UMT

Thanks for the replies. That YouTube video I watched showed the gal (yes, a gal) pointing out where it was located, how to remove and replace. When she got it off, she pointed out that it had a hairline crack in the plastic and that's what was causing the problem. So, I've decided I'm going to pull mine, give it a careful inspection and cleaning, put some contact cleaner on the electrical connections and watch it for awhile. Big question: Why such a huge difference in price? Advanced wanted 82.00 for the cheapest one all the way to almost $150! I looked online at autopartswarehouse.com and they start at $30.00 and go up to $150.00.... What's the big difference? Obviously, my car has 186000 on it so I'm leaning towards a cheaper one. Tell me what's up with this.......... Thanks, UMT

I've been having a on/off check engine light going on for about 2 weeks. Though it was just that pesky gas cap but decided to go to Advance Auto and have a code reader put on it today. Computer says bad knock sensor. What is a knock sensor and what does it do? What kind of problems can a bad one cause? Watched a good YouTube video on replacing one so that's no big deal. 99 Impreza Outback Sport - EJ223 Engine - 186000 miles and running strong! Thanks, UMT

I had a similar problem. Bent a breaker bar. Rented a compressor and air gun and that didn't work. (Decent sized compressor too) Took a shot at renting an ELECTRIC impact wrench and those suckers come off in a jiffy... You can buy one fairly reasonable from Harbor Freight or rent one at a hardware store for about 20.00 a day. (or less) I now own one. Good luck. UMT

Ok, guys! 99 Impreza Outback Sport. Want to pull a small boat. I know all about tongue weights, etc. as I used to pull a small boat with my last Forester. There are all sorts of hitches out there and I'm wondering what brand you guys who have installed them would recommend. Thanks, UMT

I'm doing a little fixing up on my 99 Impreza Outback Sport and looking to buy some cans of spray paint to match the colors. I need more than a little 'touch up' bottle. Was at Advance Auto and AutoZone yesterday and they had cans of paint but I didn't have the paint codes with me and the book didn't show those colors available for my car. (Body: 6W2 Forest Green and Trim 810) Can anybody point out a good place online to buy some cans of spray paint? Thanks in Advance, UMT

Thanks! Found the dam thing! It was 'conveniently hidden' underneath the wiring harness junction! Didn't help that it was covered in 'road gunk' and wasn't yellow anymore! Ha. Oh well. Dipstick is yellow again. Full and nice and clean so I guess I'm not going to worry about it. Thanks again!

I pull all maintenance on my 99 OB Sport and recently just changed out the timing belt, all idlers, gears, etc... I consider myself a pretty decent mechanic. I just read the owners manual on checking the fluid level for a manual trans (5 sp) and the picture in the owners manual shows a 'yellow' dipstick on the passenger side of the engine. For the life of me, I cannot find the dam thing! I can see the trans, etc.. and have been looking all over and still can't find it. Checked both sides of the engine, looked at best I could under the air cleaner and no dipstick! Can someone tell me what I'm missing here??????? Thanks, UMT

I've been doing some reading this morning and it looks like I'ld be better off using a 'suction' cup puller. There are a couple out there that look interesting. Also, found a UTube video where a guy shows how to remove a dent using a hair dryer to heat the metal and 'massage' the dent out. Here's a link if anybody is interested: I'm going to experiment with these options and I'll let everyone know how it turns out. In the meantime, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, UMT

Hey folks! Well, I play in a Classic Rock band and was parked in a completely full parking lot last Friday nite and someone swiped the lower door panels (passenger side) and left some nice dents in them. There are no 'creases' and I'm thinking about removing the door panels and trying to pound out those dents a bit with a rubber mallet. (???????) Will I be able to get in there with a rubber mallet after I remove the door panels? If not, any ideas, hints, suggestions? The car is a 99 Outback Sport with 184k on it. Not worth having a body shop replace the door skins, repaint, etc.. Used to work in a body shop when I was a teenager, so I know a little bit about body repair. Any and all suggestions welcome! Thanks! UMT

While reading up on doing my first timing belt kit change for my 99 Impreza Outback Sport, (180K miles) I happened to read a post regarding Marvel Mystery Oil and adding it to oil change and gas tank. So, I changed the oil yesterday and added the recommended amount of MMM and also added the recommended amount to the gas tank. WOW! I had a VERY slight 'knocking' noise that I was starting to notice and it disappeared! Engine has always run good but now it seems a little quieter and is even seems to run a bit smoother. I've tried different types of oil, synthetic and otherwise, and this is the first time I thought something deserved a post. Especially with a higher mileage car, this stuff sure can't hurt.

