renyo

Hmmm... well, like I said the clutch felt fine (whatever good that might mean for the compressor), so if it can survive through this semester I'd prefer not to have to tackle it yet. On the other hand, how much of a pita is it to replace? If I were in VA still I'd probably just say screw it and just run it w/o AC but FL makes that choice a little harder. Cool, thanks! I'll probably look into the junkyard first though -- I'm assuming if it comes down to the compressor, shipping might be a nice chunk. Either way, I'll let you know!

Can you replace it by itself (w/o replacing the compressor)? I decided that the sound of metal scraping wasn't a good noise to be coming from the engine, so I investigated and found the a/c idler pulley was undoubtedly on its way out. While attempting to check it however, my brain stopped functioning and I started undoing the long bolt without undoing the pulley bolt first and broke the plastic mounting piece. In the process of dealing with that problem I figured I'd spin the compressor pulley since it was there and no longer attached to the crankshaft. The pulley spins pretty freely, but sounds only slightly better than the idler pulley. The clutch part of the compressor spins relatively easily, although you can definitely tell it's connected to something. I'm assuming the clutch part is alright, but the pulley (bearing) might be dying. I'd prefer not to have to replace the compressor or clutch mechanism if I don't have to, which leads me to my question..... Can you replace the compressor pulley without replacing the compressor entirely?

Axle replacement is really easy actually.. my mechanical skills are horrible and I did it. I replaced mine with an aftermarket axle because I'm a poor and the junkyards didn't have anything useful. I agree on getting the Subaru one. If I had to do it again.. ok, well I still would've had no money, but you get the idea... What grossgary said pretty much sums it up, although I'd mark it with white out or something instead of a chisel (unless theres an advantage I'm unaware of). My axle nut was on there really good. Making things worse is the fact that I hit a pot hole really bad once and my axle nut had unstaked itself and rotated itself around the axle (or at least that's the only reason I can think why that specific axle would have done that and not the other ones). Since I didn't have any air tools and only a 2 ft breaker bar, I couldn't get it off. I resorted to using the car scissor jack on the end of the breaker bar to finally get it unstuck. Don't know how good it was on there, but it took significantly more force than was required to normally lift the car up, that's for damn sure. My axle was also kind of a pita to get out of the hub due to space issues, but that could also be because I think one that was in there before was an aftermarket one. Aside from my stupidity involving trying to knock the pin out with a rubber mallet (probably about 45 minutes), and my issues with the axle nut (probably wasted about 45 minutes on that too), it was pretty easy and probably would've taken like 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I was surprised how easy it was after everything was said and done.

Hi everyone, I joined this site awhile ago but I never really came on much, 1/2 cause of school and 1/2 cause I have a 98 Impreza and a lot of the stuff around here is for the older models. Anyways, I went to Ocala National Forest Saturday and had a lot of fun messing around in sand that was way too deep. That reminded me of this place again so I figured I'd come back and say hi again... And see how many people live around the Orlando area. So, uh.. hi.

Thanks for all the replies.. As for the snorkus, I've been reading and it doesn't seem like it's that big of a hassle... I would just try removing the entire thing and sealing up the hole in the engine compartment, but I drive through lots of water sometimes, and I'd be worried about water getting into the engine if it was just sucking in air from the fender.. Seems like there's a bunch of stuff that is interchangeable, anyone know a way to tell if something will actually work in my car (that's from another car) before I buy it? Because I'd perfer not to buy it, realize it isn't compatable, and be stuck with it.. Yeah, that's another thing, it's a slushbox, so there's also so much I can do.. went over to www.boxer4racing.com, I think I'm going to be spending a little bit of time there. As far as I know, it just says stay above 87 octane... Not looking for insane amounts of horsepower as I know the car isn't even gonna be that powerful (without quite a complicated and expensive things being done to it). Also, looking for anything that'll make the boxer sound..umm.. more boxery? Anyways, yeah, thats why I was kinda interesting in the intake delete elbow thingy. Thanks again..

I have a 98 Impreza L Coupe, (2.2L, n/a) and I've noticed there's not a lot of stuff that's sold that says it will specifically fit my car. I'd like to think that some things are interchangeable with mods for other cars (I'd hate to think the L and the 2.5RS are completely different that nothing would be interchangeablel between them). Right now I'm looking at two things specifically: the snorkus delete elbow (which says for 02-04 wrx), and a rear sway bar somewhere. The elbow I can understand if it didn't work, being the wrx is slightly </sarcasm> different, but it would be cool if it did. The rear sway bar would be nice to have to kill the understeer a little and I'd hope somewhere out there there would be one that'd fit. Also another quick question on the elbow, I accidently put the air box back together wrong last time when I was changing the filter (so there was a little crack between the top and bottom of the housing) and the car sounded like it roared a little bit more, any idea how much the elbow (or just making one) would compare to that? Thanks P.S.: if anyone remembers my other post about my car, we got it fixed but I had to go back to college so there wasn't a lot of time to say anything about it, but whoever guessed MAF sensor got it right..

