SoobSkier

Hey, just wanted to bump this thread. Changed my plugs, wires, and fuel filter today on my 96 Outback. She started right up, revved and then died. Didn't know if it was the fuel pump, or plugs/ignition or what. I Could hear a sucking or vacuum sound though. Did a search and found this thread. Looked for a loose hose and, whaddya know ... there was one that got disconnected when I moved the airbox to get to the plugs. Reconnected that sucker and she started up and ran great. USMB to the rescue!! Thanks all.

How do you know when its spring in Moab? All of the license plates turn green!

wow, great pics! thanks for posting.

What I don't understand is why the owners manuals for the 2.2l Outback and 2.2l Legacy say different things. Don't both of these cars have the same engine, the EJ22?

My owners manual (96 OBW, 2.2L) says 5W-30 is "preferred". I only use it in the winter here in Colorado.

In fact, I have used a dedicated snow tire, and I think the T/A is a step below a snow on a snow packed roadway. I was able to travel at 50 mph comfortably, and change lanes without losing any traction. That is adquate for my purposes. I'll have to take your word for it about the WRs, at $139/ea (in my area) they better be damn good in the snow. For me, WRs or a set of snows (and rims) was not worth the expense for a car with 140k on it. Luckily, the T/As are a great compromise. Obviously, for driving through deep snow (like to a trailhead, for example), I'd love to have a set of dedicated snows. But for your typical sunny Colorado winter, where roads are rarely snowpacked for a more than a few days, I think the T/As are a great choice.

Just put some BFG Traction T/A's on my 96 OBW and I've been really impressed. A bit rougher ride than the old Mastercraft cheapies I had on the car, but that may be due to the 40 psi I have in them. The BFGs worked very well in in rain a few weeks ago and were excellent in the snow I drove through on Wednesday. Drove about 130 miles on I-70 hours after it reopened West of Denver, and the tires were very impressive on the icy and snowpacked conditions. Only a step below a full-on snow tire, best all-season tire I've ever used in the snow. Edit: I also only paid $64/ea for these tires at the local shop.

Setright - thanks for the reply. like your situation, the lump was the size of the plug. I didn't look too closely at the size of the shavings at the time. I haven't noticed any abnormal or irregular sounds during idle, but I WILL take a closer listen next time I start up. I wonder how much a bearing job will cost?!?!? Thanks again.

This is precisely what I found when I changed my MT fluid a few months ago. Can anyone suggest what I should do, if anything? The car has been shifting just fine. Thanks!

I get about 30 on highway and 26 around town in my 5-speed '96 OBW.