idosubaru

I'll check those, that definitely would have been last on the list to check. So would you recommend better speakers or you replace with stock?

Would the air bags going off in anyway effect the radio or the heated seats? I'm wondering if it somehow disables them? 2002 OBW Fuses appear fine Pulled the passengers seat and the seat wiring and amplifier wiring all looks good. the radio has power and the face lights up, it'll switch between radio and change stations...but there's nothing coming out of the speakers. Any tips on what to do next? Is there a way to test this amplifier? It's the McIntosh stereo system. And the heated seats aren't working.

thanks folks. didn't want to remove the dash if it was in under the center console or remove the center console if it was behind the dash. yep, removed the triangular trim between the dash and the floorboard - 'im guessing that's the "lower cover". as well as the shifter cover.

Replacing the air bag computer in my 2002 OBW. FSM is confusing me. I can't decipher this: all it says is "remove lower cover <See W1A0>" and "remove console box <see W1A0>". but nowhere in 5-4 or anywhere else can i find reference to "lower cover" or "console box" nor is the W1A0 anywhere to be seen. there is one diagram i can find which seems to show it somewhere under the radio, not sure if that means remove seats/center section or the dash/radio.

what condition is the car in overall? that's a lot of miles, most of that mileage aren't worth an engine swap in my opinion. the cheapest option will depend on who's doing the work. but generally you can do an Ej22 swap for the price range you're talking about. $300 EJ22 engine + $200 parts (timing kit, new hoses, etc) + $400 install = $900. you can get the engine cheaper, skimp on parts, and possibly find cheaper install prices. i'd think you're better off putting $1,000 + the couple hundred you could get for yours into getting another used subaru with half the mileage. but...then you'll probably be getting something that needs work - brakes, exhaust, timing belt, etc. so don't max your spending. if you're tight on cash it sucks to throw it away though without at least checking to see if maybe it would run with just a belt. but if you're paying someone and need the parts you're kind of stuck i undersatnd. although, how in the world did the camshaft pulley break, that's not a normal failure mode? that's a bit questionable, like is something more ominous awaiting?

so what was the final verdict - the 98 and 96 rear axles are not the same?

being that new i'd go have the code checked even if you have no further problems. i'd want to know what got wet or compromised and have them physically look at it to make sure all the connections and stuff are clean. it's possible that something compromised during the little incident could cause problems down the road (read - after the warranty is expired). if there's salt used in your area then a proper washing underneath is a good idea to prevent rust from getting started if you were stuck that bad.

you'll want the dual core turbo radiators i think. there are differences.

in general you just pop them back in and don't worry about it. no big deal, but with the engine replacement and axle work that might not be the end of the story (that's my disclaimer for a car i can't see!). "car was running rough"....is it still running rough? and "after you got it back" from what, the engine replacement or something else? how bad was the axle boot, was it completely blown apart? making any noises? vibrating? i would avoid replacing that seal unless it's damaged or starts leaking. keep an eye on it. that seal might look easy to replace but it is not. it requires unthreading the huge backing plate surrounding that area. that huge thing actually unthreads. but it needs to be reinstalled exactly the same way as it actually controls some very critical measurements inside the diff.

they aren't horrible engines, but you need to be strategic about it if you want to keep it reliable. keep in mind this is a 20 year old vehicle. all of the seals, gaskets, hoses and anything rubber are old and have a good chance of not being in great condition. and it's a turbo, there's probably a good chance it's been run hot before - leaking coolant, old radiator, bad hose, clamp, etc. your best bet is to plan on replacing every maintenance item you can get your hands on -all your turbo oil and coolant hoses and clamps. any coolant hose you can replace is a good thing. rebuild the turbo if you feel up to it. i drive XT6's as daily drivers - 120 mile commuter car, driving 700 miles back and forth in college, and they were very reliable. but i also do a lot of prevenative maintenance. oh, and you're going to love subaruxt.com/forum - come visit us over there ASAP! Gary

no, only on the automatics do the stub axles just pop out that easily. not true of the manual trans, so those won't (or shouldn't!) be missing. even on the ones where the stub pulls out the new seal is not that simple as it's behind the retaining plate. that needs to be removed first to replace the seal. it needs to be done just right too since it also adjusts the backlash for the diff.

all EJ25's are prone to head gasket issues. you can start to debate around 04 or so but that's probably not even close to the years you're looking for. of the two EJ25 issues, the Phase II failures are much less problematic. they don't cause overheating or leave you stranded. there probably is a VIN code for the engine, but i don't see how that's a solution to the listing problem since fewer people put that than the kind of engine. cars101.com should answer a lot of your questions, use that and take notes as you're shopping. EJ22 equipped Subaru's: 1996-2002 Impreza's (not including the RS or WRX) 1996-2000 or so Legacy L's and Brightons have the EJ22 1995 and 1996 manual trans Outback wagons are the only OBW's with EJ22 1995 and earlier Legacy's

i used to drive past IAG everyday for work, but i have no experience with them. i do all my own work so i don't really know all that much about shops in the area. i would avoid EIP too, but maybe you'd like them. what are you looking for, a place to have your maintenance done or a place to do stuff like an engine swap? a friend of mine up by Westminster owns his own place and does general mechanic work. he can certainly do anything automotive but he's not going to be interested in an engine swap and custom stuff like that.

when you solve that problem will you let me know the trick!??!!? i'm really good at that too some times.

