Hi All,
I've been a lurker for quite a while on the board - I've got a 1992 Legacy L AWD Wagon 5-speed. 159,000 mile, only one little spot of rust, uses no oil, runs like a top. Bought it for $1,000 (!) last summer, and have put a little over 4,000 miles on it with only fluid changes, new rear brake rotors and two new CV joints up front.
Anyway, here's my questions:
1.) Periodically (but not consistently), when coming to stop and putting the clutch in, with the engine fully warmed up, the idle will stay up around 1200 - 1500 RPM. No amount of throttle blipping will affect it. Eventually (sometimes 20 seconds, sometimes 2 minutes), it will return to normal (+/- 700 RPM) idle. Car starts, runs, idles and revs fine all other times except for this periodic anomoly. Was thinking 02 sensor or Idle Control Valve? Thoughts?
2.) Front end has some "shimmy" at 60-75 mph. Have had tires balanced and rotated around, but still have it. Everything seems tight enough under there, but one thing I'm worried about. The peices (don't know what they are called) that seem to be connected to the steering rack on the engine side, and attach to the suspension assembly can be "rotated". They don't move back and forth or up and down, but if you grab hold of them and apply a twisting force, they both move quite a ways in both directions. Both sides do this equally. Is this normal, or are these parts ready to fail?
Thanks for your help, and great board - I've learned a lot lurking on here.
Gavin
1992 Sub Legacy L AWD 5-speed Wagon
1980 BMW 528i
2002 BMW M5