alpop

So yeah I knew this was a can of worms but worse than I expected. I decided the clicking noise was coming from the outer CV joint of the new Import Direct one so I removed it and slapped on another I happened to have lying there from Autozone - just in case. Well this one was great no clicking or other noise when I rotated the wheel - but when I tightened the axle nut down good (not even torqued to 135) I could not even budge the wheel, even when I put the wheel/tire back on. Something wrong with the specs on it for this car I guess. So my original does have a green inner sleeve so must be Subaru OE. Probably still good considering all it was doing was squeaking? Do the re-build kits have directions?

ok. I heard the noise while turning the wheel in the air before final torquing on the ground so doubt it has to do with how I torqued it. I will loosen the axle nut and re-torque in the air as indicated and see if this makes any difference. Otherwise will re-build? re-boot the old one? Al

Well yeah, I did torque the axle nut to specs (125 ftlbs) with the tire on the ground as per some instructions I saw somewhere. The boot was ripped in half on the original and it was making a terrible noise (sounded like rubber against rubber) which I thought was probably the boot, so I took off most of the boot (to test) and drove that way for several weeks with no noise, then squeaking started - probably due to loss of lubricant from the joint. Never any clicking with the original joint. Then I figured I needed to do something before winter. Maybe re-build the original? Anybody know anything about this mystery ABS ring thing? Original didn't have it and the replacement does?

'99 Legacy wagon w/ auto transmission and ABS Inner boot on passenger side front shaft was blown so replaced the whole shaft with an Import Direct SB8011HD fully new shaft. I picked this one since they seemed to be making the case that design improvements would eliminate any vibration problems due to worn transmission mounts. O'Reilly website said it was for my car. I used the method of removal of the top strut bolt and loosening of the bottom one. Made sure to mark the top bolt and re-position it the same later. The old shaft did NOT have a 44 tooth ABS ring on it when I removed it, whereas this new one did - well I put it on anyways. After re-assembly (re-torqued everything to specs) I only drove 10 feet out of the garage and had this very audible clicking sound from the right front wheel probably 1-2 times per wheel revolution. Sure doesn't seem right. Can't help but think its related to this mystery toothed ABS ring? Any ideas? thanks, Al

Anyone know if this "removing the keyway" procedure will work on a 1999 legacy, 2.2L, automatic transmission? The lock shop guy seemed to think not, that the whole assembly needed replaced.

Well that's really interesting. I don't know what AVCS timing is. I think I understand your solution but have no experience with adjusting timing belts/tensioners etc. with these newer cars. (I worked on 1960s/70s era cars as a teenager - much simpler) I definitely noticed that it would not malfunction with very gentle acceleration, but really acted up with harder acceleration. I had been thinking that the root of the problem might be with the timing belt/tensioner etc. With the current setup where there is no timing adjustment for engine knock, it does knock a little but only at slower speeds up steep hills - which I figure I can live with. Maybe once I get to the end of the list of dozens of things to fix (3-4 things left including brake replacement, cv joint cover etc.) I will expand my horizons even further and look into it

All connections are clean and tight. I did take the solenoid apart completely so I could get a look at the contacts which looked pretty new, still lots of material left. I don't understand the following statement, please elaborate - guess I don't understand how the solenoid and starter work together- "The fix has been to install a solenoid and run a power line from the battery through the solenoid to the starter solenoid"

1999 Legacy L 30th ann. 2.2 Intermittent no crank, click under hood, if try enough times will always eventually fire up. I pulled the starter and took the solenoid apart, contacts looked excellent with little wear, makes sense with label that says rebuilt starter. I thought it was this grungy electrical connector to the solenoid so replaced that but still does it. Then I thought the battery wasn't holding charge well (12.6 after running then 12.3-.4 the next morning)since it only seemed to do it the first start of the day, but then it did it after running for 30 minutes the other day. If it is not firing and I jiggle the key in the ignition while it is in start position, it has no effect -so probably not ignition contacts. Voltage of battery and voltage of hot terminal at starter are identical. ideas?

Door switch is fine, works as expected. I also have this intermittent no start (slight buzz - no crank) issue which I thought I had fixed w/electrical connections but maybe not. I guess both issues could be related to the ignition switch?

I had the erratic idle and it actually threw an "abnormally high idle" code a few times, removed the IAC valve and it was all black in there, cleaned up the IAC valve and the idle air passages in the throttle body and so far so good! From what I've seen those darn IAC Valves are awfully expensive, much cheaper solution (can of throttle body cleaner).

