subiefan

I know I've got a bad ground...probably the main battery-to-transaxle one. Cleaning it might help, but I'm lazy... My interior lights dim in time with my 4-ways, too.:-\ Basically, the more electrical stuff on, the worse the dimming. So, yeah... At least I hope it's that simple, and not something more complicated. I'm not really very electrically inclined. Most of it is mysterious magic to me.

I don't have a Legacy ('93 Impreza), but I thought I'd chime in. My interior lights dim when I step on the brake, as well. It's probably a ground problem. I thought it was my battery, but I replaced it (need it anyhow) and it didn't do any good. EVERYTHING dims in mine, radio, dome light, dash lights, headlights, etc. If yours doesn't yet, it probably will eventually. I know its a crappy ground somewhere, but I've been ignoring it. If you fix it, let me know. I had an unopened can of Coke blow up in the cupholder on a hot day once. Went all over the windshield, dash, and heater controls. Fun fun fun.

You've got an ej22. Ea81 was a carbureted 1.8L engine used 'till 1985 for most Subes and 1989 for the hatchbacks.

I don't see why the switch wouldn't be replaceable. A small bit of air (heat, if the temperature control is set there) will blow through the vents, due to the air being pushed into the intake. At least i guess this is what causes it, as it doesn't do it when parked and does it more the faster you go.

Welcome to the board. Hope you enjoy your Subaru. Most importantly, we hope you have been brainwashed into the belief that Subies are the best cars on the road. Oh, I forgot...they are.

If I were in the market for a new car now, (read: "If I had money. ) I would go for the 2006. Subaru is offering some really great incentives for the end of the model year. I personally think the slushboxes are better, in terms of reliability. (You should know that I have no personal experience with new models, and limited personal experience with AWD. My driver is an old FWD Auto Impreza.) Maybe they do fail more often, but when they do, they are easier and cheaper to fix than the manuals. And I believer that the design flaw that makes torque bind more likely was fixed in 1997. Plus no clutch changes...only tranny fluid, which is easy and a heck of a lot cheaper. From what I've read, the AWD seems to be better, too. It really comes down to personal preference, though. If you like driving stick, get a stick. My auto can be kinda sluggish sometimes, and I sometimes wish I had a 5spd. But I'm getting older and lazier, and the auto really is conveniant. You'll get more money out of your Tacome if you can sell it privately. Stealership trade-in value is always less than the actual value of the vehicle.

You've got torque bind, which has nothing to do with the differentials. It's caused by gummed up transfer clutches in the tranny, as explained above. I'd be wary of this dealer. They're blowing hot air. Try changing the transmission fluid, (one of those $99 flushes is probably in order) then driving in some tight circles. If it goes away, great! If it doesn't, prepare to empty your pocketbook.

It could probably be done. The ej18 and the ej22 are pretty much the same. The 22 just has a bigger bore. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the ej18 already has 16 valves. I know that some people do it the other way around and actually put the ej18 heads on the 22, to raise compression.

'95 and '96 are non-interference, OBDII (what you want.) '97 and newer are interference, meaning that the pistions will interfere with the valves if timing belt breakage occurs. Makes me cringe just thinking about it. Is the computer hook-up just plug and play? The '99 computer will run the '95 or '96? Seems like it is by the other replies, but I really have no clue.

This is an ej22, yes? I don't know my Legacy's too well. Could be the thermostat. You can test it by putting it in a bowl of boiling water. If it's working right, it should open. If it's old, you may as well just replace it anyway. Cheap insurance. Headgasket failurs on the 2.2 are pretty rare, and you don't have any of the typical evidence.

It's simple science. The better running your car is, the greater the magnetic charge in your foot.

Yeah...sounds like IAC, maybe. Mine isn't stalling but does come close to it some time. I've been meaning to clean it. No CEL? Me neither.

Ditto. That tranny fluid needs to be changed now. I wonder how it ended up overfilled. If it's only got 6000 miles on it, the dealer must have done it upon delivery. Not good. I would be very wary of this dealership.

21-23 sounds pretty good. All Subie gas guages are pitifully inacurate. Mine creeps down until about 1/4 tank, then drops like a stone from there. It used to worry me, but now I accept it as one of those little Subie quirks.

I'd change it. It won't hurt anything, but it might help. And if it's never been changed before, it is very much overdue at 197k, anyway.

