heartless

Why on earth would they put it on the BOTTOM of the door?????? That is just plain ridiculous! :-\

the early Legacy's are awesome cars! (1990-1996) the EJ22 (2.2 liter) for those years are non-interference engines - meaning if you throw a timing belt there is NO internal damage. 1997 and on are interference engines that can and do cause major problems if they lose a timing belt so keeping up with those is of the utmost importance. as already mentioned, the early EJ25's (2.5 liter) had head gasket issues - if you find one with records showing the headgasket fix, then it "should" be ok, just be aware of it. if you want to go "old school" the EA series are pretty good as well (also non-interference), they come in several sizes over a wide range of years. when looking for a "used" Subaru - most are sold due to lack of maintenance and something breaking (usually timing belts! LOL) in my humble experience, most sold on used car lots are seriously overpriced - buying from a private party - after a thorough inspection - is the way to go. Got my first one - a 1989 GL Wagon, FWD, 5 spd - got 33-34 mpg - for $150 - it did need a little work to be roadworthy - clutch, axles, tires, etc, but I drove that car for almost 8 years before the cancer (rust) took her to her grave - engine was still going strong at 265,000 miles - probably could have gone another 100k on it easy. I now drive a 1990 Legacy, AWD, auto w/195K on the odo - purchased for $200, needed new struts & exhaust work - LOVE it! it has had it's share of minor issues due to lack of maintenance by previous owner, but nothing that I couldnt handle - most recently: an O2 sensor... In general - it is pretty rare to find a true "lemon" Subaru - most just need a little TLC to be great cars.

this was my first thought as well - also the cheapest & easiest to try first. make sure the new belt is properly tensioned after install & it should be good to go. (may need to re-tension after some usage as they will stretch just a little)

hate to admit it, but I am a smoker, but, i am one that hates full, nasty looking/smelling ashtrays, etc. I drive truck for a living - company trucks - so smoke odor is a concern. I picked up a bottle of a citrus spray called "Citrus Magic" at a truck stop and started using it once or twice a week in my truck - it works great! I sprayed the headliner and the backs of the seats with the spray (pump spray) - no need to saturate the fabric, but a good mist works wonders. Not exactly cheap, but considering other alternatives, it is pretty cost effective... http://www.citrusmagic.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=612112752 That one bottle lasted a long time. I would actually ask anyone that got in the truck if it smelled like smoke and they always said no, it smelled good.

definitely depressurize the fuel system!! my car wont actually start after pulling the fuel pump connector, but cranking it over for a few seconds is usually sufficient to depressurize the system. I found it easier to pull the entire rail when i changed my injectors (i did all 4 due to misfires on more than one cylinder) - gave me a little more room to work. the injectors did not come out easily on mine - i had to both pull and pry gently around the edge. (a second pair of hands is always useful here). seems to me I gave each a little shot of PB Blaster to help loosen/lube up the O-rings - would not recommend doing this if the rail is still on the engine... seating the new injector properly is made a little easier by giving the O-rings a VERY light film of engine oil - helps them slide into the rail without binding up Good luck

^ What he said! Honestly, unless the headlight lens is broken there is NO need to replace it when a simple polish job will make them look like new again.

some of it is the composition of the plastic, some of it is weather related. my '90 Legacy had the yellowed, cloudy looking lenses - I went the way of a little more work, but outstanding results - used the fine to ultra fine wetsand method to remove the yellowed layer and clean/polish the surface of the lens - then a good quality plastic polish to seal it - the results are incredible! There are many ways of doing this job - choose the one that works for you.

LOL - i hear ya there - this is north central Wisconsin - if it is unusaul or is more than 10 yrs old - forgedaboudit!

Thanks for the info G - i thought it was a tad bit high myself - no big deal changing the one on my Legacy, but it is easy to get to. Havent seen the underside of the SVX yet Kind of related - the SVX hit a deer last week, so is down with some minor body damage & possibly a broken or bent strut (she said tire rubs) so it may be a while before the O2 gets looked at.

hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Subaru's! Looks like you have a relativley clean (rust free) wagon there. honestly, i am a little surprised that your 87 GL is still carbed - most were SPFI (Single Point Fuel Injection) by that year... a DL maybe, but GL? stranger things have happened tho... Start with the basics if they are due - new plugs, wires, disty cap & rotor. Would also be thinking about doing the timing belts - they should be done every 80,000 according to the "scheduled maintenance" - if you dont know when they were done last, you may be driving on borrowed time there... an EJ swap is a bit more involved than I personally would like to get into, but many have done it - it does require an adapter plate to mount up the tranny tho. If it really is a carbed model, an SPFI conversion would go a long ways toward improving things and a tad bit easier to do. Up to you tho. That is the nice thing about these cars - they are kind of like legos - you can swap parts in & out fairly easily! for your rear bumper - i bet if you look underneath,you will see where the mounts are bent - a BFH will go a lot further to straightening that out than jacking it up by the bumper will.

as an added thought - try pulling each wire, one at a time, with the car running to check for bad wires - i had one that had started arcing out the side of the plug boot! it was VERY obvious when i pulled that wire with the car running...

seriously - check the car for stored codes. There are many instances where the car can throw a CEL but it may not STAY on full time. The only way to know for sure is to check for them. When my O2 sensor went bad it would throw a CEL only breifly (a few seconds) and then back off again - it would be easy to miss it as it was not on steady. not sure if the '94 is read the same way as the '90 version, but I had to connect the black connectors, then turn the key to the "on" position (do not start) the CEL would then flash any stored codes. In my case it flashed a 32 - 3 long flashes, 2 short, pause, repeat. 32 = O2 sensor inoperative After changing the sensor, clearing the codes and going for a test run, when i checked for any possible codes again, it flashed the "all clear" which is a steady flash, pause, flash, pause, etc, at 1/2 second intervals.

