idosubaru

1. were the lights/control functions working before they replaced the compressor? 2. what all did they do exactly - compressor...vacuum...recharge...anything else? 3. did they do any diagnosis at all? a. pressure test before pulling the old compressor - what were the number? b. leak test? At this point we really can't assume anything. Misdiagnosis is just as likely as the rare issues they're suggesting. 1. you are correct - it would be very odd for them both to fail 2. Subaru a/c compressor failure is very rare - so I don't trust that their first repair was even legitimate. did they actually test anything or have any symptoms to go by? 3. that year/model control unit doesn't fail too often. If the control unit fails - don't replace with new - failure is almost unheard of so the price of a new one makes no sense at all. Get a used one - a couple people are parting them out or ebay or www.car-part.com

suspension stuff doesn't have to be that bad, need to find out what it is first. replace one ball joint or control arm bushing and done.

most of us knew it was P0420 from the first post. that code is a debacle.

nice, thanks for the feedback. do you know how they verified it? did they test or guessed? so you ended up replacing all 6 injectors? 3 awhile ago and the other 3 now?

dealerships do sub-par timing belt jobs - they only replace the belt. best to replace the tensioner and all the pulleys, that's what many of us do every time. it's cost prohibitive at a dealer though - very expensive to replace all of those. Gates kits on amazon are $115. Subaru parts are 20% cheaper through online dealers, you can save $100 or so ordering parts online.

lower tread or more on the outside or inside or scalloping? does the noise always happen if the same symptoms are repeated (speed, curve, hill, brake/decelerate, etc)? how often does it happen daily, weekly? i'd check the control arm bushings. check the front suspension with some heavy leverage for any play.

the rear cover definitely doesn't have to come off. i think it's convenient to remove it as it technically has a "gasket" on it and is a tight fit/seal between it and the tensioner bracket and water pump - and on some models (not yours though i don't think) there's an overlap of the cover and bracket too...but even that's not enough to warrant removal but that's why its' shown, yet not required, i'd never remove it. the tensioner bracket doesn't have to come off on older models - but it might be easier for a first timer since it's a tight fit with i think a sealing gasket between the pump and tensioner bracket, making it a tight fit particularly during reinstallation while you're trying to simultaneously trying to keep all the bolts lined up. the 2006+ pump is slightly different, so maybe the bracket needs removed... http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/4th-gen-sohc-2-5-timing-belt-replacement-pic-intense-188814.html

This is so reliant on personal opinion/preference that I doubt there's much you can do. Issues by folks with challenging back problems are frequent and varied. If you're back isn't comfortable I'd guess there's not much you can do about it. Custom seat swap - swap in an CRV seat and you're done!?!? new seats have so many air bag related features that may be a challenge though. Whatever you buy (even if it was a brand new CRV), be sure to test drive it sufficiently. i remember a dealer letting my dad borrow a car for a weekend or a couple days, not sure if that was just a fluke or what but given you already bought one new car from them so recently maybe they'd give you some option like that.

To be sure - the tensioner bracket and rear cover never have to come off for a timing belt change. 100% certain.

i don't know. have to find the FSM or just test them all - only takes a second to touch each pin. should find continutity there - then maesure it's resistance.

1. Ah! right - the rear timing cover does not need to come off to replace the belt. the only thing you need to remove to replace the belt is the timing covers and crank pulley - that's it. I usually remove the cam sprocket to replace the seal anyway and be done with it. You can remove the cam bolt with an impact wrench or use a rubber strap wrench or chain wrench with sufficient protection to protect the gears. I use impact guns and rubber strap wrenches my self. 2. I've done a bunch so I can see where that would cause anxiety. You can always do the degrees of turn method with the torque wrench so you can get a feel for it - you may find yourself both hitting the 135ftlb and degree mark at the same time. double good warm fuzzy feelings! lean towards a little extra tight than under. i've never had one come off and i show those things who's the boss. i aim way high..but again i've done enough to know what "way high" feels like. actually the crank isn't done for if it let's loose, i've fixed enough mistakes by other people to know. i've yet to encounter one that was a big deal. but it would certainly be a huge scare for most people.

I'd use Subaru seals, i've had aftermarkets not fit well and leak shortly afterwards on EA/ER engines. two easy solutions for the timing cover bolt madness - leave them off and run it naked, or install with zipties so you're not reliant on the bolts and inserts not spinning in the future.

you can check continuity between the CTS connector and the main engine harnesses plugs at the rear passengers side of the engine. FSM will show which pins are for the CTS. or - even simpler - just put one multimeter probe on the CTS connector wire - then touch every single pin in the engine harness connector. one of them should complete the circuit.

that should be an EJ22 - but confirm it? mileage? any other issues? that's an odd one - so i'll just take some wild stabs: coil pack? install a used one to test failing alternator if it's load-related? check valve clearance.

1. no. but they take all of 30 seconds to figure out, so if you're doing a timing belt job, the worry factor is about the same as what shampoo to use the day you do your timing belt job. 2. no...and yes. some people follow Subaru protocol exactly. if you're like most engineers trying to work on things, you may lean that way. otherwise, a torque wrench isn't even needed for the crank pulley. granted i've done a ton - but with a 2 - 3 foot pipe over the socket wrench - get it good and tight and it's not going anywhere. it's a cast iron crank, i've never seen or heard of one stripping and it's not a crucial fastener in regards to torque values. so i just get it really tight and it's golden. 135 pounds, do not use 90.

does it bind when taking sharp turns (wheel at full lock) on dry pavement? that would indicate torque bind. if you bought it with an issue there also remains the possibility that the rear differential and transmission have different final drive ratios. it happens - people replace the trans or diff with something else and get the wrong diff. on manual trans there are two gear ratios: 4.11 and 3.9.

