Cougar

It sounds like you connected the diagnostic plugs together. These are usually green and black. They are to be used when doing trouble shooting only.

To prove that this problem is coming from the alternator all you have to do is disconnect the leads to it. If you do this, it is best to disconnect the battery first because the main lead to the alternator is hot to the battery and will short to ground if it touches ground. After the leads are removed from the alternator and isolated from ground then reconnect the battery and see if the problem has cleared. I think you will find it has. There is most likely a backfeed from the 'S' lead on the alternator due to a leaky diode. The alternator can be repaired but due to its age it may be better to get a rebuilt one. If you can get a Bosch I would go with that.

Try replacing the PCV valve Ed.

The problem is most likey in the alternator. It may be a connection problem in the exciter.

Thanks for the feedback.

Don't forget the tires and brakes.

To see if there is a fuel problem you can spray some starter fluid into the intake and see if will try to start then. If it does try to start then you know the spark is good and you need to check the fuel system. To check for spark I would get a spare sparkplug and place it in one of the plugwires on a good engine ground point. Then see if the sparkplug fires while you try to start it.

As another option you may want to try another seat like a Recaro. They make some good equipment. http://www.recaro-nao.com/PDF/positioning_chart.pdf

The problem may due to a leaky injector and it is running rich until the excess fuel is burned up. There may also be a problem with the EGR valve leaking possibly. Hopefully checking the codes will give you a clue to the problem. You can also purchase a code reader for around 30 dollars if you want.

It very well could be the CAS causing this. It would also be good to know how much voltage you are getting to the coil since you say you have a weak spark. You should see around 12 volts on the plus side of the coil in the start mode normally.

It could cause a problem by whipping the oil up. Did you check the level again to see if the filter took in some of the level. Have you checked for spark yet and fuel delivery?

Ohm's Law can help us with the answer to that question. Power can be stated in the formula P= Volts(2)/ Resistance or E2/R= 144/68=2.1 watts. Getting a 5 watt ceramic resistor would probably be your best choice. Radio Shack or a good electonics store should have that value or one close to it. It doesn't have to be exactly 68 ohms. If you used a 120 ohms you could use a 2 watt carbon resistor safely but the physical size will be about the same as a 5 watt ceramic. I don't think the system would alarm using a 120 ohm resistor but I can't say for sure. It would be interesting to see where the alarm threshold is.

You shouldn't need a computer to read the codes. OBD2 started in '96. You should be able to look at the LED or CEL light and count the pulses to retrive the codes. Here is a link to help you. http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/ The cam sensor is up front with the timing belts.

You may have disconnected a sensor connector by mistake. Have you checked to see if the plugs are firing and for any ECU codes? Also check the fuses for any that may be blown.

The problem sounds like valve timing to me sorry to say.

Good deal. You did good work obviously.

This is a very good find Subpennyman. This should be archived for future users to use.

Am I right in thinking that there are two temperature sensors for this model? One for the ECU and one for the gauge.

Look for the relays in the main fuse panel under the hood. There may be 4 lined up in a row. You could try swapping them.

Have you checked for any codes stored in the ECU yet? Also you may want to look for a vacuum leak in the hoses and intake manifold.

Welcome to the forum Steve. Lots of good friendly help here.

Those white and green plugs are only plugged together for testing purposes. They shouldn't be tied together for normal driving.

This problem may be due to a leaky injector. Fuel may be leaking into the intake and the mixture will be rich until the excess is burned off.

Hope you make it.

It is possible of course but you stated that the problem goes away as fast as it occurs. This isn't a symtom a belt problem can produce as far as I know. A belt problem usually stays bad. Also, your plugs indicate a none firing issue. I would have someone with a scope look at this while the problem is occuring. I think you will find what I stated in my previous post. I may be wrong, but I think this is what is going on. Edit: I just noticed your in Alaska somewhere. I live in Anchorage and if you can drop by, I have a scope to check this out with.