nipper

Forget rebuild kits, the clearances are too tight for a rebuild without all the proper dial indicators and presses. Get a used rack. I have had rebuilt racks fail out of the box. I have a GT rack in my Outback, the wheels rub a little at full lock as the tie rod ends are supposed to be different, but it works. SUbarus dont change much, but I would check the full lock position of the rack, as I think that is where things differ. The nice thing about it is that you wil know quickly if it works or not without connecting the wheel (the biggest PITA I found).

We found the problem. You need a new cap. The VERY LAST THING you suspect in a case like this is a head gasket. SHame on scaring someone like that even with haloween coming. Replace the cap top off the fluid like I said and you would be good to go. If you wanted to do a flush at this point, I would be fine with it (use my instructions slightly modified) as it is really easy. But for now since money is so tight, lets just replaxe the cap and see what happens.

Well lets not jump the gun just yet, do a little more diagnosing first.

It is a sound way to go.

And some wind noise. They dont understand you are driving a 3800 lb metal box through air at 60 plus mph, just go for the louder stereo

Everything is repairable, just step one, remove transmission, like almost any modern automatic. Aside from some calibration issues in the beginning, and some people whining about the transmission making a wine (thats what belts do) I haven't seen anything. A quick look on the outback board (they complain about everything) and nothing of any substance shows up.

I don't see it listed here, but has the transmission been serviced? What happnes when you manually downshift the car?

I discovered an over inflated tire will make the ABS hyper active too.

Poor idea. Not only does it protect the belts, but it protects the senros.

Running rough, lets start with the biggest PITA unfortunately, the plugs. DO a wet and dry compression test and lets go from there. At 234K miles even if it is a burnt valve, I wouldnt recommend on repairing the engine, but rebuilding it or replacing it.

It is not unusual for a car to use 1qt of oil in 3000 miles. It is a bit more then i would like, i would prefer 1qt every 5000 miles, but it is what it is. On the coolant issue, I am going to tell you how to try to solve it cheaply. Since you are in Texas I am not going to worry too much about antifreeze. 1- remove radiator cap 2- start car 3- turn heat on 4- wait for your thermostat to open, there will be a surge of fluid towards the filler neck, if not some overflow. 5- top off (with engine running) with deionized water (usually very cheap in a grocery store). 6- replace cap, shut off car, allow to cool off. 7- Repeat It is possible there is some air trapped in your engine making the noise at the heater core. The air could come in from a bad radiator cap, a loose hose clamp, a weeping hose. You can use cheap oil but reduce your oil change interval, and learn how to change your own oil. The first time you do it it will cost the same as going to a shop, but after that it is just the cost of the oil and the filter.

Have you tested the fuel pressure regulator? How many miles on this? Usually a fuel delivery problem is the engine will idle but runs like crap at higher RPMs as the fuel system can't keep up with demand. Have you looked at the spark plugs to see how bad they are? When was the last time this had a tuneup and a timing belt done?

Have you checked the fuel pump to see it it has continuity? You may have a bad fuel pump. Also if this car has sat for any length of time, and the fuel pump is good, you may want to run a hot wire to the fuel pump, and have the line at the carb empty out to a bucekt and make sure there is no junk in the line.

AT Temp light working normally. Coil wire not changing things can be a burnt valve. How many miles are on this? Is it possible to get the old parts that he replaced and put them back on? When people just start replacing a lot of sensors they can make things worse or impossible to solve.

You know, I didnt even think of a MC brace. That actually makes a lot of sense and is a low tech solution.

I dont know where this is at, but any carb this old will be due for a rebuild. If you dont do it yourself find a reputable local rebuilder. I sent mine to be rebuilt and it cam back missing internal parts. I would suggest a valve adjustment as it makes a big difference on these cars. Have you ever replaced the timing belt?

I know the car will stop short. I know the brakes work, just the pedal feel sucks and doesnt inspire confidence. On the Justy its the reverse problem, but It has 13" tires and they are getting harde to find. I wont take the Justy out in the rain if I can help it. I live outside NYC, its not a BMW, brake dust doesnt bother me. I dont run "plain jane" tires, whatever you are calling those. Even the justy has good tires on it, just too damn skinny.

it is possible that your hydraulics are worn out, its not unheard of to see one get tired with a clutch. First thing I would do flush the fluid and bleed the system. It is also possible your 97 may have a tired cable and your looking at this wrong

I would be more concerned with torque bind then with any 4EAT issues. Make sure the tires match and are equally worn, change the fluid every 30K miles, Check the diff level and your golden on these

And look at the starter contacts

I hate the brakes in my 2005 Outback, my 1989 Justy, smaller, lighter, stops on a dime, its so scary (slides really well in the wet, another story). I need to replace the rotors as they are on the thin side. Fluid isnt that old. What has anyone done to make the breaks better. Pedal is fine, just the pwoer isnt there. I know its heavier then my 98 but they just dont feel as strong as I would like. 2.5L 4EAT 197,000 miles. I dont have a lot of money to throw at this, as they work as stock, but even stock when new this was a complaint.

We should all add this to our oil change routine. A can of lock ease in all locks on all the cars.

Depending upon your mileage and your driving, you can add a drain and fill to your oil changes till you get it all flushed. then just do a drain and fill every other change.

ANy work done to the car latley, any accidents or driving through a deep puddle?

I just always wated 15 minutes then started the car, dealt with a stall, restarted and drove. What is happening with a hard reset is not only your clearing the codes (that only takes a minute) but you have erased everything it has learned about you, from your lead fooded starts to how you like to sneak off to the donut shop when you say your going for a run.