this is really simple: line up cam marks and the crank mark (sounds like you're using the wrong one) and install the belt. that's it, there's nothing else to consider, think about, or line up. there's no reason or point in checking cylinder #1 or wondering if it's an exhaust or intake stroke. timing mark being down is not relevant to your engine, other Subaru engines have marks that go down - but not yours.

just check the fluid level and it's either right or wrong - adjust accordingly. only get 1/3 or so of the fluid out with a drain/refill. there's fluid up in the torque converter and valve bodies that can't drain. it's not like engine oil. the speed verses RPM is mostly mechanical gear ratio driven and wouldn't be affected by changing the fluid. you'd have other symptoms if the fluid were low. like it would be low on the dipstick. a little bit low, even a quart, won't cause symptoms

delay in steering is typical steering rack bushing failure. inspect them - they are usually gone, oil saturated, or deteriorated. you turn the wheel...the rack moves instead of the wheels turning due to compromised bushing...then once all the slack is taken up - the wheels turn.

if it's timing related - 1997 EJ22 is interference, so best to repair soon. that is classic piston slap symptom. loud rapping noise that goes away as engine warms up. it's benign and nothing you can do about it. well you can disassemble the block, replace the pistons or modify them, but few people do that since it's labor intensive for symptoms that cause no issues. there's room for honest mistakes but a new timing belt is a good selling point not easily forgotten by mechanics wanting to sell a car. that being said - just the belt doesn't mean much at this age/mileage. the pulleys and tensioner need replaced and would be the most likely cause of noise, not the belt itself. unfortunately Subaru only requires "belt" replacement, so technically speaking the mechanics are following Subaru's recommendation by only replacing the belt. pull the drivers side timing cover - three 10mm bolts and look at the tensioner to see if it's bouncing. yes - the stethoscope can help narrow down timing gear, valves, block, accessory bearing, exhaust ticking...etc. 1. timing tensioner (drivers side under the plastic cover - which is easily removed in a few minutes 2. timing pulleys - drivers and passenggers side and centerl/down low 3. piston slap 4. valve train - i would expect this to get better as it warms up, but who knows... 5. cracked flexplate

The pressures need to be checked first. It could be low or high. If that's true - that's a new one on me I don't think I've ever seen or heard of before. You're positive the clutch is actually engaging the compressor? Is it cycling or always on? H6's often leak at the A/C compressor where the hoses bolt on. A few cents for orings and it's repaired. Ideally you replace the schrader valves and compressor side orings if the system comes apart. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/127980-diy-ac-air-conditioning-leak-refrigerant-repair-for-5-or-less15-m/

That would certainly explain things! But, others have mentioned auto EJ22's without EGR and i've seen them. In one case (97 Impreza OBS I bought and pulled engine from) i'm thinking it was all original and had no check engine light. The ECU I currently have I got from Larry (Imdew here) who pulled it from a 1996 Impreza automatic without EGR. I told him I only wanted it if it didn't have EGR and he verified that. But oddly i've seen auto impreza's with EGR obviously, that seems the norm. Maybe it's only impreza's, i've never seen a legacy automatic EJ22 without EGR? Or there's something blowing smoke in my eyes?

new suggestion: this will only work if they simply look for the physical presence of the EGR valve and no check engine lights: 1. remove the EGR valve from the intake manifold, block it off 2. extend the vacuum hoses to it so you can hide it somewhere. 3. this will remove it's physical presence and also avoid a check engine light. i'm almost positive that the ECU can't even tell if it's actually installed on the engine or doing anything other than actuating. Yes Non-EGR intake manifold (with original wiring harness - i owned the complete car it came off of) Non-EGR engine Non-EGR EJ22 ECU All installed in the same vehicle you're talking about an EJ25D with EGR And 70,000 miles later it still has the check engine light for EGR. My check engine light is usually set after 1 - 5 miles (since I've reset mine a 100 times over the years). as suggested though, depending how they test it, they're not going to test it early until so many run cycles. I don't recall which wires I cut - I looked at the FSM and cut whatever EGR wires were at the ECU under the passengers side floorboard. Since I swapped absolutely everything - engine, engine wiring harness, and ECU - the only thing that remains "EGR" is the body side wiring harness. Therefore we can assume (since no one really knows) that the issue lies in the body side wiring harness. ***If you wanted to get to the bottom of this - compare the body side wiring harnesses at the ECU of an EGR and non-EGR vehicle. Whatever the difference is there, should be the issue. THEN TELL ME HOW YOU DID IT!?!?!!!!! After all these years and 70,000 miles and swapping ECU's, cutting wires, swapping TCU's I'd gladly like to know.

it is most definitely not the castle nut. wheel balance is probably most likely issue. why was the ball joint replaced - was it vibrating or symptomatic before the repair? wheel bearing?

Yes - what he said. Why bother even telling them? Yes - exhaust components easily swap. EGR - can you just remove the components and block off plate? Did the car originally have EGR - all EJ25's did right? Why are they saying it doesn't? It doesn't make sense that they say "it shoudl" or "should not" have EGR - because 1997-1999 Subaru's vary wildly. I've seen the same year, make, model, transmission Subaru have EGR and not have EGR and so have others. there's no set way to delineate some years. weird. Subaru ECU's are not EGR specific - I have a 1996, same EJ25 as your 1999. I removed the EJ25 and installed: 1. a non-EGR intake manifold 2. non-EGR ECU I still get EGR codes/check engine light. the ECU's are not EGR specific but somehow they are driven to look for EGR or non-EGR by the body side wiring harness and i haven't figure out how - i even cut the EGR wires to the ECU and still no change.