Bmm001

I believe my dad's '97 Impreza was also manufactured in 1996. If it's a M.Y. 1997, my guess is that it has solid lifters. What does the air intake look like? Is there just a black tube that goes from the air cleaner into the intake manifold? If so, it's hydraulic, because the intake was also redesigned for the '97s. If there's a big black box-shaped thing before the manifold and an extra "hook" of plastic tubing jutting diagonally out of the air hose, it's the newer, interference motor with solid lifters. As a recap: ALL EJ22's from 1990-1996 are hydraulic lifters, and non-interference. EJ22s from 1997 onward are solid lifters and interference. Period. Brian M.

cardineau, It's your market. I see plenty in my area. How many Subarus of any type are in your area? My guess is not as many as central PA or snowy climates. Brian M.

I happen to like the new design. Not so much on the Tribeca, but I think it looks nice on the Impreza. They're sharp. My bigger beef with the Tribeca is the lack of a roof rack. I think SUVs or wagons for that matter look weird without them. We all had better get used to the new styling, that's where all the cars are headed; it's obviously selling more cars for them. Brian M.

We've ordered 3 sets of tires from tirerack.com and have been extremely satisfied with the service. The customer surveys and ratings are extremely helpful. Don't count out the cheap tires... My dad's '97 Impreza now has a set of Khumo 732 All-seasons... Quiet, good traction and wear so far (approx. 7,000 miles on them) , and the best part: $33 each. They rated near the top in the customer surveys. Brian M.

I've heard that too. It's actually in one of the articles on the Endwrench website. They said it never hurts to hang a new timing belt and do a compression test. Perhaps the engine stopped before anything actually hit. Brian M.

I'm with legacy777; I'd want to know what I am unhooking If I were you. Chances are it's hooked that way for a good reason. Brian M.

My '95 Legacy auto (102K) pings under part throttle between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM. No codes, it runs fine otherwise. Gas mileage consistent, 23-26 MPG. I put a new air filter in 6 months ago. The spark plug wires have about 9,000 miles on them (OEM Subaru wires). It doesn't seem to matter where I get gas (Sheetz, Sunoco, Hess, Wawa). I've added a bottle of techron fuel system cleaner to this current tank; didn't help. Would seafoam be better to try? Any other possible causes? The spark plugs have almost 20k on them... could it be time for new ones? Thanks, Brian M.

I believe my independent Subaru garage installs Rofren pads. Not sure about the rotors, my dad has new front ones from that shop as well. They put new rear ones on my car; my mom's has had a full set of them for about two years now. Great pedal feel and stopping power. Only complaint is that they do dust a lot. Brian M.

Yeah, they're a real pain. The fold-down rear seats in my '95 Sedan are a bear to get down if the tab spins around to where you can't pull it. Then I have to crawl in the trunk and basically pry the latch open with a screwdriver and pliers. The tabs in my brother's '99 sedan are fixed, and can't spin and disappear. It's amazing how seemingly simple little things like this get overlooked by engineers when they design these cars! Brian M.

I live in south central PA and our Subie garage puts in 15W40 year-round; keeps the engine cleaner and helps control the piston slap according to the mechanics. Brian M.

'95 and '96 2.2 engines are non-interference with hydraulic lifters. '97 and '98 2.2 engines are interference, with solid lifters and changes to the valves and pistons. '99 engines are different than either of the other two, also with solid lifters, changes to the valves and intake, but are still interference. www.endwrench.com has some nice information about the changes made to the engines. Brian M.

I think that the long and short of it is that Subaru 4EATs just aren't as smooth as we'd like them to be, or compared to other manufacturer's autos. Brian M.

Guess I should update: The mechanics at our independend Subie garage had the car for a whole day, and were pretty sure it was the cam/crank angle sensors, so they replaced them. The car has started fine ever since. They kept our old ones in case they weren't the problem, and will adjust our bill accordingly, and keep trying to solve the problem. Thanks for all the suggestions! Brian M.