I just had the same problem but quite infrequent. Usually a second or two delay on starting and sometimes no start until multiple tries, no click in front. I pulled the starter and took the solenoid apart, contacts were almost new 'cause it was a remanufactured (label barely still there) However the electical connector to the solenoid from the ignition was a mess, corroded and dirty. I replaced the connector, cleaned all other electrical connections on the starter/solenoid, and so far I have instantaneous start every time.

Very annoying. Instead of the chime going off when the key is in the ignition and the driver door is open, it goes of when the key is NOT in the ignition and the door is open - the opposite of what its supposed to do. I did a search and found topics about the chime going off at random times, and the chime unit is buried behind the instrument cluster somewhere, and an easy fix is cutting the ground (black) wire coming from the ignition unit but this also allows the key to be removed from the ignition when in any position. My problem appears to be unique, any ideas?

Yes my car is a 1999 model year (manufactured in June 1998), and I assumed it now has the phase II engine because as I understood it the phase I engines had the spark plugs exposed up on top whereas the phase II engines have them buried down below (thus the long tubes), mine is like this. The IAC is on top/front of the throttle body to the right of the TPS and I have not seen anything that might be an igniter on the firewall, it has the ignition module at the top front of the engine, where ignition wires run to the plugs.

Well the car was probably originally phase I since June '98 must have been one of the first '99s made, but the engine (installed Nov. 2014, all I know is used, ca. 135k, from a '99 Legacy) is definitely phase II. Hmm, maybe that's the problem? Phase I ECU with a Phase II engine? Maybe I should see if SOA will give me ECU #s?

So I installed the 564k ohm fake knock sensor last night. It was finally rainy today so I took that as an excuse to drive around. In four different drives it accelerated flawlessly. I kept stomping on the accelerator at every chance and it accelerated smoothly from low RPM through 2500 with no change at 2500 RPM. Previously when I thought it was running pretty well, you could still notice a slight surge as it passed 2500 RPM. With all the accelerating, I did hear it knock a little but only once. I need to keep testing but I think this is it, a hypersensitive knock detection and response system. Since I tried two new ($15) Aisin sensors and they did not correct the problem, probably not the knock sensor. ECU must be hypersensitive to the knock sensor. I did see a reference to this problem, a recall I think for 1998 Legacy where the ECU responded to the knock sensor incorrectly. Mine is a '99 but was probably one of the first ones, manufactured in June of 1998, so those Hoosiers might have thrown some left over 1998 parts (ECU?)at it. I guess I could try a different ECU but not sure I want to get involved in that.

Drive test, live scanner data, should have done this long ago. Following, there will be three readings/numbers for each parameter; first, coasting w/no acceleration attempted; second, acceleration attempted below 2500 RPM and not successful; third, successful acceleration when finally get above 2500 RPM. spark advance: 15, 0 to -4, 25 MAP: 8, 26 MAF: 0.8, up to 4.5, up to 6.3 STFT: negative to -23 (slight acceleration), small #s, small #s LTFT: negative to -27 (slight acceleration), small #s, small #s So MAF during the drive test looks fine to me. Spark advance, 0 to -4 when malfunctioning during attempted acceleration, this looks completely wrong? recovers to 25 or so when normal acceleration resumes at 2500 RPM. STFT and LTFT during low RPM slight acceleration, these numbers look bad, due to spark advance wrong? So it looks like the ECU is screwing up the spark advance during acceleration below 2500 RPM this could be due to knock sensor (I have replaced this twice with the cheap China one), ECU screwing up, or is there any other possibility? I'm certainly no expert, does this sound right? sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself here on this forum. Comments?

ok so the duct in my car that the MAF sensor fits into actually has a part # of 22680-AA29A so AIP has the right part for my car and SOA gave me the wrong part # that's why it didn't work in my car. However I am now pretty sure the MAF sensor is NOT the problem, see next post.

Yes there is all kinds of conflicting info out there on this one. Rock Auto has sent me the wrong part more than once. here's what AIP Electronics says: 1999 Subaru Legacy 2.2 Liters; w/OEM #22680-AA29A They have a note that says this supercedes 22680-AA29 which makes sense since there was a recall on this part and SOA replaced them with another part. So far their listing seems the most knowledgeable - perhaps more so than SOA http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-MASS-AIR-FLOW-SENSOR-METER-MAF-FITS-2-0L-2-2L-3-0L-/400315740058?fits=Year%3A1999|Make%3ASubaru|Model%3ALegacy&hash=item5d34ad6f9a&vxp=mtr

I think that's the one for the 1999 2.5L, mine is a 2.2L engine. The number SOA sent me is 22794AA000

So I bought a $43 MAF sensor on ebay, same appearance as the one in my car. I had contacted SOA to get the correct part number for my VIN, even though this may not be valid since another 1999 2.2L engine was installed in the car to replace the original burned up engine. The part from ebay was sold as a replacement part for the part# from SOA. The part took about two weeks to get here, must have been on the slow boat from China, yes it did say Made in China on the box. With the new sensor, the car would start but then only run for a few seconds before dying. I tried resetting the computer but this did not change the behavior. Put the old one back in and it runs as it did before. Either the new part is actually not the correct part for my car, or it is completely bogus. Looks like I could maybe get something closer to OE for around $80. Unsure if I should go this route?

