1 Lucky Texan

any progress?

still have starting problems?

has the car been driving OK?

any success finding the problem?

kimbalo - did you get the car fixed?

start a new thread with a shop request - it will be seen by more people. I did a quick look, folks really like East Granby repair for their soobs, but, looks like you are far from there. Near Norwalk, Accurate Auto has a great reputation, seems like they stay busy so, maybe difficult to get an appointment??? If you or your sister have a smartphone, an elm327 bluetooth adapter should allow you to use Torque Lite app and read CEL codes and live data. like this; https://www.amazon.com/Veepeak-Bluetooth-Automotive-Diagnostic-Vehicles/dp/B011NSX27A/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1508503657&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=subaru+veepeak

hmmm....so many things could cause power loss. If maintenance has been poor - catch up on that first. Then, scan for codes I guess. knock sensor can kill performance, clogged exhaust, many other things.

maybe it's like this? www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRxxkRQO4nU

well, good mechanics do, they have guidelines for determining if signals from various sensors are within expected ranges and they can look at live data from the car. For instance, if ambient temps are 50-60* overnight, there;s no way the temp sensor should be signaling the ECU that temp is 170* or w'ever first thing in the morning. The car may start, but it may not run well until it DOES warm-up to 170* or w'ever. but, we're not there with the car, and it may be tricky to leave the car overnight, plus minimum charges for diagnostics, blah, blah you SHOULD be able to find a shop that can troubleshoot the issues with the car. I'm just throwing out 1 idea - I could easily be wrong. in a new thread, you could post your sister's city asking for a recommendation. maybe someone knows a good indie mech. nearby.

not sure on a '96 if you have 1 or 2 temp sensors, if 2, the sensor with 2 wires 'could' be bad. newer models use one sensor with a 3 pin connector. Live Data would help narrow that down I think. just guessing right now. the sensor is on the cooling crossover on top of the engine. here's a '95 DIY; http://lovehorsepower.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=63 I also found this; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/10207-location-coolant-temperature-sensor-96-outback-2-2l.html

engine temp sensor may be bad - it's supposed to let the ECU know the engine is cold so it 'chokes' it with xtra fuel. what codes specifically? someone here may be able to make sense of them.

kinda sounds like bad spark plug wires. if they are moist, it takes a while for engine temps to dry them out.

oops - I guess I was think about cam pulleys or something. some folks HAVE had to thread those holes to pull the pulley off I think.

doh - confused

when I shopped it, new OEM was more expensive.

not uncommon but, usually older cars. there are replacements available, OEM can be pricey - or get a lightweight pulley like Perrin makes.

I don't pretend to understand all of it, I was shown that phenomenon by a gemologist once, to help with orienting topaz for faceting (it has one cleavage plane that causes it to polarize light going thru it, very difficult to polish parallel with the cleavage plane so, we try to avoid it) but, I never thought to ask WHY it it get brighter. as you say, how does light speed back up when it exits a diamond or other substance with high RI ? head asplode

mostly off topic but - so weird!

ask Kevin or Carl Abrams over at http://www.subaruoutback.org they are Subaru salesmen

hate to see folks jump to dumping good rotors if not needed. Of course, the brake system is fiddly enough that it's always good to inspect it. Things must be able to move evenly and center themselves under hydraulic force, but also release and float when not used. I have cured brake pulsing in 3 cars by left-foot dragging. Daughter's car took a second, more aggressive attempt. I did the wife's 03 once. Worked fine. If I'm not hard-driving on my WRX often enough, it will get a little uneven feeling and the technique brings it back to smooth for me. Could be the StopTech pads are different enough that they need aggressive use more regularly. That seems to be everyone's theory about them and my limited experience confirms it. (man, after I do the technique on my WRX, it really bites and modulates smoothly!) It's easy to try and safe - IF you select your road carefully, and make sure to do the cool-down run with no stops. You don't want to clamp hot pads onto a hot rotor. That's how 90% of the uneven pad material transfer issues start. An emergency-type stop followed by sitting at a light or RR crossing w'ever with hot pads in one spot on the rotor. If you MUST stop of course, do w'ever you need to to be safe. If possible, use the hand brake to hold the car at a light. (works on Subarus with the little drum/hat parking brake shoes - won't work if the p-brake use the regular pads) On my daughter's Impala, I could SEE the outline of a pad on the rotor through the wheels! I have a low-use highway service road near where I live that I can easily cruise down on a weekend morning to check for activity/cops. Then come back through and do any brake bedding-in or other runs I might need to do. Again, doesn't really take long and, if there's no sign of improvement or the problem gets worse, you probably need new rotors. I have read that under extreme condistions of overheating, the rotor alloy under the pad can alter to 'cementite' and the change goes far enough under the surface that even a lathe may not remove all of it. Modern brake rotors may only have a millimeter you can take off each side. I'd replace it instead of cutting it deeper than the minimum thickness - or maybe even getting 'close'.

If there's more than about 3mm left on the front pads and there's no sticking parts - I'd try left foot dragging the brakes for a coupla blocks while maintaining 30-40 mph. Then, drive 1/2 mile or more WITHOUT STOPPING to cool-down the brakes. If it helps, try it again or maybe investigate a more aggressive bedding-in procedure. If it gets worse, you may need a new rotor. 'warped' rotors are almost never 'potato-chipped' or non-parallel. They can develop uneven pad deposits which create a pulsing feeling. But, if the rotor's metal has been severely overheated in one spot, the alloy may not be cut-down enough to prevent the problem from coming back quickly. good info about it here; http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/bed-in-theory-definitions-and-procedures/brake-pad-bed-in

no question manuals are going extinct. And it even affects resale/residual value. I like driving my WRX, but it's probably the last stick I'll own.

dealers are often afraid to proceed on something odd so, contacting SOA is the best approach.

Forester /thread

it won't get better. General Disorder is a professional mechanic. Rebuilding the solenoid as he suggested is your best next move..