idosubaru

describe the power steering issue. the steering rack bushings cause the steering to feel delayed, or drift...and they are very easy to replace. probably some good info on here already about power steering issues.

1991 XT6 automatic, AWD i need to swap transmissions since my speedometer driven gear is broken and my speedometer doesn't work. but that's down the line, so i want to bypass the speed sensor so that my engine quits cutting off (not often, and it's predictable, but it is annoying) and my power steering will work. i've traced down the pinout for the "car speed reed switch" (which i assume is the "speed sensor") in the speedometer cluster. fortunately it even has a dedicated pinout on a test connector, so i don't have to bother with cutting or separating or anything. what exactly is a reed switch and how do i 'properly' ground this wire? it probably varies resistance dependent on speed, but i just want it to give a signal of any kind. do i need to ground it with a resistor in line? and do i need a fuse on that ground wire as well?

that is awesome! thanks for posting all of that information. based on the all that i've read and we've talked off-line i can almost gaurantee this is my issue as well with mine. thanks! that is a fantastic write up! i'm an electronic idiot and it all made perfect sense! thanks again.

mileage and condition of motor are important. if it's 225,000 miles and was run for a while with a blown gasket and overheated repeatedly....i would want a new block. if it's under 100,000 and was driven mildly and the owners were straight shooters, then the motor should be fine. there's good and bad both ways. i'd start with considering doing the headgaskets. if there's a convincing reason not too, then don't. the gaskets and machine shop time will run cheaper than a 2.2, you keep the original engine and don't have any issues at all to deal with. time wise, it's a wash in my oppinion, either way will be roughly the same. and air tools and an engine lift are more important than which way to proceed. time is affected more by rusted bolts, stripped exhaust threads, breaking parts...etc... if the engine looks clean and bolts aren't rusty that's good. depends what 2.5 as well, some have different vaccum lines and solenoids than the 2.2. i just found this out recently. even DOHC 2.5's have different solenoid and vaccuum set ups depending on..i'm not even sure yet, but i had to deal with it recently. but the 2.5 vaccuum lines and solenoid were different than other 2.5's i've had and the 2.2.

that it's leaking from the back probably rules all of that out. but nipper brings up the most important point, always make sure it's not something simple. it's easy to think headgaskets....but don't forget to do a thorough check of everything before proceeding. that you saw coolant means you really need to inspect where it's coming from. there are heater core lines in the back that had to be removed and reinstalled to do the headgasket work the first time. it wouldn't be hard for those to have been compromised in some way and be leaking now and dripping somewhere around the back of the motor.

had my XT6 done last year for $170, it'll depend on the exact model and area. your location says "international", so i don't know that US figures do you any good.

buying one and fixing it is the only kind of 2.5 that i would drive as a daily driver or road trip vehicle or allow my wife to drive. so that's not a bad option, but i wouldn't pay top dollars minus repair costs for it, that's for sure. expect high repair costs if you do, you'll want more than just new heasgaskets, best to replace everything while it's apart...timing belts, water pump, oil pump seals/gaskets, cam seals, valve adjusted, (complete clutch kit if it's a manual)...etc. so figure a little higher than the "standard" headgasket repair $1,200-$1,500 if you do go this route. it's a bit odd that it failed the hydrocarbon test. these engines rarely fail the HC test when the headgasket first begins to leak. it's a "feature" of the EJ25. that's why mechanics who don't know subaru's typically throw parts at them...radiators, water pumps, thermostats....etc. they think the headgasket is fine because it passed the HC test. that's often not the case with these engines, the HG issue can be nearly impossible to detect with the exception of the occassional overheating.

check the vehicles in your price range that have the 2.2. impreza outback sports are nice, very functional like a wagon, look nicer but have the 2.2 liter engine. they are a little lower on trim level and goodies, such as drum brakes instead of rear discs. but legacy rear discs upgrades can be done. i personally avoid the 2.5 (unless they have a blown headgasket - easy to find) and never let a friend or family member buy one. if you do want one, get one that has the newer style headgasket or buy one with a blown headgasket and have it fixed. they are not hard to find like that. i have a couple now and if i had more time/room there are more i could pick up. my point is, the 2.5 is nice, but i would never pay even close to full price for one with original headgaskets.

thanks! i finally found some info on retrieving the codes here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23956&highlight=abs+light endwrench ABS info here: http://www.endwrench.com/pdf/brakes/FtSubaruABSS99.pdf

that's a nice deal. make your decision based on your situation...time, needs, driving, style, likes, finances...etc. i don't know all of that. but in general...i'd pass. they aren't too hard to find and personally i'd rather have an 87.5 XT Turbo or really what i'd rather have (and do have) is an XT6. actually i have both and the XT6 outshines the XT by a mile in my oppinion. if you could use one though, $100 is certainly a good deal.

what engine are you talking about? is this the DOHC 99'ish era EJ's...those are fun. people have posted great info on reaching these, exact combinations of gadgets and the quickest access methods. if you could find one of those threads, that would be awesome. i can't recall off the top of my head. all of those side mounted, difficult ones i've had to do were headgasket related so i was able to do them out of the vehicle without much problem.

hot dawg, that's great. if it's an automatic the one thing you could check is to make sure the spring is still inside the seal lip. you'd have to disconnect the axle and pull the axle stub out. then check the inside lip of the seal, i did replace just that little spring one time. i'm not sure what it does, but maybe it keeps pressure on the seal? i know this will get cringes and remarks, but could the front differential be one place to consider a sealant conditioner of some sort? i never use them, but a front differential lacks small passages, check valves, balls and eletrical gizmo's. i might consider it versus all the work involved in replacing that seal.

