nipper

Dear Santa, Is it too late to change my request for Christmas? nipper *drool*

It only gets better. There are good sources of info and parts for all this on the net nipper

Sadly i wish i could give you afordable information, but i can't. The install is actually physically easy. The cost of the technology is through the roof. I worked for a fuel cell mfg that got swallowed up by Plug Power in Lathem NY (and is getting in political hot water). I worked for H-Power Corporation in NJ. I don't think we will ever see fuel cell cars do to the extreemly high cost of the stacks, and the mass production models really dont bring the price down all that much. The two most expensive parts of the system were the fuel cell stack itself and the dc/ac converter. One of the difficulties were heat management, because there so little of it, but it could easily be overheated by outside thermal loads. No one really knows the cost of the Hydrogen, as a single source has yet to be picked. At the very least it will be the same cost for an equivilant gallon of gasoline. Toshiba just made what may be a huge battery breakthrough, which may help everyone else that uses batteries, from cell phones to cars. If this is true, then the Internal combustion engine may have a serious challanger for the first time in a long time http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/technology-and-science/toshiba-scib-battery-breakthrough.asp I can go into detail here or prvitaly, as i dont want to steal the thread.

:-p nipper

Too much waste in an auto tranny. technically an electric motor doesnt even need a tranny. Its best to use a manual tranny, as its a direct mechanical connection. you can even get away with not using a clutch. There are several ways to heat these things, depending upon the electrics. When we installed fuel cells in existing electrics, they used a ceramic heater, along with the watercooling for the electric motor and inverters. There are more and more companies making adapter plates, or will make one for you. CAD/CAM has made things much easier to do I too have the cash, but no place to do it. nipper

There is clover gas here that i can get as low as 13 out of Blu, made that mistake once. Older distrubutor based ignition systems were very forgiving with wires. The newer waste type coil packs are very picky. I miss my older roo's for that reason nipper

When does he hear the click. If it seems im beating a dead horse, where are everyone elses suggestions or answers? Like i said i dont have the manual with me, i'll look when i get home today, since no one else is really helping. There are several relays that click when you turn the key. If you turn the key quickly you can mistake the main power relay for a starter relay. I am still not convinced that it is not the starter (I have gotten bad rebuilds myself). no reason to beat me up. nipper

This is piston slap. Piston slap can sound hideous when the engine is cold, but as long as it goes away once the engine warm up its harmless. Rodknock on the other hand never goes away. Subarus are known for slap. They made the piston skirts too short (for emissions and free-er reving). Some engines are really really horrible with it (GM has lawsuits). nipper

Here is a test. Hook up a light bulb to the small wire of the starter. If this is happening often enough, watch the lightbulb. If you get no crank and no light, its either the ignition switch, or some unforseen starter interupt relay. I dont have my book in front of me, but i am pretty sure there is no starter relay in subarus (too much sudafed right now to say off the top of my head). There is a main relay, but no starter relay. I really need to load the digital FSM onto the laptop one of these days. nipper

darn it, someone gave away one of our secrets It may run a bit funny that way, it may last for ever that way. You have just been promoted to test tube nipper

What happens when pulling up a hill with a fairly warm engine? Is the heat riser tube (from the exhaust to the intake snorkle) in one peice and connected? nipper

i agree You really need to get pressure gauges on this. Working on mechanical systems alone you are getting max pressure at all times, which is not normal operation. i still stick with the the dying tranny pump untill some gauges are put on the tranny. nipper

We did. A bad old battery can kill a alt. It was old, 7 years old, which is a long time. Sort of like asking why 1 95yo died. For more detail explination. A battery (std lead acid) is a bunch of plates. Over time the plates shed material from normal cycling (this can be accelerated if the battery is not porperly bolted down). Eventually that material shorts out one or more sets of plates (each battery cell has plates in it). When the cells short out, the battery beomes a giant reisitor. this can overwork the altenator and burn it up. There are other ways the plates can be damaged too. At this point a cell will no longer hold a charge. http://www.mpoweruk.com/leadacid.htm nipper

Skip we have, and hes deep in denial hehehe nipper

Not to mention on bench testing of an alt is useless unles you are rebuilding it. The god old silver box analog battery tester is the best. The digital ones miss failed altenators quite a lot. they may be good but people rely on them too much or dont know how to use them properly nipper

There have been a bunch of bad rebuilds out there, altenators and starters, so i tend to ignore that as part of the equation. there is no industry standard for what a "rebuilt" unit is. Ideally its bushings, bearings, brushes, contacts, etc. Sometimes its just tested and cleaned. The cheaper the rebuild, the more suspiscous of them i am. nipper

how about a refrigerator coil to keep the tranny cold

thats sort of like "the brakes are fine as long as i dont leave the driveway". Only reason its not slipping is because it cant make enough pressure to grab any clutches after it warms up. This is a mechanical failure, where the car should not be driven at all. Come out of denial, its safe, its ok

nope. thats a fail safe, thinking that the operator of the car SHOULD notice that something is wrong and stop driving. There has to be some common sense to driving and education. That forced upshift is mechanical and has been there as long as there have been auto transmissions. Its for when the govenor/road speed input fails, or the nut behind the wheel keeps the car in low. Remember you dont have any line pressure, and thats what makes everything work. Give it another week or so, and it wont move at all.

How about a tuneup to start off with. Get a good baseline, and a new T-stat. Usually the problem is in reverse. Is her place of employment someplace where it gets damp, like in a valley? nipper

1- Yes :-p (buy them at any autoparts store) 2- no. O2 sensors get lazy, since they are more complicated. CTS is just a thermistor. 3- A tuneup is never a bad thing to do. It helps the enviorment, saves you gas, and saves wear and tear on the catalytic converter. Don't forget OE wires

see my response on new gen... Dear Santa, Please bring me one 4eat, as i have been a good boy

This is easy, and cheap. First next time it happens put the car in neutral, see if its the neutral saftey switch. If that doesnt work then its the starter solenoid contacts, assuming you have cleaned the battery cables. nipper

What problem are you having? nipper

Tranny is shot. Line pressure symptons. Sounds likethe front pump is on its last legs. nipper