BTW we have been having warm dry weather and it has only malfunctioned in one of the last 5 drives. Previously it was doing it all the time.

So I don't know if it means anything but I tested the MAF sensor with that procedure (written for 1999 Forester with an engine that looks identical to my 2,2). It said to test each terminal of the MAF to ground, I figured terminal 3 was ground (black wire in plug and no resistance when tested against engine ground) so I put the red wire of multimeter on each of the other terminals and black wire on terminal 3, essentially testing internal resistance of each circuit. Terminal expected observed 1 1.0 0 2 1.0 1.3 3 0 0 4 1 1.5 megaohm I guess if the expecteds are right, then terminal 1 stands out, couldn't get a resistance despite multiple tries. Looking at MAF sensors on e-bay there seem to be two types that are supposed to fit the 1999 Legacy 2.2L. The one currently on the car has a receptor with room for five prongs, but only has 4 prongs, and it does not have an external wire with a diode (or whatever) on it, instead it has an etching of the wire and diode on the exterior surface (strange) There is this type on E-bay and 3 of 4 sellers say it fits my car (one says no) The second type on E-bay has a receptor with room for five prongs and it does have 5 prongs. It does have the external wire and diode where the etching is on the other one. All sellers say this fits my car. thoughts anyone?

I see a procedure to test the MAF by testing the resistance of the different terminals to ground, maybe I'll do that. I also see I could get a "Replacement" brand MAF sensor on Ebay for $28, maybe I should just do that.

Yes I did clean the MAF, and it didn't "appear" to need cleaning.I think sometimes the MAF would go to 0.8 at idle for short periods of time. In the first session with the scanner when it seemed to switch between CL and OLdrive the rear O2 sensor did seem to follow the front one (which you say is not correct). This time when it stayed on CL,the front(S1)O2 cycled as it should and the rear (S2) followed only before bringing the throttle up to 2500 RPM. Then the rear mostly stayed between 0.7 and 0.8, although yes I think once in a great while it would come down briefly to 0.4 or so and this behanior continued for 10 minutes after I brought it down to idle, then terminated observations. The scanner also had a specific O2 sensor test with three categories, the first two were NA but the third was S1 value(v)0.4 and S2 value(v) 0.55. So we are seeing the lean/rich swing in the front O2 sensor, shouldn't we see the swing in the STFT also? Should I try a drive test with the scanner on LD and look at the MAF, or look at the O2 sensors? Are we getting closer?

New Data, Things went better this time car was warmed up, stayed on closed loop the whole time and readings seemed much more instantaneous. The scanner manual says there should be a “customize settings” choice on the menu but it never showed up so I couldn’t look at any one value in isolation. STFT: at idle small negatives (0 to -2), at 2500 RPM -6 to -11 LTFT: -5.5 pretty steady at idle, occasionally dropped down to -2 or so at 2500 RPM MAP: 7.4 at idle (22.6 MP), 6.8 (23.2) at 2500 RPM Spark Adv: brief flash at -64 first then very consistent 15 at idle ad 49-50 at 2500 RPM MAF: very consistent 0.5 at idle and 1.2 – 1.3 at 2500 RPM – no departures TPS: 0.4, 3.5 smooth transition O2SB1S1 and –S2: Initially S1 cycled between 0.76 and 0.27 with S1 following 0.72 to 0.2. But when took to 2500 RPM S1 continued cycling 0.8 to 0.1but S2 stayed with small changes between 0.7 and 0.8. This situation continued for ten minutes after dropping back to idle. No problems with Spark Advance, MAF, and TPS as I see it. The O2 sensors are interesting, I assume they are supposed to cycle all the time in CL as observed with S1, and S2 should follow closely. But S2 did not follow (except very, very occasionally) after increasing to 2500 RPM, and then back to idle. Also manifold pressure seems a little high at 22.6 to 23 (should be 17 – 21, I saw 21 with pressure gauge)? Does this mean downstream O2 sensor is malfunctioning at times, or considering the slightly high MP is there some constriction in the catalytic converter causing aberrant readings in the downstream sensor?