Yeah, checked the AC when I did the job but going to check it again. All new parts: belt, idlers, idler gear, belt tensioner. The only thing I didn't check was the oil pump.

I hope this hasn't been covered by one of the other timing belt posts but.... I posted on the board that I changed the timing belt a couple weeks ago. Full kit. Everything was fine except the idler gear bearing was shot to hell. All new parts installed. Checked the water pump and it seemed just fine. Originally thought I had a alternator bearing going out and was due for an alternator anyway, so replaced with a NAPA alternator with 3 year warranty. Was real happy with how the job went. No major problems except I thought the timing belt was REAL tight. Checked the number of teeth vs. the old belt and the teeth count was the same: 223 I'm now noticing a slight high pitched 'whirring' noise in the timing belt area. Pulled the alternator and ran it over the weekend and eliminated the alternator as a possible cause. Checked 3 different parts houses for a timing belt the the car. (99 Impreza Outback Sport - J223 engine) All of the belts available have the same specs: 223 teeth, apx 70" diameter. Called my buddy at the Subaru dealer this morning. Gave him the full VIN # and he checked and told me there was only one timing belt available for the car. Same specs. Another friend who is an excellent pro mechanic told me that it's not unusual to get a small amount of oil on a belt when replacing and they will make this type of noise for awhile. The noise does seem to be decreasing but I'm now VERY aware of any noise at all coming from the timing belt area. It's not very loud at all, but I have noticed it. Anybody else ever have this 'problem' or any idea of what's happening? Thanks in advance...

I did the 'carfax' thing before I bought the car and all it really shows is who owned the car. From the looks of things, I do believe the timing belt, idlers, water pump, etc. were all replaced. I could have actually just replaced the worn/damaged idler gear. I'm still glad I bought a good kit and now I know for sure what's in there. Also glad I learned how to do it myself as it turned out to be not all that big of a deal doing the actual work. For those who are going to do this the first time, all I can say is STUDY, make sure you have the tools you are going to need, the right parts, take your time and trust the advice of the good folks on this forum! There are apparently slight differences between the J222 engine and the J223. For instance, all the pictures I looked at regarding replacing the timing belt showed a belt tensioner with 2 bolts. Mine only has one. Also, the instructions that came with the kit mentioned 2 timing belts, one being slightly larger than the other. (Having more teeth) The box said it was for a 222/223 so I trusted it as it had the same number of teeth as the one that was in it, which I'm fairly certain was replaced at a Subaru dealership. All I know is that the car runs like a top again! And, if I have any issues in the future, I now have a few 'spare parts' that are in good condition and can easily get back in there if I have to. Love my Subi!

Yeah, I replaced the tensioner also as it came with the kit. As this was my first time, (sigh) the number of miles on the car and my only means of transportation, I wasn't going to play around. It all got replaced except the water pump which I did take a part, listened to with a mechanic stethoscope and it seemed fine. At this point, now that I know how to do this, if I had to do it again, it would be easy. My only concern now is that the belt went on VERY tight. I was reading another thread this morning where a too tight belt (poorly manufactured) ended up being the ultimate cause of a noise issue. I was concerned about this as I did the job so I actually counted the teeth on the new vs. the old and they were exactly the same. Also compared all bearings/gears to the old and they were the same so I just kept on trucking. Actually tried replacing the old belt and it was just as tight so I ended up using the new belt. I bought this car with 105k miles on it and from what I was able to find out, all the maintenance on the car was handled by the Subaru dealer at recommended intervals. But now I'm wondering if a too tight belt was the ultimate cause of the idler gear blowing out? So, I'm going to keep a close eye on it for noises. I bought the parts from Advance Auto and they all carry a 12/12000 mile warranty so if I have to get back in there again, I will. Any thoughts on this 'too tight' timing belt thing? Thanks, UMT

