Chef

Tire(s) out of balance? Check to make sure a weight hasn't been knocked off one or more of your tires.

Is it the SAME beep as the key in the ignition beep, or were you just making a comparison? If not, is it Rapid, slow, etc? Could be an old improperly disabled alarm? Something to do with the stereo?

Excellent, just what I was looking for! Thanks much for the detailed information. I may end up having a shop take care of this then, after I find a muffler on sale. The place I was quoted at probably does a good job, but they wanted to use all pre-fab parts etc. Thanks again, Chef

AFAIK synthetics in the transmission are considered A-ok for subies, it's the use of synthetic engine oil in aging cars that up until recently used dino-oil that is the problem.

My 1992 legacy exhaust is finally coming to the point where the only feasible repairs are replacement of mos tor all of the system behind the first cat. The pipe connecting the first and second cats was "repaired" by a shop not long ago, but it was a shoddy job that leaked shortly after (the guy used silicon to fill in gaps between old and new pipe). I went to a shop today and was quoted about $750 (cdn) plus tax for the everything behind the first cat. I am struggling to put gas into my car these days, and may or may not keep it for more than another year or two depending. So I've decided to repair the worst leaks with some cement temporarily, and get to work figuring out the least expensive means to repair this. The second cat is ok, but the pipes connected to it are getting lousy. I have access to a welder at work, but never used one before. I am willing to try and do this myself, preferably using as many flanges and as little welding as possible. I am inexperienced but handy. Any advice would be welcome. I am uncertain how these systems usually are pieced together (e.g. if using male/female insertions, are they held together by some compound or just clamps?). I need to keep the cats. My thoughts were to clean the ends of the cats, and weld pipes or flanges to the most convenient ends and buy the closest fitting pipes. Then use flex pipe in one or two spots to help align it all. I'll measure the dimensions of all pipes, map them out in relation to a diagram of the bottom of the car, then have a shop cut and bend any necessary pipes. I am a little uncertain about how to place hangers though. Should I weld them to the pipes in the places they currently are, or is there a better (easier) method. Thanks all! Chef

I sure wouldn't pay the dealer to change my plugs and wires, a 30 minute job at worst. Not sure about the wires, but plugs should cost about $4 -5 a pair (cdn). Get NGK copper plugs and a 3/8" socket wrench with a 3" adapter if you don't have one. Can't recall the size for the plugs themselves though. Get a proper plug socket with a rubber insulator protector though. Sounds to me though like a plugged fuel filter. Not too hard to change either, just make sure you properly relieve fuel pressure before disconnecting hoses. The problem may be in the coil pack, which probably isn't too hard to replace either since it sits right on top of your engine (the most easy to reach spot in the entire engine bay). I'd replace the fuel filter, plugs, and wires (in that order), checking after each to see if the problem is resolved. If not, then maybe get to another mechanic and have them assess it. Good luck, Chef

Even if the environmental damage was not a concern, there isn't really a significant amount of oil there regardless. Probably not even enough to meet oil needs in the US for single year I'll bet. It's simply for rich cronies affliliated with the white house.

Or you can do what I did and go to a shop that does a tranny flush and only change it once. However, I warn that this did not seem to fix my torque-bind. Although now it has been a few weeks, and I haven't noticed it for about a week now.

It may be a simple problem, but believe me it is not so simple to determine this. Most likely it is a leaking air bag on that strut. I had the damnable air suspension myself, and dealt with intermittent deflation of my front left strut. Keeping it in the high position seemed to help, but in the end contributed to significant CV joint decline (I believe). So I bought 4 used strut assemblies from a 1990, replaced the two rear with new struts, kept the front used ones (in decent shape), and had someone install them. tried doing it myself but the bolts were seized terribly. Also replaced both front half shafts. $1000 (cdn) later, I am a happy camper. Mostly. I need an alignment.

Or do what I just did and replace the whole starter assembly. I had a similar problem, sometimes just clicked, sometimes turned slow, other times fine. Now it seems to be fine. Hey, I figured I might as well replace the whole thing once I had it out. BTW, I found the bottom nut (17mm) on the starter mounting required me to go from underneath the car - there were simply too many hoses in the way from above. The top 14 mm bolt was a cinch to remove.

Could you perhaps point out where this ground was attached? I'm beginning to experience intermittent torque bind myself, tried the flush to no avail. Thanks

This isn't a case of the mirror being flipped over for bright light compensation by chance, is it?

