idosubaru

sounds like you do need an alignment then. i've had excellent results without ever getting alignments and i drive my vehicles off road, so in my oppinion it's a check if needed type situation, which sounds like it might be here. although it does sound a bit odd to me that both were doing it. were the tires properly inflated and rotate their entire life? and were they only warn badly at the very end of their life or did they exhibit this poor wear all the time? any front end work ever done? struts, ball joints, cv axles...etc? an unknowing mechanic could easily do these jobs without properly setting the camber bolt back to it's original position.

gaaaahhh...connie, stop working on your cars and just wait for them to brake, see what happens? seems like trying to do preventative maintenance is a curse on yours....grr.... i've seen struts go through the rear as well.

can't think of anything, battery shouldn't cause it. read the code. since there's nothing obvious, it'll be pointless for us to guess over the internet when you have access to the exact cause of the problem. what spark plug wires did you use? if they're not Subaru or Magnecor wires I wouldn't be surprised if it's a "cylinder misfire" code. the EJ motors really do best on Subaru wires only. i've personally seen brand new aftermarkets cause CEL's.

clean battery terminals. i guess you're taking a lot of gear, those two bikes should fit in the back of the wagon if you wanted to. i road trip all the time in 16 year old XT6's, i think you'll be fine.

there is no doubt that you're at an increased risk compared to say, an EJ22. that amount of risk is entirely debatable and subjective. all i can say is that i see...and buy...a lot of blown headgasket EJ25's. personally, i'd never let my wife drive one very far. you know what to look for, the gauge will shoot up quickly and randomly. you won't see a leak, becaue they don't leak that way, it's internal. good luck.

yeah, simplest thing before worrying is to look at them and see if it's been replaced. look for a solid piece (old style) or a multilayer kind with two metallic looking metal thing pieces on the end. there's a nice chunk of the headgasket that protrudes out under the power steering pump, where the head and block mate.

good thing you brought it up, probably good info for him to have..particularly if one of his legacy's is newer (with external filter) and the other is older (without). he'd surely be scratching his head about that.

waste of money on both counts. if your previous tires wore well and nothing happened to the vehicle, don't do it. alignments are a waste of money. big gimmick is all it is. i've driven 100,000 miles on vehicles before without getting an alignment. let the tires tell you if you need an alignment, with 4wd they need rotated often anyway, so you have to look at them.

93's differ in some respects to later model EJ drivetrain parts, all are not interchangeable. i'm not saying the bearings won't work, but don't assume this info applies to your year. the parts suppliers *should* have adequate info on that by now though? if i needed rear bearings on an impreza i'd swap in an entire hub assembly and do a rear disc brake swap at the same time. i don't even need wheel bearings for an excuse, i'm converting my brakes now!

woah, settle down folks. no point in offending, lets at least be constructive if we disagree? you can disagree in a constructive way, then all benefit in some way...even if it's a little tiny, tiny, miniscule bit.

i don't have time to read that, i gotta go but i'll check it out later. great thinking tracking down the wiring for the right part, i didn't even think about that!

do i own?? 1987.5 XT Turbo, 89 XT6, 97 OBS, 97 Legacy GT, 98 Legacy GT......and plenty more in the past have you followed every possible maintenance recommendation to the tee, to the exact mileage for your vehicle prior to 100,000 miles? your situation sucks, you bought a car that typically lasts twice that long without major issues...but let's try this analogy for giggles...you've got alot more things to add to your list then.....because subaru engines do have serious internal engine damage due to other things as well that aren't mentioned in the service manual....actually this is true to every vehicle ever made......so you can now, based on your rational, sue every manufacturer for every vehicle ever made. no service manual mentions when to replace timing belt pulleys. they do need replacing, they do fail and they can cause premature timing belt failure. when they do, on any interference engine, major engine damage results when pistons and valve collide...often at the expense of engine replacement depending on the mechanic. i personally know this and regrease, install new bearings or install new pullies. many mechanics don't do this extra step...best to have a good mechanic or know something yourself rather than rely on the owners manual. no manufacturer that i've ever seen has any recommendations for the timing pulleys. they are designed as sealed units and should never need replacing...but they do...because the vehicles last so long. they will easily surpass the warranty periods, but after that it's on you to understand vehicles and mechanics. how about tire valve stems, i don't think subaru mentions when to replace those either, but they are very good items to replace. i could make a list really long but i think you get the point. the owners manual will not cover in detail every, single possible failure scenario and how to prevent it. we try to at NASA on satellites but even then it's never possible, something is always missed or not planned for. BUT the rigors of the process at least design a very good vehicle either way...for space or Subaru...it lasts past it's warranty period and 100,000 miles. generally they last much longer and i'd be irritated too, but unfortunately in ANYTHING this is no gaurantee. it's past it's warranty period, i don't know how much they can be liable for after that in my oppinion. better warranty options might be something to consider in the future...unfortunately i don' tknow of many or any that go past 100k. but you can buy additional private automobile insurance, might want to look into that? i guess you've already researched, but this can be fixed. a recent board member had it done at a dealer for around $500.

you have a point. but as far as liability i wouldn't go for it. the vehicle made it past it's warranty in mileage and years. dealers mis-diagnose problems, parts, repairs every single day...it's very common. vehicles also fail beyond their warranty periods, very common as well. don't get me wrong, i think it sucks and i understand your point. this has been an issue back to the 80's transmissions as well, your VC center diff unit is nothing special in those terms. i hate to say it since i don't like the system, but for making money, you probably could find a good lawyer and reach a settlement in the distant future.