The ej18 is very reliable. Mine will soon be entering the 200k mile club...no real problems, except for the stinky oil smoke billowing out from under the car after being run harder than usual. I'll do a reseal job eventually, but the leak really isn't that bad yet. Considering its massive, stock, 1.8 litres, it is quite powerful and zippy. 'Course I'm not pullin' the extra weight of AWD. My Subie is a Fronty. Gas mileage is better than the 22's, as well. FWD helps magnifies this. I think my '93 is EGR-less. Or at least it hasn't plugged yet. (Couldn't tell you for sure, though. I'm a veteran mechanic but an emissions control rookie. Ah...the good old days when cars didn't have any of that crap. So what if the gas mileage was bad? Gas was cheap then!)

Never heard of the Legend. Is this another name for the Legacy? Or a typo? If it is OBDI, you can check the codes yourself. Legacy777 has a very detailed writeup on checking Legacy trouble code on his website. Here is the link :http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/subaru.html.

My '93 runs Castrol GTX 20W-50 and likes it. Not much difference over 10W-40, just quiets the various noises of a 192k mile engine. Probably burns less too. That's in the summer, of course. I ran 10W-40 last winter; will probably run 10W or 5W-30 this winter. Starting was a bit...interesting when the mercury dipped below 0, especially before I replaced my battery. Can anyone say rrruh....rrruh.....rrruh?

I don't like to leave any loose threads, so... (Don't you just love my pitiful puns? Job completed yesterday by the dealer. $320. She opted to just replace what needed it for money reasons. Anyway. It got a new belt and oil pump seals. And new coolant. The car now runs smoother ( which I am a bit puzzled about...old belt getting loose, maybe?) and cooler. I guess the new coolant did it some good. Anywho, this dealer gets a B+ in my gradebook. I wish they hadn't charged so much for the extra labor, but....oh well. They did a nice job, and I feel better knowing the t-belt isn't ready to snap at any moment. I think I'll be doing mine myself though, for cost and self-assurance.

That is one very sweet GL. But come on...it's 20 years old. $6k is a bit outrageous. If you're seriously considering it, I'd try talking them down. That dealer is probably going to have a pretty hard time getting rid of a 20-year-old car for $6k. They might accept a reasonable offer. Then again, they may not. If I were in the area and in the market for a new(ish) car, I'd certainly at least try. Sure, I love my Impreza, but the old gen cars really seem to draw on me. If I could find a decent one around here with more than half a body left, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.

Your Legacy is a new gen car. This should be posted in the New Generation of Subarus section. You should get more help there. Sorry I can't be of help. I'm sure some knowledgeable person here can, though.

I believe the fuel injectors (on the AT at leat) shut down when the vehicle is coasting in gear. This, in theory, gives you an infinite real-time mpg.

I had that labor charge thing in mind. Probably should call to find out, although its hard to diagnose lying-through-the-teeth syndrome over the phone. This dealer has always seemed pretty honest in the past though, so I don't think there is too much to worry about. Thanks for the input. If price seems to high, I guess I could gather up the confidence and a USMB write-up or two and do it myself.

I am well versed in the stealership tricks, and as such, she has been warned to "just say no." I guess it probably depends how much they charge for the water pump/oil pump and their apparent conditions. She does not have a lot of extra money to throw around, so we will see. It says in the offer that they will "inspect" the oil pump, water pump, and seals for wear, and replace if required (for extra, of course.) This car has always been driven pretty gently, but it is getting up there in miles. We will see. One other question. Does the ej22 have hydraulic lifters? Cause it sure sounds like it when you start it after sitting for a while. Just taps/ticks for a few seconds, then goes away. Not really concerned, just curious.

Hello all. Got a quick question. My mother-in-law's '96 Impreza is past due for a timing belt change, with about 95k miles on the ticker. The dealership is offering a $210 special for the belt change. This seemed like a pretty good deal to me. What do you think? Should the water pump be replaced at the same time, even if it seems ok? How much extra should it cost for the water pump? If this were my car, I would do the work myself, but as I haven't yet changed my own timing belt yet ,(and it is overdue. oh, well. that's the beauty of non-interference.) I don't feel confident doing the work. I've always been kind of reluctant to work on other people's cars anyway. Afraid I'll break something. *yikes* Well, thanks in advance.