u-joints can cause enormous vibrations, so bad you can't see out your rear view mirror. good luck

one of your rims could be bent or you could have a bad tire. next time you have anything done ask if their machine can check the wheels for out of roundness or bent spots. check for missing wheel weights, they can fall off. any dirt on inside your tires? mud? i would never do it, except that i have use of a free tire balancing machine. there are balancers that can analyze all 4 tires and all 4 wheels and tell you the best combination and best position of each wheel on which tire to give you the best balance before you even balance. then certain machines can balance the wheel as if it were loaded and running on the road. the one i uses has this function, it's a sweet machine. i haven't actually dont that, so i can't attest to any results. if it's AWD or 4WD, the drive shafts have caused vibration on every 4WD subaru i've owned (all XT6's). i drive alot off road, lock my transmissions transfer clutch often and drive lots of miles, so that's part of it. but the weak link in all of this has been the u joints. i just had my drive shafts rebuilt with replaceable/greasable ujoints after replacing 3 times with used units. i'm glad i did. drive shaft is easy enough to pull out - just some 10mm bolts on the XT6. drop it and i would be VERY surprised if your u joints were free and not lumpy.