idosubaru

having driven dozens of different subaru's as daily drivers i've never really noticed much difference. it's negligible for me since snow tires or studs are the real solution for those of us that have serious conditions (meaning economically destitute states that can't afford to/don't maintain snow packed mountain roads :lol:) to cover.

Ebay kits all day long - $80 for your car and you get belt and all new pulleys. If you pay for just a timing belt job you're getting a new belt and retaining 15 year old lacking in grease pulleys. that doesn't bode well for the next 60,000+ miles and 5 years. At the very least make sure your mechanic inspects all the pulleys and replaces any that are bad - they're just really expensive from subaru - like $300-$500 in parts only for all new pulleys.

yep your alternator is dying. there's a particular year that was recalled by subaru that's really cheap and genuine subaru part - get that one. it's only like $75 online and the local dealers usually match the online dealers prices. or get a used one, you can post in the parts wanted forum here if that's your plan. the hesitation is probably a cylinder misfire - which means spark plug wires and/or spark plugs. these engines are notoriously unforgiving with aftermarket stuff for wires - use Subaru only wires. knock sensor is also extremely common, you can read threads all day long here about those, very simple to replace and there's various threads here with pictures and details on how to change it. that should have you covered and back to reliably rolling around again.

mark position of top strut mount bolt head so you can reinstall it the same as it effects alignment. if that scares you, don't worry, it shouldn't it's really easy. just mark it with a chisel, it's simple. axle replacement is really simple, it basically requires removing two nuts and that's it (not counting the wheel, ). remove top strut mount bolt, loosen the lower. remove axle nut. with only that done the axle will come out, knock the roll pin out of the trans, remove from trans first, then slide out of hub. new aftermarket axles are notoriously horrible, so vibration/slinging grease, clicking, or exploding immediately (yes i've seen that) after install means you need a new new axle. i use only Subaru or MWE any more because of the issue, my time isn't worth the hassle.

man that's crazy, they should not bend at all. overtightening of the alternator i wouldn't think would cause this. someone sat on it :lol: anyway - i think i'd look at all the bolts and make sure they're properly installed and the pump carrier/bracket is seated properly. then try and bend it back in place. if that doesn't work get another pump bracket, probably the simplest way to make sure it's right in terms of belt wear. I would use washers as spacers. i forget how the EA82 pump is set up exactly but if it needs to rotate "back" then install washers under the bracket for the bolt holes closest to the front of the engine. this will tilt the entire pump assembly "back" so to speak.

the "old and new" coolant is not causing the fluctuating. with 100% water and 100% coolant and all sorts of mixes...heck most folks on here with really old soobs are running with who knows what - and they still hold rock steady. there's plenty of people that don't do regular coolant changes and they experience no cooling issues...until the radiator rots! if changing the coolant "fixes" the fluctuating then something else was wrong - clogged radiator passages, sticking t-stat, etc. all of the it doesn't come out of the block, hoses, water pump, etc, so it's not possible to get %100 but close with the drain plugs. the Subaru additive is available from Subaru and is required in all 2000+ EJ25's...well I'm not sure about the newest ones but I'm just assuming they still use it. if the thermostat has ever been replaced then that could be the problem as well. after market thermostats are rather notorious for being weak...they even look like toys compared to the Subaru thermostats.

I found the dealer mine was serviced at as well, one owner vehicle, and got all the prior maintenance notes. On a car this new and nice it's not hard to find a one owner and ask them where it was serviced (often a dealer). Subaru's are in high demand here as well. There's a Subaru dealer, Subaru only junk yard, multiple Subaru only car lots, and at least two independent Subaru shops - in a town of only 30,000 people. Each locale is probably different. Around here they are easy to command high prices for - but there's also enough turn around, high volume, that it's not hard to find a decent price on one. I've gotten more great deals here than previous places I've lived that have fewer Subaru's. I think weather is a huge factor. From a selling point I can sell a Subaru in no time in the winter, notable slow down otherwise.

