ShawnW

They share the same 5x113 bolt pattern but often don't fit each other (Tribeca/STI). I believe one has a thicker wheel stud, one has brake clearance issues with another, and honestly they don't look that good on each other either. The SVX uses special lug nuts on its wheels with a washer thing built in as well.

A rod knock will get worse as it warms up. It will not knock for a second cold and then go away. I think you have a timing belt tensioner that somebody compressed in a vice too fast and blew the seal out on.

What does the brand of oil have to do with a piston slap or knocking noise again?!? Weight might but certainly not brand!

I would like to see substancial evidence of the ghostwalking before we bash too much here. That era outback is about the best they ever made. The 02-04 VDC H6 cars also do it IMO but I don't see it as negative. With good snow tires and common sense I don't see the ghostwalking occuring at all. I have driven a bunch of them on snow and ice and I can see how people think the car is stepping out but its actually the rear differential and VDC trying to get traction on a slick surface and then giving up when both wheels spin. My WRX does it when I have my summer tires on with icy conditions but doesnt do it with the snow tires on as bad if at all. Any car with the VDC system is going to do it and its doing its job. Tires, speed and driving abilities have a huge factor here.

Subaru does have the ability to create a freeze frame when the car runs and drives with its Select Monitor 3 but they can't pull a flash of what it was doing but once its dead. There are 2 exceptions to this but there isn't any need to go into those details they won't affect anybody. Also want to add that it might come across as me picking on a user in this thread and I mean nothing by it I just couldn't help but quote a couple things and ellaborate.

You can still add a Temp gauge its not like these cars crossed some line in the sand where an aftermarket gauge couldn't be mounted somewhere. Not on the pillar anymore (airbags) but clever people can do this. Its just a matter of an electronic sending unit, a wire and a gauge mounted somewhere. The light is pretty cool as its a definitive IM HOT indicator not some hmmm im getting warm sort of thing. Pegged and a RED hot light are two pretty similar things but the majority of people will notice the red light faster than a gauge pointed up.

Oh I am sorry but idiots are contributing to the HG. They ignore the temp gauge. They don't understand that when it reads a little higher than normal they should get it checked. They try to drive to the next exit, dealer, or town when the gauge is pegged. The light is truly brilliant. That bright red indicator is idiot proof. If you keep driving it with the red temp indicator lit you are a moron. Best of all those that think they dont EVER need to change their coolant, oil or fluids should definately get head gaskets covered under warranty. The dealer isn't going to know any more than the customer how hot the car has been. You are assuming there is some sort of black box recorder on the engine computer but at the present there isn't. "Most people want" I beg to differ. Most people don't want to have any lights or warnings come on. They don't want to keep tabs on what is going on. The people here are a select few that monitor their car carefully but the general public just wants to get in, turn the key and have it make it there. Theres a reason the Outback isn't offered as a Turbo Model anymore. Because the majority of the people buying the top of the line Outback were not good at maintenance compared to other Turbo engine owners. The H6 model is slightly easier to maintain and has had less warranty claims. The Outback XT owners were blowing engines and turbochargers far more often than Impreza owners were by percentage. Doesn't make me happy either but its life.

The NHTSA (Government) gave us this rather quickly I might add. But its a valuable system when observed but of course it turns into a check engine light for most of the idiots I have seen. Quoted from the NHTSA study: At the time the survey was done, there were 207 million vehicles on the road. An estimated 57 million vehicles, have at least one tire 25 percent or more below placard at any time. If that light gets you to check your tires and you find all 4 are exactly right then you have a valid complaint. I never found one at the dealership that didnt have a tire that was at least 1 pound below the door card. This is the easist thing to check on the car IMO. 1 tool, no popping the hood and it helps with gas mileage, drivability and safety. I found a lot of nails and screws thanks to this light and if they hadn't been plugged and patched people would have been buying a full set of tires instead of paying $8 for a flat repair. I suggest you do a little more research before you jump to conclusions, blame Subaru, and complain about a system that is about as far from going away as the cars themselves.

Smallcar.com sells a axle mounted VSS reed switch device. Its around $50 and popular with the vanagon conversions.

For starters I would call the dealer with the part number of the ECM. Ask them what model car it came out of, manual or auto. Then I would scour the pick a pull yards in your area. You need all the wires from the dashboard forward. Make no cuts in the harness from there forward and cut anything from the driver and passenger door rear seam back. Make sure the big plugs on the intake manifold match your harness before bothering to remove it. If you need the harness cut down to the bare minimum let me know. I can watch the yards here but I have to know if its a manual or auto car before we start at a minimum.

I personally replaced at least 30 under warranty most of the cars had 200K on them.

I agree I really like how it drives I just wonder how long it will hold up. I have disassembled one at Subaru technical training last year and it was very impressive inside. STRONG looking internals that reminded me of a 6MT STI tranny even though they have virtually nothing in commmon. HEAVY too, took 3 of us to get on the bench where the STI takes 2 strong guys. Its worth it for the gas mileage if it fails at 150K and isn't terribly expensive to swap a new one it it might be enough better on gas to justify the predictable failure. At the same time looking at the inside it looked to me like if it wasn't abused there was no way for it to break. The regular 4 and 5 AT trans looks vulnerable in places if abused but not this trans.

I still think it would be easier to put an Audiovox cruise control system on and use its VSS on the driveshaft or put a simulator on that makes the car think its moving.

External cage would be pretty easy to add in my opinion. Its your neck though.

Is it the fake car or the real one? We had the same car and trailer at the dealer I used to work at if its what I think it is.

I strip the harness completely. Important wires are tagged for example tach signal, ignition on, battery hot, etc. Its like wiring a huge stereo harness. It is generic wiring meaning you can put it in any car but you may need to lengthen wires at points for your application. Most of the Subaru's this length already works right out of the box if you place the ECM where the factory did. I believe on that year car its on the passenger side footboard so if you mount the computer there instead of where the EA series cars have it under the steering column you should have plenty of wire and not a big rats nest of wire under the steering column with the existing wiring. All of your factory wiring remains intact so you can revert back to the ea82 if you have to. Yuck. Once you go this way you never will go back. Its guaranteed to start the car and to shut off when ignition on is switched off. 30 days is fine.

Ill do it for $350 includes return shipping. Roughly 30 days turn around time.

I can get you the axles for that I did the same RX trans in my wagon.

I can do one of those harnesses too but I think Chux might have time right now which would result in a nicer job. Im booked solid for the next 5 weeks.

Can't wait to see a post saying its running.

For the money I would buy a car even out of state and part it out yourself if you can. Lots of these still run but the trans is going or rear ended.

Those will work and look great. Remember you have TPMS so you need sensors or to move your sensors over from the stock steel wheels when you get the wheels changed.

Smallcar.com has a diagram that is useful in a Vanagon conversion that will likely help.

It certainly makes it tighter but its still doable. Of all the places to need one of these I am amazed you dont have them down there.

Probably but its a little elaborate to try to describe here. In the meantime you can usually find an allen wrench looking thing in the lid of the center console to shut the glass without the motor. Snap some pictures of the sunroof and we can highlight or point out things to adjust easier.