nipper

I dont think you broke it, I just think it was ready to go. I dont have a Fozzy shop manual, but I would suggest you check all the lines up there for rust. Usually if one is bad enough to blow others will follow. nipper

Gee Gross, never pictured you as hehehehehe

Thats actually about how much it should be. A fair price all the way around. nipper

There always has to be one problem child..... always one. Was it new or used. What brand and how much did it cost about. Is the terminal on tight and is it clean. is the knock sensor cracked? Did we cover timing belt replacement, along with idlers and tensioner? How is the AC on the car, any noise. Sometimes the knock sensor can pick up one of those going bad and then it gets (rightfully) confused.

There isnt much to diagnose on a 13yo knock sensor. Just replace it, then you should be golden. nipper

Oh another one i forgot. In the late 80's i lived in Salt Lake city for a year. I bought this big tank of a car, a 1968 Oldsmobile. It was HUGE, but then again it was the wide open spaces and cheap gas. SLC is very Religously proper, except for the heathans who loved thier tequilla. One day as Timing chain V-8s are apt to do, it threw a timing chain. We got it back to my freinds condo and we worked on the timing chain. His idea of working on anything required tequila. Some of his freinds came over, and low and behold, more tequila. Well we managed to get the timing chain on backwards. tried to start the car, it started and made a glorious noise. Timing chain #2 involved less tequila and that one worked. nipper

Actually it was OW OW OW OW

I've done the lugnuts a few times in the past. I drove a honda civic off a set of ramps. The car was a 1200CVCC stick. It had a hard time with the ramps. So between impatience and stubbroness, i got it on (and over) the ramps. Had to get a few freinds to pick the car up off the ramps. A VW beetle, testing for spark before my electric knowledge was expanded. Did you know the path of electricity from a leaky spark plug wire through the zippered fly of a mans pants is the path of least resistance when compared to a spark plug? nipper

I don't think so. I would go with a bad emission control of some kind. Something leans out the mix, then something compensates, then it revs, and the cycle is back again. ANother possability, a bad O2 sensor? that would fit. nipper

My car exp goes back into the 60's when they turbos were carbed, and the 70's were carbed and 80's were a nightmare nipper

They are rebuildable. they are really simple engines, all that they usually need are new apex seals. nipper

Ok its been ages since i've seen one, so i forgot i'll sit back and get a refresher course. nipper

I would start with all the obvious things first, like vacume hoses, cracked vacume fittings etc. I know what would make an RPM drop, but for the life of me i cant remeber what would do it on a SPFI. nipper

When in doubt, start with a tuneup. If the plugs are fairly new, inspect them to make sure they arent fouled. Plugs, quality wires, filters. Also once it warms out, the choke comes off fully, so it can be leaning out. If you accelerate and the problem goes away something may be clogged in the carb. nipper

Well they are upside down and drive on the wrong side of the road

Never say never. It is amazing what people and machines can do. But i doubt it too in a 96. nipper

When the car starts, is there a belch of smoke?

There are very few things that will make a subaru not start or hard to start. this is the most common. CTS tells the ECU how cold the engine is. The ECU looks at its program and says for zero degreees We need X amount of fuel and spark at X time (to make it simple). Now if the temp senser gets a dead spot in it, the car may not get enough fuel for the apropriate engine temp. this can cuase a hard start from fuel stravation or flooding. The reason its three vs 4 cylinders may not really mean anything if it starts normally at all other times. one cylinder may have a litle weaker spark, plug, or injector, compression etc. nipper

There is only so much detail of all the possabilites and combinations on ineptitude on the mchanics part i can go into due to my own poor typing capabilites. I also did not critisize your comment. In fact I thought I was supporting your comment. I also gave several possabilities of low compression readings. So i am not misunderstanding the possabilities a little bit. On past expierience since WE can not hear the engine crank over the internet, smell the exhaust, listen to the intake, compression numbers are allwe have left, especially when workign through a 3rd party who is relying on a shop for "expertise" and data. nipper

But we can see that in the numbers. We need the numbers of a PROPER compressionm test both wet and dry. A bent valve or bent valves would have a dramtically lower compression then normal, well mistimed will just be low. Also it is rare that someone gets the timing so far off that both cams are off, that would be another clue. Get a compression test. nipper

Thats what I want to know too.

Coolant Temp Sensor. How old is your timing belt by the way? nipper

If someone else is paying for it, make sure they are truly paying for all of it. I have seen some sleazy things with extended warrenties. Read the contract and make sure you are doing the proper steps. nipper

I actually got mine better after a cleaning. It originally was 100 miles

One thing you got to say is that the senders are at least repeatable. My 97 gets 180-200 miles till E. on E it takes 10-11 gallons. BTW you have two senders, they are easy to get to. nipper