You are exactly right. It was either over-torqued or under torqued. If it's under torqued it could work itself loose enough for the tensioner to "wobble" and eventually break the bolt via fatigue. There is no way to verify that but there's a 99% chance that it was their fault.

Actually I would recommend purchasing from a private seller, or at least look and see what's available. With a car this nice you'll find that any private seller is going to be very nice to work with...or 8 out of 10 at least. This isn't a beater getting shifted around, this is a nice car. If you're buying from a dealer you're still buying from a private seller. Cars get traded in by a "private party", then sent to auction, bought dirt cheap by a dealer and resold with buttloads of profit slapped in. they make HUGE profits on used cars, far more than new. that being said, private sellers are always better, just buy from someone honest. a dealer will NEVER know anything about a car - so really you're just paying a higher price for the guaranteed "feature" of not knowing a lick about the vehicle being purchased. a private seller and have an independent mechanic check it out first and that's how you get the best deal, reliability, etc.

$5 or something, i don't really care so i don't pay much attention. my time is worth more than saving $2 so i'm sure you could find it cheaper. then shipping if you order online.

I already mentioned but at most you're essentially looking at a head job with a few valves to replace - $1,200-ish dollars at a dealer. So you know the ball park. It *could* just need a belt. It's too bad you took it to a dealer first...i mean that's good if they honor any warranty, but if they don't:confused: An independent mechanic is more likely to be willing to toss a belt on there and tell if the compression is good or not - would only take a few minutes. Dealer won't do that without charging exorbitant fees. It can be easily done without reassembling everything. Actually all it needs is a new tensioner bolt and belt - takes only a few minutes to get there and test it. But they probably won't do that without mad $$$. As to your warranty options - I would start talking to service managers and SOA now. You have to be proactive, they're just hoping you say "okay, send me the bill".

No, it's not the nature of the trans. Someone made some suggestions I think in that other thread, did you follow those suggestions? TPS might just be flaky, I think that's part of the TCU circuitry. Someone on the subaruxt.com forum has taken apart a TPS and cleaned it before and said it smoothed things out considerably cleaning up all the contacts inside of it. So that tsuggests they can wear in some way over time and *might* effect shifting?

The temperature gauge should be rock steady, that's odd for it to fluctuate, mine never do and I've driven steep mountain grades like all the time. I would have the coolant flushed and have the Subaru coolant additive added. That engine is supposed to have a Subaru coolant additive added to it. There's a chance the coolant has never been changed or if it was the mechanic did not add the additive (since that's not normally done on any other Subaru engines). I'd want to know that's done, particularly if the gauge is wavering at all. Make sure they know to bleed the coolant after draining if they're not familiar with subaru's - the plastic bleeder screw is on the top passengers side of the radiator. Also to note - this car doesn't typically "overheat" like the older EJ25 engines do - this one will leak externally and won't overheat until it runs too low on coolant. The first signs of head gasket issues are obvious external leaks at the rear of the engine. Easy to spot.

it's either never been replaced or it was probably replaced early with some other major work like if the head gasket was ever replaced.

what GLoyale said - if the code didnt' come back i doubt 3 sensors are all causing the exact same problem. Knock sensors are supposed to be installed ina very specific way - details and pictures in other threads here. Sounds like you just need a tune up - plugs, wires, air filter - what's your mileage and condition of those components? and - the wires should be Subaru only, this engine is not forgiving on those.

older Subaru's are 60,000 mile timing belt change intervals - like up to the late 90's. somewhere mid-late 90's they are 105,000, depends on the motor. I believe all EJ25's are 105,000 miles. His being a 2000 is definitely a 105,000 mile interval belt. cars101.com is a subaru specific website with lots of info like this if you need more clarification, i'm sure it's there.

