vulture

Gotcha, I saw the other one and lubed both with PB Blaster. Was finally able to work the housing off. Not easy! Thanks.

I am working on replacing the duty C solenoid in my 1998 OBW. I have everything removed except for the darn tail housing on the transmission. All 11 bolts are out but the thing won't budge. Am I missing a trick? In this photo (taken prior to bolt removal), see that thing circled in red on the lower left? Is that an alignment pin, or a bolt threaded in from the other side? Thanks.

Thanks very much, guys. I have a battery terminal cleaner and used it on the posts and cable ends. They didn't look bad and I was pretty sure the battery was making good contact, but cleaning it seems to have done the trick. It's starting reliably now with the new knock sensor installed. What a weird coincidence. I'll also look at the starter solenoid contacts. Thanks for the tips!

I have a 1998 Outback wagon, 2.5L, 157K miles. My CEL is indicating P0325 so I ordered a replacement knock sensor. I removed the old one (housing is cracked), installed the new one, turned the key, and...just a click (the single starter click). The new sensor is oriented correctly -- it's not resting on the hump -- and is not overtightened. I removed the sensor, reinstalled the old one (the car did run with it, just had hesitation during acceleration), and...same problem...just a click. I measured both sensors on my multimeter using the "2000k" ohm setting. The old sensor reads 553 and the new one reads 552. What the heck could be wrong? There doesn't appear to be any corrosion on the engine where the sensor bolts down. I checked all nearby connectors and nothing is loose or disconnected. I even removed the negative battery cable for 10+ minutes to make sure everything is reset...no change. The car just won't start. Could I have blown a fuse? Which one? I'm really at a loss here...