nipper

Did you by chance unplug or disturb the G sensor? I thik it is in the console in the center of the car. (I may be wrong). nipper

The light (if it) flashes 16 times means there was an electrical fault the last time the car was operated, and there will be codes. this is NOT an obd2 code, but a seperate code set and procedure. how many miles on this anyway?

If this is a 4eat it may just be the AWD solenoid clicking. It is not anything to worry about by itself. They can be noisey. nipper

You were low and added fluid?

http://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Wiring/Subaru/Legacy/1997/118461.html?vehicleid=1997 It just plugs into the harness plug on the drivers side tailight. The video they show is for a forester but its the same plugs.

If the rack isnt binding or leaking, lets blame the pump. they are cheap enough, and they do go bad. You could drain the fluid through a coffee filter and look for metal. I have never heard of a rack loosing its boost and not having leaks or binding, but I have heard of pumps (age) giving up the ghost. Otherwise we have to get a pressure gauge and some hose and tee fittings. Since there are only 4 parts to this system (2 hoses rack and pump) I suggest the pump. nipper

ill email you a page from the FSM

Is this a repeat post, thought there was another one like this. If you dont know what a CELK is then dont go diging around the tranny. A CEL is a Check Engine Light. Do you have a flashing AT Temp light on startup? nipper

Well.... The justy is a hedge against high gas prices (Blu gets 19 around town). Also since autoparts stores closed, its hard to get parts easily. So Blu doesnt get jelouse a 2nd car will make it easier to fix his EGR system and the heated seats that don't work. But i will send him your reguards. He is getting a roof basket in the spring that can hold an axe, shovel and spare tire. The Justy doesnt have AC (tempting to correct that) so Blu will still be used in the heat of summer locally. Blu didnt get jelouse of the bicycle so we should be good. :-p

Its 2wd so Tow Dolly. I may just call him Justy. Its a simple name. He only has 32,000 miles so he breaks my rules on naming a car. Got to have over 100K on it, thats when they get a personaility. Maybe after I drive it a summer it will get a name.

I'm just going to lurk here for a bit. Just one question. When you did the spinng tire test, did the car start moving forward? If it did, the TCU will start backing off on the amount of power to the rear wheels. nipper

Yes they control your AWD. Loose one and loose your awd, you should get a CEL. Loose two and you'll loose the spedo and AWD and have a CEL. You will also not be able to go faster then 50mph. The either work or dont so if you dont have any CEL or codes dont worry about them. they tend to be robust. Which leads to the next question, are you having AWD issues? nipper

Its overfilled. nipper

I got the magic black box from from E-trailer. Its stright forward, just plug it in. This is so I can bring Blu's little brother home. What I need to know (since there is a foot of snow on the ground im not going poking) is there a place that these harness run through the body? nipper

You just answered your own question. You may have a failing tensioner or idler. You are playing with fire. There is a huge diffenrce between a timing belt job with all the parts and rebuilding your cylinder heads. It shows up under light load causing a miss or rough running. Skip the coil test for now, as either way you need a timing belt like yesterday. nipper

Just one thing I wanted to point out, there are no stupid questions just stupid people

Lest start out with two things. What is your alt output under this condition. Next does your brake booster have a vac leak. Thats the simple things. Next spray some water on the coil pack and check for sparklies. How old is the timing belt, and more importantly how old are the tensioners and idlers? nipper

Its loosing internal pressure someplace. Use trans-x cross your fingers and start looking for a replacement.

Your going to have to get some pressure gauges on the tranny to see what the issue is. I wouldnt fault the torque converter, but maybe your front pump cant develop enough line pressure to keep it engaged. Another possability is a worn internal seal someplace. nipper

Duty means it is a solenoid that cycles on and off quickly by design. They can last months or days with the FWD holder in. I have seen both. nipper

Find another mechanic, sounds like neither one is very good. Look at www.cartalk.com in the mechanics files and see if they have one listed near you. I am not convinced you have Torque Bind.

This is a straight forward job, there is no reason your mechanic cant do it. Just make sure he uses a subaru head gasket, nipper

Odd, something else to file in my head. nipper

Hell I can get parts from the worst dealer on Long Island (who is only 4 miles from my house) doesnt mean i trust him. Chainging the belt was premature, but thats water under the bridge. Find another shop before they really screw up your wallet. The rough running can be as simple as a vacume leak. How long has the car been doing this?

I've never seen a plastic one. nipper