Well, boys (and girls?) SUCCESS! New timing belt kit went in like a piece of cake! Had a idler gear that was TOTALLY shot. Found bearings, metal shavings etc. in the bottom of the timing belt cover. It's a wonder it ran at all and I didn't mess a bunch of other stuff up. Actually, that was the only thing wrong but I replaced it all! Sure glad I learned how to do this as I refuse to buy anything but Subaru's. This one should be good for another 180K. Ha. Thanks to all for your help and advice! UMT

Thanks to everyone! It's a manual tranny. I think as this is my first time, (I'm a virgin! Ha) I'll just drain the radiator and pull it. Been looking at it and doesn't seem to be a huge operation. Am also going to pull the water pump also as this may be part of the problem. I REALLY appreciate everyone's feedback! Thanks, UMT

Ok, I've done my homework and ready to get started on replacing my timing belt, etc.. tomorrow morning. I was reading a thread on the forum regarding whether or not it is necessary to remove the radiator or just the fan system and I would like to hear current input. 99 Impreza Outback Sport - EJ223 - with A/C... It won't do me much good to remove the radiator by itself as I still have the A/C 'radiator' in front of it. (I haven't looked at it real closely yet but I don't see a way to remove the A/C without losing the refrigerant????) I would like to simply remove the fan system but I am concerned whether or not I'll have enough room to see the lineup of the timing belt, etc.. I really could use some input on this aspect of the job. Thanks, UMT

Started developing a 'whirring' noise a couple weeks ago. It got worse and I would have sworn the bearing on the alternator were going at 186k... No big deal as I was planning on installing a new one soon anyway just due to it's age. Installed new alternator. No help. Checked AC/Water pump and noise is still there. Now it's turned into a 'knocking' noise that really seems to hit around 2500 rpm. This car hasn't ever used a drop of oil but I thought I'ld better check and damn, it's down about 1 1/2 quarts. Added oil. No help. No oil spots on floor of garage, etc... Can anyone give me any ideas on what the issue might be? Also, unhooked negative battery cable while changing out the alternator and now the turn signals are blinking on and off until I start the car. I can for the life of me remember how I reset that as I've done it before. Help! (Getting old and feeble. Ha) Appreciate any/all ideas and Thanks in advance. UMT

Just wanted to let everybody who may have been curious: Had the tires installed this morning and they fit and work just fine. No issues. I'm ready for snow, baby! Thanks for every bodies input. UMT

I believe they originally came off or were intended to go on a Ford Taurus... It was my friends sons car and he got in an accident and I don't think they actually made it onto the car. When I first looked at them, I thought they were they exact same size as my Suby tires but just noticed the difference tonight. Getting old, eyesight going to hell! I've examined the specs but I'll check the things you mentioned.

I'm sorry, it's a 1999 Impreza Outback Sport...

Ok, I found a tire size comparison and it appears that it is a slightly larger diameter and will probably show 2 MPH slower than the stock tire. Other than that, I don't see a problem with the other dimensions. Anyone see any problems?

I want to put a set of snow tires on my Subaru Impreza Outback for over the winter. The current tires are a P205/R60 15". My buddy had a set of used snow tires and they are a P205/R65.. Can anybody tell me what the difference is. I'm thinking the R65 are a little larger???? Any problems with using them for the winter months? Thanks, UMT

My rear defogger on my '99 Outback Sport only works on the top portion of the rear window. The 'wires' look great, no damage, etc... I'm wondering if I remove the little electrical plug in the window and spray it with some contact cleaner if that might bring the rest of the window back. Anybody have any experience and/or quick fixes/ideas for me? Thanks, UMT

Well, pulled the ground cable. Let it set for 35 minutes. Started it up and........................... it runs like a champ again! Thanks Everybody!