1 Lucky Texan

superb post. Carl

Well, does it still work well enough to get you to work? maybe unplugging the MAF or something would at least force it into 'limp' mode such that you might be able to drive it until you can afford to take it to a mechanic/dealership. Do you still have the old Temp Sensor? Can you measure its resistance and compare it to the new one?(unplugged of course). Also confirm that the leads are not shorted to its body or, the same lead is, on each one,etc. Buying another used car does guarantee you won't have similar or worse problems - they just may be different problems. Plus, your present car would not be very attractive to someone as is.

web? Carl

this thread (for a '97 I think) has some ohmmeter tests. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40929&highlight=temp+sensor+voltage there are quite few threads on temp sensor , engine temp sensor and coolant temp sensor. You may need to read a lot to find more troubleshooting approaches. Carl

Didn't Subaru move the thrust bearing at some point in the design to stop crank walk? seems like I remember reading that somewhere - but it may have been way back in the 80s or something. Carl

At this point, that's a reasonable suggestion. I'd do that before assuming the new Temp Sensor was also bad. Anyone have any idea of voltage readings he could take at the temp sensor? maybe a voltmeter could at least confirm the sensor is good. I guess the 21 code comes back after the ECU is cleared? If so, it may be time to suspect the ECU itself in addition to a wiring issue. weird Carl

I'll let you look for yourself - but if this link is right for your car, you're not gonna like what it says; http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/80s/specs/ecucodes.html Carl

Oh yeah, I had 'grey' wheels after track day! Carl

It might fit in the back of your Brat! hahahahaha! Carl

...in case its been missed - sorry if WTLW http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RARE-1970-SUBARU-360-PICK-UP_W0QQitemZ4643071538QQcategoryZ6467QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just be a little more vigilant for a few days. One thing, it's usually not a good idea to start the car with the gas pedal depressed. I've read it can confuse the ECU. Do you normally need to hold the pedal down any to start the car? ('clear flood' - flooring it is different) Carl

I had been thinking about ceramics and wondering if they were as low dust as folks say. I don't care if a pad is noisy - but I want it to be AT LEAST as effective, cold and hot, as OEM but would be willing to pay xtra for low dust and/or light colored dust (I have a white car and white wheels) Will ceramics 'bed in' on a used rotor or MUST they be 'turned' flat or new? Carl

thanx Captain Buzzkill! sigh.... lol! Carl

Reducing spinning mass will free up a few ponies for better acceleration mostly. Rolling resistance is tire related. For most of us, it comes down to a compromise between looks ,strength and weight. I saved about 3.5 pounds per corner - can't say I really felt the difference, but I like the way the car looks. Ultimately, if you don't get the ones that appeal to you, you might regret it. Carl

My fear is you may have 2 problems. One related to the IAC mechanism or TPS or something. And the other - I dunno, A/C fan control relay or a bad wiring harness or ECU??? sorry - just wild guesses maybe your car has some diagnostic connecters that will give you 'blink' code? Carl

I thoght this was gonna be the ragtop? ;

http://www.boxer4racing.com no connection, just a happy customer Carl

That gizmo might lead to more knocking - I'd be careful. Reducing rotating mass is a double win situation, less general weight and less rev-robbing mass - lighter rims do that PLUS reduce unsprung weight - triple win right there. Add the likelihood of improving/customizing the looks of your car - it's a no brainer. I upgraded my rims and saved 3.5 pounds per corner. If you have a MT, a lighter flywheel will help. Any other weight reduction will help. If you can tolerate the risks, run without your spare and jack/tool kit. Only keep 1/4-1/3 tank of gas. gas weighs -what? about 7 lbs per gallon? Do you NEED the rear and passenger seats? ( yeah, I know) seriously, rule of thumb says losing 8-11 pounds(I've read both numbers - probably depends on a ratio of power wieght at stock weight) is good for one hp. There are 1/4 mile calculation simulatoers on line where you can ebter the specifics of you car. Then you can play around with lower weight numbers and see the difference. Carl

I THINK my wife's '03 OBW has some kinda connectors under the door sill that will enable an auto-locking feature but I've never investigated it. Maybe the dealership will know or try emailing Joe at http://www.cars101.com Carl

My WRX came with it as an installed option I bought. I thought it was a bolt on - but '97 could be a lot different from '06 I guess. And it's 1 1/4" the number one installer of hitches in the US is U-Haul. I dunno if they have to drill or not. good luck Carl

No drilling mentioned here; http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp?model=Legacy&category=hitch&year=1997&make=Subaru&t1=&h=e have you emailed Jamie at www.subarugenuineparts.com to ask if the OEM hitch requires drilling? carl

Yeah, the auto is subject to ADDITIONAL abuse by improper maintenance - that likely is why it seems to be mentioned more often. And myabe sales of ATs is higher? dunno keep in mind, if you do have to buy tires a little sooner than you'd like, it really isn't a total waste - you're getting NEW tires! And, with AWD, you likely would have better performance with cheap tires than a 2WD car with expensive tires. So just get 'value' tires and rotate them. Carl

One issue that hasn't been emphasized is the TYPE of driving being done on 'mismatched' tires. I'd expect surface streets, stop&go, or especially wet weather, gravel, etc. to be very forgiving of mismatched tires because any torque building up in the drive train has lots of opportunities to relieve itself. Driving on smooth, hard, dry pavement at highway speeds for long periods of time may be more destructive. Also, it may be possible to have the new tires 'shaved' a little to bring them to a closer circumference. Or one might run slightly less tire pressure to reduce the 'effective' radius - though of course that could lead to handling problems if taken to an extreme. (Cliff Notes) if you don't want to gamble with your drivetrain, rotate your tires and change all 4. if you must get a single new tire, shave it to match circumference to the other 3. Carl

I've had good luck buying from jamie (subiegal) at www.subarugenuineparts.com so far. They offer '6 packs' of oil filters with washers for the drain plug as well as other OEM parts and maintenance stuff. I THINK there are replacement mirrors in the aftermarket - probably cheaper than OEM - dunno. There are other good vendors on-line too. try a search or maybe someone else will respond. If you buy after market filters, Try to find Purolater filters. decent value. Most people sya Fram is inferior but I think the 'Toughgard'/whatever midline quality might be OK - just Fram's cheapest is - well cheap. I don't think K&N is quite as bad as some folks make out - I'm just not convinced it really gives you much advantage over a quality paper filter - plus, if you're not very careful about re-oiling it, damage can occur to a MAF equipped car. This is just based on reading. I have no experience with K&N on a soob. I did once use an oiled filter(amsoil) on a Datsun. It was OK I guess. If you have done any repair work or made adjustments to the car since you got it, be sure to try resetting the ECU by disconnecting the neg. batt. terminal, stepping on the brake pedal, wait 20-30 minutes, and reconnecting the battery. It's possible the surging will be fixed. If not, maybe an O2 sensor is getting lazy or something? Carl

oh yeah, the oil ? Oil is one of those issues that might start an argument, but I think you'd be safe starting with just about any 5w-30 oil. If you experience leakage or unusual noises/usage, or plan some 'severe' usage for your vehicle. get back to us and someone will have more specific suggestions. Also, there's interesting reading at www.bobistheoilguy.com Carl