i'd pull the heater core hoses and flush the heater core. if it has limited flow it'll can do what you're saying. it heats up enough that it's warm for 20-30 seconds. then when you turn the heat up the demand for heat is greater than the reduce flow can supply...so it cools down. i would expect you to see a change in operating temps if the water pump had limited circulation. for instance pulling hills or long grades. a thermostat stuck open (or removed) will cause the car to run very cool, particularly in the winter/very cold temperatures. it circulates too fast and cools it too much, not allowing the coolant to warm up very much. i was driving an XT6 last winter without a thermostat and the heater couldn't warm up at all. that can cause the same thing, but your temp gauge would probably show a bit lower than normal too.

the justy is a completely different animal i think i don't know that anything interchanges hardly. how about some lift, that would be much simpler wouldn't it? get it off the ground and out of the snow a bit. packing snow under any vehicle usually doesn't bode well. doesn't matter how much power and traction you got if your vehicle is snow packed with the wheels off the ground.

i just picked up the same car except it's the VDC version. nice ride no doubt. the H6 is a fantastic motor so far. i would read through the recent H6 thread, it's got some great notes about oil changes and timing tensioner/pulley failures. i'm replacing mine based on the excellent feedback in that thread and it's not expensive anyway. i have a car-fax account and might swing that for you if i get a chance. i'm on dial up now so sorry, not gonna happen. southern cars won't necessarily last longer, they just have fewer rust issues because they don't see the winter, snow, and salt that northern/north east cars do. but that's not often a concern, depends what kind of a consumer you are. most people reach the point where repair costs, issues, or mileage are a larger concern than rust. it's hard to find a person looking to put 250,000 miles on a car, keep it for 16 years, and not mind paying for new alternators, radiators, A/C work, brake calipers, wheel bearings, all new hoses and seals, timing belt (chain in this case). for most people those are real concerns before rust ever gets bad. don't think it's much of a deal maker or breaker. the OBW H6 i just picked up doesn't have much rust to speak of so i'm not too concerned about, even though it came from Michigan. i wonder if there's any chance that southern cars don't get some "winter" treatment or undercoating that northern cars get. so bringing one north might be more problematic? i don't think that's the case, but might be a valid question to ask the guru's here. for some of us it's worthy to note. i'm picking up a southern XT6 in two days hopefully for that very reason. but that's also a 20 year old vehicle.

the crank shaft pulley isn't driven by the timing belt. so you're saying the crank pulley came apart and managed to damage the timing belt?

yeah we can go on and on about US makes and models, but she would really be better off narrowing down what's best over there. like parts and supplies. she should narrow it down to a handful or two vehicles and for the one or couple that end up being a subaru, then ask us specifics. unless of course someone here has knowledge of african markets...!?!? personally i'd at least entertain the idea of doing the opposite thing that she's doing. buying a neat vehicle there that she can't get here then transporting it back to the US. a buddy of mine did that when he was in the military and has an interesting land cruiser that's not available here in the US.

extremes usually aren't necessary and 5w-30 isn't blowing up engines, so this is benign. interesting, but nothing for people that don't know what this is about to worry about. at -10 my 10w30 was REAL thick this morning. you should go check out how thick your oil is if you're in the cold again tonight. it's pretty awesome.

extremes usually aren't necessary and 5w-30 isn't blowing up engines, so this is benign. interesting, but nothing for people that don't know what this is about to worry about. although at -10 my 10w30 was REAL thick this morning!

you didn't say but the topic sort of gives away what motor you have. i'm going to get crazy and guess yours has the EJ25 and not the H6? these gaskets leak externally, not internally. this sounds like head gasket leak just starting. so that it's temperature dependent and/or more random doesn't surprise me at all. bubbles in the overflow, overheating, and coolant in the oil are not going to happen on this engine. not unless you drive it for an extended period. he already checked and they did use the conditioner during the 30k service. fortunately this engine doesn't leave you stranded by overheating and won't incur much damage as long as you keep it full of coolant and don't run it hot. this engine won't overheat until it starts to get low on coolant. most likely this is why the previous owner ditched the car, as soon as they saw that they probably jumped. not hard to find leaking head gasket used cars for sale. Subaru offers an extended head gasket warranty up to 100,000 miles on some 2000+ subaru's, check into that.

is the stuck nut holding you up? if so just hit it with some heat. even a small propane torch does wonders. heat the nut only, not the stud. this will expand the nut enough, then immediately hit it with a wrench. those propane torches are awesome for this, very portable, cheap and effective.

would you expect a bubble the size of a pin head in the coolant to cause overheating? no, of course not. how about 2 bubbles? 100? 10,000? well it depends where and how quickly they coagulate. sounds like there's plenty of room to be random given different temps, RPM's, water pump hydraulic properties..etc. you can search for pumps and cavitation to understand more about fluid pumping properties. if you just bought the car....there's a chance they tried to toy with it to sell as well. conditioners, remove the thermostat, there's a few ways to try and cover that up. air in the system disrupts coolant flow significantly in these engines. it prevents overflow coolant from being sucked into the engine to replenished what's lost. once the coolant loss is enough and air bubbles have gotten trapped in the right places...overheating happens.

not all makes, models, and engines behave the same when similar things fail. you're experiencing typical EJ25 head gasket failure symptoms. very common. of course you want to rule out other possibilities like a leak or bad t-stat like GLoyale said. sounds like you may have unwillingly been sold one with a pre-existing problem. sorry to hear that if so.