A little more info would be helpful... What type of subaru do you have (year, miles, body style, etc.)? I'm assuming it's automatic. Perhaps your transmission fluid is due for a flush? But, like I said, I think we'd all need some more info before making any guesses. Brian

As I understand it, starting in '99 Subaru upgraded the TCU and shift logic in their automatic trannies. Some sort of "grade logic" was added and yes, they will downshift going downhill. I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I can understand how it's irritating. The problem with putting the car in neutral and riding the brakes is not just an issue of brakes being cheaper to replace than engine parts. I understand your logic and would tend to agree, but think of it this way: if you overheat the brakes by riding them downhill and you have to stop suddenly, you won't be able to. Just my two cents. Brian M.

Why not get a used Subie?

The battery is only 4 months old. Spark plug wires are 6 months old, spark plugs were put on at 90,000. It cranks at regular speed and sounds normal. Wouldn't things like the IAC or thermal temp sensor throw a code? I had a thermal temp sensor go bad in my car and the only difference in performance was a lack of power and the CEL... it started and ran fine. I'll look at the battery and clamps, but my guess is they're pretty clean and tight since the battery is so new. Thanks for your input, Brian M.

My mom's '98 Legacy 5-spd (110K miles) has been acting up this past week. At various times, it has been hard to start. The engine turns over, but not enough to start the car. Other times, it just stumbles and dies when trying to turn over. Whether it's cold or warmed up has no bearing. She's had trouble right away in the morning and also when it's warmed up too. Once it stalled out on her as she was idling at a traffic light. On Friday, my dad drove it all day and every time he started it he had no problems. Now, today it's acting up again. He took it up to our mechanic on Friday for them to look at it. They thought it could be the cam/crank angle sensor or the MAF sensor; they scanned it and came up with no codes, no CEL or anything abnormal other than a slightly higher than normal coolant temp indicating the need for a new T-stat (that will get done on Tuesday's oil change).So, my question to you is, what could it be? Bad gas? A starter going bad, a loose connection somewhere? Like I said, the car is going in again on Tuesday for service, just wondered if anyone had any thoughts or ideas. Obviously something isn't right if some days it starts fine and others it dies.Thanks,Brian M.

Solid, which means they are a adjustable.

I also remember reading that the switch in recommendation is for fuel economy reasons. I'm not trying to start a debate here, but I don't think there's going to be that much of a measurable difference, unless, like Jackeck says, you never heat your oil up enough. Being in college, most of my trips are longer, highway-type trips (PA turnpike, I-81, I-83, etc.), so I'm sure my oil gets plenty hot. Moral of the story: Use whatever oil you're comfortable with! Brian

The way I understand it, cars with hydraulic lifters (pre-1997) recommend against 5w30 for highway driving. Remember all the changes in the engines between those years. If someone knows the real reason, please chime in. I just go along with the 15W40 that my mechanic puts in year-round. Works fine for all our Subies. Brian

My mechanic told me it could be as simple as snow or water getting splashed up on the cat and preventing it from heating up properly. However, he said if the code continues to appear, coupled with a noticeable loss of power (especially going uphill), the cats are clogged and must be replaced. Often, he says, the innards break down due to rough roads (all the shaking and clunking around) and bingo, the cats are clogged! Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents since I too have experienced the 420 code. Brian M.

If it's cold right now (I see that you're from Washington), it's probably your bumper and other various plastic trim pieces creaking. All of our Subarus do that when it is cold. If it is a crunchy plasticky sound, that's probably what it is. It usually happens when we first back down the driveway in the morning, until the car warms up. Also, the bushings probably creak when they are cold. If it goes away when the car is warmed up, I'm not so sure I would worry about it. Brian M.

It seems like you want it all. Generally speaking, you're not going to average the kind of MPG you want in an AWD Subaru unless it is an old EA engine. If you want astronomical gas mileage, you're not going to get it in a Subaru. Every car is a compromise. Do I wish my car got better mileage? Yes, but I love it, so I deal with it. I think you either need to soften your criteria a bit or start looking at Honda Civics, if you want over 30 MPG highway; I'm just not sure you're going to be able to realistically get that kind of milage day in and day out in any Subaru except a Justy. Brian M.

How did you try to fix the heat shields? My mechanic welded them and they've been silent ever since. Brian