the ABS light is on in my 1998 Legacy GT sedan. when the ABS light comes on, the brakes work fine (though i've never tested the ABS action). when the ABS light goes out, the brakes make all sorts of pulsation noises and don't work very well at all. from searcing it looks like there was a relay issue on older models, but this is a 1998? could it still be the relay? i believe it's behind or under the ABS unit from reading? the codes were read awhile ago and from memory are supposed to be the rear ABS sensor. are these interchangeable from left to right?

even for the nicer model that's really high. maybe if it was 60,000- 80,000 miles, or a manual. but that's fairly high mileage for an auto trans. i've had two 4EAT's come through my hands that failed at 140k - 150k and my wifes coworker is having her 99 Legacy rebuilt right now at 100k. they *can* last much longer, that's not my point and i'm sure there will be posts about a billion mile auto trans, but they do tend to have more issues at 150k than the manual trans. the thing is, cars with damage don't sell well, at all. cars that don't run can be even harder to sell. sellers try the "we'll sell it for full value minus the costs of an engine"...but the market doesn't support that kind of accounting. it doesn't work that way. try $2,000 and when she doesn't take it, be sure to give her your number or stop back in two months, because it will be unlikely to sell unless she lies about the HG. but again, if it's what you want, it might be worth it to you to go ahead and work the deal and get it now. wagons are fairly common and you're in a good market, you should be able to find another i'd think. CCR is in denver, contact them about engine replacement if that's the route you want to go. they are excellent, by far the most notable engine rebuilders in the country, with excellent product, service and support, including full warranty. and yes once the headgaskets are replaced you should be fine if they do the job right and use the updated headgasket. there are very rare cases of engines with block issues or headgaskets that didn't hold, but that is not the norm.

plug around this site or get an FSM is your best bet. haynes manual may do, but i've never used one. they're actually fairly easy to remove as far as engines go. unbolt the a/c compressor and it will swing away, off the engine, just enough to remove the engine without every removing any of the lines or loosing your charge. here's a basic run down from memory: not necessary but it's a good idea to remove your radiator to protect it and for extra room. remove coolant hoses (2 to radiator, 2 to heater core), throttle cables, fuel lines, unplug the 3 wiring connectors on the passengers side, disconnect the O2 sensor, remove power steering lines, remove the one or two vaccuum lines going to the solenoid on the passenger side strut tower, remove power/battery/alternator wires. remove all the engine to trans mounting bolts. unbolt the exhaust headers. remove the two engine mount nuts from underneath the vehicle. that's about it, it's really straight forward actually. just keep track of all the bolts and parts, but otherwise there's nothing at all tricky about it. if it's an automatic - take note of reinstalling the torque converter. it's very hard to see and easy to miss, but if you don't seat it that last 1/8", you will ruin the trans when you reinstall the engine. it doesn't seat easily, the teeth need to line up to fully seat. make absolutely certain it's seated.

front brake job = easy. don't replace your rotors unless you had problems...vibrating, pulsating, or ground down because the pads were too old, you'll see massive grooves, pitting and pieces of metal. i doubt you waited that long? i unscrew the brake fluid reservoir cap to make sure the fluid has somewhere to go. if you're using the bleeder screw you don't need to do that, but i like the added protection of the master cylinder. other than that, it's easy. caliper top comes off really easy, compress pistons, install new pads and you're done. nothing fancy to it at all.

really? an O2 sensor made a difference in shifting? anyone know any more about this?

hey, i was in that car this year too!

3,500 is really high, i wouldn't pay close to that for it. it depends on you, what you want it for and how bad you need a car. i've seen them for $500 before as well, like skip said. i would stay in the $500 - $1000 range, maybe up to $2,000 if you wanted the vehicle.

yep, metal on the outsides of material should indicate newer headgasket, that is an excellent score. baffled on the CEL though. i bet it's the same, but you'll need to have it read at some point. try reseating the wire in that cylinder (front passengers side is #1). you replaced the ignition coil already? you've put new gas in it since buying it right, it's not old gas? i think i'd go through the FSM diagnostics on the cylinder misfire code after making sure that wire is seated. the FSM should have a detailed method of tracking down the cause of the issue.

i have one, they are not rare. i'll second his motion to check tires and for torque bind and then all the basic car stuff. they are an excellent vehicle.

i would disconnect the rear driveshaft myself, it doesn't take very long at all.

do some reading on the internet about charging hte sytem. the compressor does not need to be running for the system to take a charge, actually that was a really bad idea. jumping the terminals of the compressor is never necessary just to charge the system. all you have to do is turn the a/c on and attach the hose, that's it, period. it will reach high enough pressures for the compressor to come on by itself assuming there is enough in there...which it sounds like it is if it was working "some". a completely empty system takes roughly 2 cans, so just putting one in isn't usually enough for the compresor to come on. but by the second can it will. that's some very bad backyard a/c info....you really need to read up some before proceeding like nipper said. also, which vehicle?

never worked on one or taken one apart, all of the ones i've had, you can turn by hand rather easily.

i think yours is one of the coolant conditioner models as well, make sure that's getting added. and have them document the coolant loss...with specific info like nipper said.