Wow.. thanks for all the help. I am going to try to see what I can do next with my next paycheck. The Sub dealer at last inspection (free - my.subaru ) said the alternator belt is also "cracked", and if I want to take the car to college, I've been told I've gotta get it back up to snuff. The belt isn't causing any noticable problems driving, but I don't know if I'd be able to notice anyways. Transmission fluid seems cheap enough, so I might do that first (just went down and looked at it.. I think that'll be getting done very soon). We found some place that would replace the fuel filter (with the one we bought) for 40 dollars and got it done in about an hour from drop off so I went ahead and did the easy thing and let them do it. Next time I have to replace it however I'll try it myself. That being said, the car runs a little better (seems to actually stall less, but will get near enough just the same). Went down to Advance Auto Parts and erased/rescanned the engine... CEL popped up again with the MAF low input code bout 3 seconds into running. I've been thinking that if changing the fuel filter didn't work (if I didn't have any more ideas I'd consider replacing the MAF but that's rather expensive). Can't believe I forgot the miles.. it's at a little over 57000... so the looming 60k is coming up soon... just dying in anticipation. [end sarcasm]. As for the Haynes and Chilton manuals... I looked and they have manuals for the 98 Legacy I believe and some of the older Imprezas but nothing for my year which is why I asked if the 98 is close enough to any of the other years for it to be useful. Car seemed to be running fine on Sam's Club gas before but who knows. -- renyo

I hope a new fuel filter will help. I know I shouldn't have let the gas get that low, but trust me, it wasn't by choice. Just reset the ECU (unplugged the battery for half an hour, that's it, right?) CEL acts like it's been cleared but something triggers it again. Seems to idle a little better but still stalls with the A/C on and still has the other problems. If anyone knows how to change the fuel filter (step by step kinda stuff) or know where I can go to get that info, I could try to do it myself. It look simple enough anyways. -- renyo

First, hi everyone... Ever since I started actually reading up on the Impreza that kinda fell into our (mom and mine's) lap, I've been enamored with Subarus. Anyways, I found this board and it looked cool. Two things... one, I'd like to learn a little more about the older Subarus. ..and two... The little Impreza (98 Impreza L Coupe, 4EAT, stock.. brilliant red.. except the spoiler) has a few problems, or one real one that's screwing up everything else... Last friday, the roo had about an 1/8 of a tank of gas left and would start but wouldn't stay on. I assumed it wasn't getting enough gas for one reason or another and we put some more gas in it and it started and stayed on. After the car started up, the AT oil temp light was blinking, the engine light was on, and the car was running very rough. (A/C didn't work, but it was like that for a while.. and it's fixed now.) Until about 3500 or so RPMs, the engine will bounce around in speeds, will hesitate on acceleration sometimes, and more recently will stall when it's cold (the engine, not the weather) or if the A/C is on. I read the codes, pulled a p0102/3 (maf sensor high and low input..), and a misfire on all four cylinders. The saturday after that it was still doing the same thing, so the spark plugs got replaced with some Autolites. I quickly realized that was a bad thing and the next day replaced them with NGK plugs. Engine seemed like it ran a tiny bit better and the misfire codes went away, but still had it's problems. Went to the subaru dealer, he said it might be the gas (using Sam's Club), so I put some 93 grade in there from Wawa (forgot wether they have that on the west coast, but someone around here knows what that is). Anyways, again, ran a little bit better but still had the same problems. Still had the MAF code, so I decided let's take my first foray into auto repair by cleaning it. Pulled it out, sprayed it off with a little carb/choke cleaner from Advance Auto, put it back together and still have the same problems, but the A/C worked (apparently the last people to mess with the intake didn't take care in putting the intake back together and one of the hoses got bent in as opposed to wrapping around which I assume killed the vaccuum... for the A/C anyways.) and the engine sounds a bit deeper. A couple of days after that, the A/C died again so I recleaned the MAF (didn't expect it to help) and replaced the air filter. Found out later that night, one of the vaccuum hoses came loose again. Anyways, I have a new fuel filter in it's box in the car, and we're trying to find someone to replace it. (Mom won't let me try to replace it myself because of my lack of car skills, so I can't really do anything about it. We don't have a garage either, so it's not like I have a place to do it anyways.) If replacing the fuel filter doesn't work, I have no idea what might be wrong with the car, and am open to any suggestions anyone has. As for maintenance on the car, it's had oil changes until about beginning of 2003 and a few in 2004. When we got it (April 2003) we didn't have the money or the knowledge to get anything done except an oil change a couple times. That being said, all of the fluids could stand to be replaced. (Someone said that replacing the AT fluid might get the AT oil temp light to stop blinking when the car turns on and I'm inclined to agree.) Sorry the post was kinda long but I have no idea whats wrong with the car and I figure if anyone wants to take a guess at it I wanted them to have all the info they needed. Also, last question. Does anyone know of a repair shop in Southeastern VA that knows about Subarus?.. Actually, this is the last question... does anyone know where I could go to get a repair manual for my car? Chilton and Haynes don't make a version specifically for the year of my car. If anyone knows if any of the other year Impreza repair manuals would work for my car, that would help. It's got the EJ22 engine, N/A. Any help would be greatly appreciated... just wanna get my roo running back to normal, thanks. -- renyo p.s.: I know nothing of car repair except how to turn a screw, but am more than willing to learn if anyone wants to tell me how to fix something myself. Although I doubt I'll be able to do anything that can fix this.