This is really bad luck, period. Here's what to do: Get in contact with Subaru immediately. If local dealers won't help, get in touch with SOA regionally. There are plenty of reports of people getting engines repaired just out of warranty that are much older than yours, so I'd give it a whirl. Sometimes they pay half, etc. Be consistent, friendly, but firm in your beliefs this is premature and not neglect. Next - Gloyale is right - there's a chance the motor is fine. Put a new belt on it and see what happens. YOU DO NOT NEED AN ENGINE. Even if there is valve damage, these motors are readily repaired (it's been done lots of times). It costs around $1,200-$2,000 depending on work/parts but it's cheaper and a much better option than buying a used motor. A used motor will incorporate high costs and you'd probably want a new timing belt installed on it too - more costs. The tensioner and all pulleys should be meticulously inspected or replaced - the tensioner you might be best to replace it in case it was the cause of the failure.

those are great pictures. that's a significantly warn belt, i'd be replacing it for good measure. that's easy for me to say since i can do it in no time in my garage, costs $59 for the belt. but it is an interference motor so not something to risk either. the pulleys will need inspected and often at least one (usually the lower toothed gear idler) needs replaced. this is a 100,000 mile interval belt, once you go to do it, do it right with the mindset that you're not doing it again for a very long time. personally i'd drive it for a bit, put a few miles on it to see if it's using any oil, has any leaks, etc. if not, then you can get away with just doing the belt.

those are great pictures. that's a significantly warn belt, i'd be replacing it. the pulleys will need inspected and often at least one (usually the lower toothed gear idler) needs replaced.

I googled it and bought a few quarts of the Kendall stuff online. There was also some redline stuff, which I actually didn't see until after I bought the Kendall so I didn't even really consider it.

You should be able to get the code to flash by grounding a pin and counting the blinks of the ABS light. I've done it before by looking it up here and online and finding the plug and which pin to ground. It was very simple. I'm fairly certain you're going to find out that the sensor is warn and possibly the tone ring. You should be able to do what Nipper said - look at the sensor and tone ring and compare them to the other side. My guess is you'll notice the sensor or tone ring to be quite warn compared to the other side. Also - the sensor is magnetic, make sure it didn't pick up some metal when installing, it might be covered with a ton of rust/debris.

The 6 does not have head gasket issues that the 4 cylinder has, it's a completely different motor. That's one reason I went for the 6, fewer head gasket, piston slap, and lower end issues. I bought mine with 130,000, have 145,000 now and expect 250,000 out of it. Known issues: The wind noise Gloyale speaks of due to the side view mirrors. You can "squeeze" them really tight and they're quiet for one drive. The idler pulley bearings are known to fail early, so folks are replacing them as preventative maintenance. I did mine due to the same advice and it was really easy. 15 minutes and I paid a couple dollars for new bearings. Very simple. I'm very happy with mine and would do the same thing again, look for an H6. Price seems high but that's very relative and I don't buy from dealers or pay top dollar. Gloyale - any more info for the side view mirrors? I hadn't heard of a fix or updated parts, that would be awesome.

As for the timing belt, they can still retain the writing, i'd compare it to a new one or post a picture here. Sounds like it has been replaced, but not really something you want to gamble on since it's an interference engine (broken belt = internal engine damage). As for the plugs - NGK are preferred by most Subaru boards, but the Champions are common and OEM on some as well. The oil on the threads might be fine, maybe it was just due to city mileage or something, or the overfilling? My guess is since 5 quarts is so common the engine might even be designed to not be catastrophic if it gets 5 quarts, but who knows.

lowering it might help and roof racks are bad. the XT6 can get a couple mpg more on the highway with larger wheel/tire combo's, but it's got the hp/torque to push them. skinnier tires would help but decrease handling. the more stopping/climbing you do - the more weight will matter. on highway trips my XT6's and XT's would get the exact same mileage if i was by myself or loaded with a couple hundred pounds of gear. i seriously at that, thanks! an 88-91 XT FWD manual trans can get 40 mpg. doing 70 mph between MD and GA I did it for years in my 88. that was back in the early 90's.

YES - do what John said that is unbelievably simple. Just unplug those front connectors. You can post a picture of the engine bay top of the strut area if you're not sure which plug (but it'll be really obvious, the only thing with two air lines running to/from it).