Well, car is definitly fixed! Took her to Madison Saturday - ran beautifully both ways - and an added bonus - my fuel mileage has increased!!! went from an average of 28mpg, to just over 30mpg!! Yeah! In the 2 yrs I have had this car I could never quite break that 30 mpg mark (highest previously was 29.9) - now it has done it not just once, but twice!! 30.1 and 30.3! yippee!!

of the four you have posted together, i like the first set - just my opinion... but if options are wide open - i like these better....

technically speaking, it is true that the O2 does not come into play until the car is fully warmed up - but - if yours is in that bad of condition, I would change it, regardless. It is amazing the difference a new O2 sensor made on my car! Advance Auto has a direct fit replacement Bosch unit for under $100 (US) versus $150 for a dealer unit - it works fine, just put one in my car (yours takes the same part number) (stay away from the "smart link" one!) White smoke on start-up? that sounds like either a small amount of coolant getting into the cylinders - or - possibly fuel seepage into the cylinder overnight (have a lawnmower that will do that - huge cloud of white smoke when it finally fires)...what do your spark plugs look like??

would have to agree here - a partially clogged exhaust will cause these kinds of symptoms, as could a bad/lazy O2 sensor. would check it out before going thru anymore engine stuff. also - is the "check engine" light working? (should come on breifly when key is turned to the "on" position. if it doesnt, it needs to be fixed) is it throwing any codes?? check for stored codes. '94 should still be using the black & green connectors under the dash for checking codes.

My point exactly! go get some numbers - lets see where it stands. all that stuff has been replaced - more than once in some cases - Why - did he ever go get exhaust gas readings?? my bet is "no" Numbers I would like to see: 1. Acceptable/required levels 2. the two specified by Gary. I would be happy to offer numbers here, but 1. we dont have required emissions testing here, so very few shops will even offer to do it, and 2. I only have the one O2 sensor

As Gary said - by turning you are making sure you are 100% on the mark - not getting the marks lined up can throw the timing off - and even 1 tooth off can cause some serious running issues - pull your hair out, "why isnt this stupid thing running right?" kind of issues. Do yourself the favor, turn the engine.

To the Original Poster - Until you take that car to a shop and get the emission gasses tested - get a GOOD reading on exactly what is being put out your tailpipe and where it stands in relation to accepted levels - then you have absolutely NO IDEA if you are polluting or not. I'm sorry, but that is the plain facts. You all can opine until the sun turns blue, but it is just that - opinion - and we all know what those are like. Go get the exhaust gasses tested!!! Then you can whine and/or complain about this or that not working right - K? hoping everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

Yes, it is a good feeling to have it running right again. the new sensor is a direct fit Bosch (the old one was a Bosch as well) so i feel pretty good about using it, and it does have a little heavier wires, so maybe it will last longer (altho 194,000+ is a pretty long time! LOL and this poor car had a rough life) Next big project will be a reseal to fix all the oil leaks - gonna be yanking the engine for that! for now, i just make sure i carry extra oil with me!

Thank you Turbone! looks like an awesome resource!

one way to know for sure - unbolt the light, grind off a little paint, bolt the light back on and see if your problem disappears. Kind of thinking it just might. Good job finding that thread!

ah, memories! Yeah, I was a LOT nervous doing my first one - just take your time, and follow the directions in the write-ups you found here and you will be fine. One note is that some of the 10mm bolts that hold the covers on can be a pain in the butt to get out - the ones that go into the brass inserts on the outer edges - the insert likes to break free and spin in the plastic housing them - there really is no "good" way of getting them undone if this happens, but visegrips can be your friend here. remember - take your time! Good Luck!

The Sister-in-law recently picked up a really sweet '95 SVX (i hate her! lol - jk) anyway, the check engine light is on and they were told that the O2 sensor was bad... Now, I have ridden in this car, both city streets and freeway, and it has absolutely NO drivability issues (I just went thru O2 issues with my Legacy - BIG drivability issues) So, here are the questions... 1. I am going to guess that this car is an OBDII, needing a code reader, right? Or is there a way to get codes without one? 2. How many O2 sensors does the SVX have? just the upstream one, or does it have a downstream also? 3. Just how hard is it to change the O2 sensor(s) on an SVX? thier local mechanic recommended taking it to the dealer for this & dealer quoted them over $600.00!?!?! Thanks in advance!

Well, after making several phone calls, I ordered my O2 sensor from the local parts house - before I go getting flamed about it - it was the absolute fastest option for me - next day instead of late next week from a dealer, and i NEED the car! anyway, got that installed, cleared the last code and went for a test run. About 35 miles +/- out at about 75 mph, turn around and the same back and she ran flawlessly!! :banana: no hiccups, no power loss, no problems what-so-ever! the real test will be Saturday when we head to Madison again (3+ hours one way, about half 2 lane/half freeway)