funny we've been communicating all this time off the board and have the exact same problem, cause and situation. i could have typed that thread you just posted, identical situation. let's keep each other informed on anything we find out. all i can say now is that i didn't see anything obvious when i uncovered the ECU, but im' not a pro. hopefully Cougar will respond with more details and help us out. oh, i see he did respond, thanks a bunch. do you remember Cougar if you had the same symptoms, everything appeared fine but the fuel pump circuit was faulty? i'm betting this same transistor will be our problem. i'll try to grab that ECU and get some pictures of the internals. i have a multimeter so i can test with some guidance. i just happen to be in the state where that vehicle is right now, so perfect timing. thanks guys!

i disagree with replacing the internal filters. really you're right in a way, but my real problem is that it's not a filter, if it was i would say replace it as well. but it's just a mesh screen. your oil sump in your engine oil pan and your fuel pump sock have one as well, but noone ever replaces those and without a doubt the most likely one to need it is the fuel pump since anything it collects can't go anywhere. that being said, i've pulled apart a number of auto trans and used to replace the "filters" as well. mostly on 20 year old XT6's with 150,000+ miles on them. i soon realized they don't get dirty, because their job is to prevent stuff from getting sucked up, not collecting it like a typical fliters. yes, there's a difference. proper drain intervals will drain any items the mesh screen prevents from getting sucked out. so in essence rather than collecting it really just makes sure particulate stuff stays in the pan, which a fluid drain removes. it gains you nothing and requires new gaskets, lots of time dealing with trans pan bolts. the bolts can be problematic, the gaskets sometimes don't seal well, pan bolts holes can get ruined...etc. the newer style external filters starting around 1998 shoudl definitely be replaced. ACTUAL filters finally and easy to do. but those screens just aren't worth the time and risk....under normal circumstances.

stickedy, try a place holder like this to search ECU* or *ECU and see if that helps, it likes at least 4 letters for the search. sounds to me like getting that ECU figured out will likely solve your problem and mine. could you elaborate on where and how to locate that transistor. after crossing up the battery cables, if i wired the fuel pump directly my XT Turbo would run fine. if i didn't the computer didn't blink any codes and the fuel pump would not prime. not too mention this vehicle would run (not well, but it would run) on an XT6 (yes a 6 cylinder ECU in a 4 cylinder vehicle). it ran enough to tell me that the engine and other sensors were working fine. anyway, i opened the ECU and couldn't find anything obvious...but i am very novice at electrical boards and such.

nope, same guy. this is the legend! what vehicle is this for again? it's a loyale right?

ihi turbo is stock. yes you can put non turbo (higher compression) pistons in your turbo block but be very careful. it's possible and theoretically should be fine. many people that have done it have had problems. if you're going to fire up the boost and "play", best to keep the turbo pistons. have you thought about an EJ swap? by the time you're replacing main bearings, rod bearings, rings, and spending all the time and money or machine shop work you might be better served with an EJ22 or EJ25...and those are easy to install a turbo on as well if you wanted to.

yep, that's RAM engine. custom oil pan, intake, heads, valve covers...everything....

i usually do 3 drains and refills in very short succession. just run it enough to circulate and do it again. do this at mileage intervals the owners manual sugggests. i would not do it multiple times a year myself. the system and fluids are designed with the intent of being replaced at large intervals (compared to engine oil changes), i would rather stick to those recommendations than try mixing one change in every now and again. sounds like you're trying to save some work...do two things at once. not a bad idea. but if you follow the recommended ATF change intervals, it's not very often.

i would install a used one and inspect your old one for a rebuild if you're interested in going that route. the entire driveshaft can be found for $50 or less. post in the parts wanted forum here or call some yards and have it shipped to you. off the top of my head i can't think of anyone rebuildling the carrier bearing. before assuming that's all you need i'd also remove the shaft and make sure the joint isn't bad. a bad joint could possibly ruin the carrier bearing. the joints can not always be diagnosed on the vehicle, they have to be removed. actually more often than not in my experience, the bad ujoint doesn't show itself until it's off the vehicle. a seized joint will look fine and feel solid on the vehicle, but it's certainly really bad.

did your car originally come with a 2.5? some slap isn't all that rare and i wouldn't attribute it to seafoam myself. change the oil and see what happens over time. might be time to check those oil pump backing plate screws.

the coil side doesn't matter so long as it doesn't interfere with anything, like said the 90 degree helps it clear the throttle cables and there are wire holders underneath. but, if you don't have clearance issues then you're fine. the EJ25 and EJ22 are sensitive beasts in the wire department, so be glad you got the OEM Subaru wires.

oh right, your box is in the mail, i forgot to email you i believe.

yeah, ECU's for an EA82 are a dime a dozen around here. it's too bad i didn't know, i could have thrown one in that box i just sent you. ECU's do not always fry when the battery connections are crossed. in my experience, the fusible link fails more often than the ECU and the ECU occassionally fails. i've heard of people opening them up and finding the failed part...pretty sure it was a resistor or was that transistor? the information may be on this board, have you searched? i think i fried one last year, when i opened it up i could not find any particular parts or traces that were damaged. unfortunately mine is a freak of EA82's and has been a bear to deal with ever since. it's a unicorn 1987.5 XT Turbo that i converted to non-turbo. swapping electronics on an XT of that vintage is not a fun task.