lstevens76

The problem is on Subarus they have a hard time because it's pushing exhaust into the coolant not coolant into the cylinder.

Oh BS! A check engine light has codes for all kinds of things including things that can affect the cruise and ac. The dome light is probably just a burnt out bulb. The AC problem though is possibly no freon which some parts store can check.

It will on a Subaru

Is the car worth it? That depends on maintenance. Your talking about an engine that has been replaced once and now has problems again, why? Was it due to lack of proper care, or simple bad luck. I'm putting it this way because there is more to maintaining a car than just the engine. Has the service on the differentials been done properly. Are the CV Axles (front and rear) in good shape, are the u-joints in good shape, how are the struts? All these things matter when you are contemplating putting thousands into a car. Personally I would either find a shop to properly repair the engine in the car or replace it with a CCR or other quality subaru rebuilt engine. A junkyard engine or JDM engine is not going to guarantee an updated head gasket design which is the most common point of failure for these engines. You don't want to be back in the same boat in another 150k miles. That being said, my opinion comes down to how much work it needs. This isn't like my car where I knew from the moment I bought it I would be doing everything myself and searching out things myself. Your talking about buying parts and having a mechanic do the work. For this you need to really go over that car and make sure nothing else is wrong. Example: 4 struts + install will be around $1,000. New front CV Shafts would be around $150 to $200 a side using aftermarket axles, and $200 to $300 using OEM or OEM Rebuilt axles. What I'm saying is go over that car and make sure you aren't dumping money into a money pit. Now, if your willing to do the work yourself that changes everything.

If you want the easy way without fire or a specialty socket (that may or may not reach): Craftsman Nut Cracker - It splits the nut apart http://www.sears.com/craftsman-nut-cracker/p-00904772000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kpid=00904772000&pla=&kispla=00904772000P&mktRedirect=y

Wow, $30 for a thermostat............ I've never spent more than $20 and the last one I bought from Amazon was around $15 for an OEM Subaru. That being said, if you search around there are some Stant and another brand that are recommended as well for around $10 to $15. It's the sub-$10 ones that appear to cause problems (i.e. parts store in house brands, etc...)

The two fans are a main radiator fan and a sub-fan. The main fan comes on when the car reaches "xxx" temperature (usually around 85 celsius), while the secondary fan only comes on when the AC is on (specific times for this as well) and when the car exceeds a second set of temperatures (higher than what kicks on the first). There should be two green connectors under your dash. Plug those together and see if the fans cycle on/off as they are supposed to.

I was thinking the same thing as Emily, my only question is there a rod knock or did you actually throw a rod through the block? If the rod didn't go through the block the block may be salvageable as well. I would tear it all down and find out. Your also not going to know if the heads are salvageable 100% without tearing them off the engine and inspecting them.

I agree with Fairtax on this, but in regards to blue devil they do not require anything not listed in the instructions on the label for a refund. Call up again and if they give you grief ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain you followed all the directions on the bottle exactly and the product failed. Give the steps you took and tell them the bottle says "money back guaranteed" and if they want to refuse then that would be false advertising.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/152944-factory-service-manuals/ Look there for your factory service manual. Most parts stores have code readers and can pull codes for you. Start there and then work around that. Come back and post the codes here for help.

Bumping up for others needing an FSM.

Well I found another one, wrecked on the right front and supposedly bent frame. I'm considering picking it up since it has the leather interior (rare for an Impreza) and factory fogs. So this car might be getting a few more upgrades in the near future. What it has gotten was a new stereo + new front speakers and I have new front struts and brakes I need to put on it.

If that is the switch I am thinking about it also controls your brake lights, so the big question is are your brake lights working? If they are working I wouldn't guarantee the problem is that switch. Have you tested the safety switch on the transmission?

A compression test doesn't take very long and either confirms or rules our that problem. Harbor freight sells compression testers for around $30.

Have you done a compression test?

I have one good reason for recommending a 3,000 mile oil change interval - People don't bother to check there oil, or do but not often enough. If an engine is using any oil the consumption will increase the longer between oil changes. At a 3k change you might be a quart low, but that same usage might be 3qt low (on a 4.2 to 5qt system) at 6k. That is the reason I recommend it. If you are vigilant about checking your oil than longer intervals are ok.

Did you replace the O-Rings on the crossover pipe? It could also be from under the throttle body. And when a hose is too long you are supposed to cut it down to size...............

Any odd behavior from the coolant temperature gauge after this fiasco would have me worried. Also, your not going to be able to pull codes with your average code scanner.

If you plan on keeping it that long then do the oil changes every 3k miles (regardless of what Subaru recommends) and use whatever oil is your preference. If you do this, and monitor your oil, that car will last a long time. If one oil causes you to consume it then try a different brand. As far as additives go, the only time I worry about those is high mileage (150k+) with leaks or potential leaks. Then high mileage oil can help stop/prevent those leaks due to seal swelling additives. Past that if you are doing your oil changes every 3k miles what brand isn't going to make a big difference.

Have you checked to make sure all the connections are seated tightly and sealed? It could be you have it not quite tight somewhere and it's sucking air.

Vibrations from tires are really common. One tire could have been out of balance or there could have been internal damage to a tire that you couldn't see. Tires are probably one of the highest causes of vibrations in a car. Next I would say are front brakes, but that is usually only when braking as well.

I've changed headlights on 3 subaru's now and every single one of them the second light had dimmed compared to the new one. If the bulbs are more than a few years old one will end up being dimmer if you just replace one at a time.

Lights (any electric light) loses luminescence as it ages. The reason to change them in pairs is so that you have equal lighting from both bulbs. Not as big of a deal on tail lights, etc... but head lights light up the road for you.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/152944-factory-service-manuals/ Search does work well. The FSM are far above and beyond anything put out by chilton. Your next step would be Alldatadiy, but most of that is copy and paste from the FSM.

Just pull the intake. It's 12 bolts and up it goes. Intake gasket set is less than 15 dollars. That whole repair could be done in an hour at a shop. I would replace both heater hoses as well though. And you will need new o-rings for the block mating surface.