I put my fuse in the other day and it didn't work either. Definitely still in AWD.

Clicking is often a sign of worn outer CV joints. Does the same clicking occur when the car is revved in neutral while stationary? If not, sounds like either a drivetrain or CV joint problem, most likely the joint. Does it come from one side or the other? Check the outer boots for tears or cracks. I'll bet you'll find one or both torn. Replace the entire half-shaft. You're in Toronto. You can try Lucky Star Auto http://www.luckystarjapanese.com/ I had a CV boot replaced there before. The mechanic was good, the guy at the desk a jerk. Good luck

The water injection system definitely reeks of scam, especially the crap about it converting water into hydrogen by frequency resonance blag blah blah. Sorry, doesn't happen. It takes a little more than a hot engine to split a water molecule and release a significant quantity of hydrogen. Frankly I wouldn't waste your money on it, but hey, maybe there is something to it depsite the bogus explanation.

I've never actually had this problem, but when I first bought my subie one of the spark plugs was actually loose and nearly rattling (plug #1 I think). Noticed it when I decided to just change them. Hopefully some thread locker will do the trick!

And north america is the only place that uses primarily auto trannies too. Most vehicles sold in europe are manual transmissions.

Ok, I just went down to the wreckers and pulled the rear struts off a 99 legacy outback. Look great, everything went well, I was proud of myself for such a neat job done. I bought them, and left them at the counter while I put my tools back into my car. On a whim I decided to measure the top bolt pattern on my old mounts. Lo and behold, they do not match the ones on the 99. The old ones have equal sides measuring 3 3/4" between each. The new one as one side 3 3/4, and two that are about 4 1/4". Damn. So does anyone know if the older mounts (say from a 90) can be used on the newer strut assemblies? Or will it not sit flush on the upper spring seat? I returned the struts, but may pick them up again if this is the case.

Definitely an important distinction to make. I get about 31 imperial MPG on the highway, but only 26 american MPG. e.g. 400 km and 36 l gas. 400 km * 0.6214 mile/km = ~249 miles 36 l / 4.54 l/gallon = 7.92 imperial gallons 249/7.92 = 31.4 mpg (imperial) or 36 l / 3.75 l/gallon = 9.6 standard gallons 250 / 9.6 = 26 mpg (american) Makes a big difference when stating it.

I certainly wouldn't call it junk - the problem is not as big as it would appear reading on this board. Bear in mind all you are hearing is the people reporting problems, so therefore it seems like a lot of problems. At $3000, it seems like you're getting quite a deal. I wouldn't worry too much about the HG issue if that's the case, but perhaps be aware it MAY be an issue at some time.

A leaking gas line dripping over some grease/oil may have dissolved it, giving the spot the texture of oil but is actually fuel.

It's a little low. The shudder while stopped in drive seems to be a relatively common issue - mine does it too. But mine idles at 750 rpm, so not as badly as your's might. Not sure how to adjust the idle speed, but I believe it's electronically controlled. This may mean you have a vacuum leak somewhere - check all the hoses for leaks and cracks. Also, make sure the hose connected to your PCV valve is on tight.

Could be a sticking tappet. Try putting it in neutral and holding the RPMs at redline for 10 seconds or so. If that doesn't work, try again a couple of times. The limiter should keep it from going above redline.

That is one beautiful car! I just cleaned up the inside of mine a bit yesterday and was feeling pretty proud until I saw your pics. If that car is in good of shape as it looks, it must run like new or better. Congratulations, Chef

Thanks, although I merely found other people's stuff and resummerised it so I can't take too much credit. Personally, I gave up trying to diagnose the problem and have resigned myself to replacing the struts with conventional ones. I managed to get four used strut assemblies cheap from another member here (totech - thanks a million man!), and will be replacing my air ones shortly. Brad - Your issue could be a ton of different things unfortunately. The fact that the struts aren't leaking is great news. The whole raising the height thing is mostly overrated, and not worth the time and money to fix it unless you REALLY want an adjustable suspension, which it sounds like you don't. PErsonally if I were you I'd leave it alone. Could be a simple as a busted compressor (easy to replace, but probably expensive), or a messed up ECU. IF you really want the flashing to stop, you can yank the ECU. Not sure if pulling the relay under the hood will have the same effect. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showpost.php?p=272528&postcount=9