DirtyMech

PROBLEM SOLVED. I was examining the two position sensors and found that the crankshaft position sensor connector was loose from age and wear and from when I did the valve job. A couple pieces of electrical tape later and the problem has disappeared, no parts required, and just as the first couple trouble codes indicated. Lesson learned: those position sensors are very important!

So I've just experienced the problem first-hand, and it is most similar to a clogged fuel filter, but the problem only manifests itself when the car is hot, and my fuel filter is brand new. Driving down the freeway with the heat on between 2000 and 2500 rpm, and the car runs fine. High RPMs will cause hesitation and hiccuping, and idling in traffic will kill the car. It comes back to life once cool. This sounds like a bad camshaft sensor to everyone? I see my car only has one sensor. I will replace it unless someone has a different diagnosis.

Thank you for all the replies! Yes I changed the pulleys and idlers and tensioner, I got a quality kit that included all those things plus the water pump and a spacer and such. The belt has slack but its not loose. I didnt measure the deflection, but the entire belt tested at one point seemed as taut or a bit less taut than your typical drive belt, half an inch to three quarters, but still I dont recall that much slack, at the time I installed it. It was super tight at the time of installation. Im probably just remembering it wrong. It did not really seem in danger of slipping but if there is a way to test the tensioner, I will give it a shot. I will remove the covers and check the timing, but it seemed to be running fine after it cooled off, not like the timing was off by a tooth (that would be simimar to running an engine with one dead spark plug, eh?). Montana tom, thanks for the expert diagnosis, it sounds like that could be it. After checkijgnthe belt, I will just replace the cam sensor outright if its affordable, or grab a junk yard one if its not.

My 2000 Subaru EJ25 chomped its valves after the timing belt went out about a year ago. I replaced the valves and timin belt myself, no machine shop, and its been running for almost a year now just fine until this afternoon, the car sputtered and stopped suddenly after my friend drove it. The symptoms were like a bad alternator or bad valve adjustment, refusing to start again, and after sitting a while it started up during a jumpstart then dying shortly afterwards. But when I examined it several hours later, the battery was fully charged, the alternator ok, and it started just fine. But the oil was extremely low, and I had seven engine codes: P0335-336 (Camshaft Position Sensor circuit), P0325 (Knock sensor) and P0301-304 (cylinder misfires). I checked the timing belt and it seemed ok, no damage, although the healthy slack in thr belt made me wonder if it could have skipped a tooth or something, but it seemed tense enough to do its job. Could the low oil hav done it? It was almost a quart short. Or could it be a timing belt tensioner issue, or valve adjustment issue? All help is appreciated!

I did not notice any side play when lapping and installing the valves but I will double check. I made very sure to get no compoun in the valve stems. I do not yet have the rocker arms installed because I am doing the job with the engine in car, but I will be sure to follow your advice when I get to that point. Right now I am suspecting the permatex compound sucks, so I am getting some fine grit compound. I will probably use the 220 grit by Versachem but the 280 and 400 grit by Locktite Clover looks even better, so I will get that if its available.

Dealership. I'm pretty sure it's the only place to get it and have it programmed properly. They use the newer click remote, a teardrop-shaped one. I got the newer one when my old one busted. Old: vs. New:

Okay so I think I may have resolved this problem. I'm not sure exactly what I did that may have resolved it, but here's the data: - I found a hose that was slightly raised above, and therefore slightly pinched, by it's plastic half-ring retainer. According to the Endwrench article on "Vehicle Won't Take Fuel" (found posted by a member in the thread link in the top post), "Hose obstructions that appear as small as spider webs can cause refueling problems." So this may have been what resolved the issue. - I banged the crap out of my rusty overfill protection valve at the top of the gas filler neck. Hoped this may have loosened anything that was stuck inside. - I removed the charcoal cannister (or brick, to be precise) and the vapor shutoff valve and tested its function. I found that it worked in test mode, and that it sealed fully, and that the Ohm reading was between 28 and 31. According to this video which recreates what I did, the proper Ohm reading is 30 to 50. I don't think the vapor valve had anything to do with my problem based on thse observations: - I blew into any hose I could detach and tried to see if there were any obstructions. I may have knocked some crud looes in the process. - After doing all this I put everything back together and drove down to the gas station. Was able to refuel from a 1/4 tank to a 3/4 tank without the damn thing clicking off. This is good evidence but not conclusive proof that the problem has been resolved, as I have not been able to do this for a long time, if ever. I'll fill the rest of the tank later this evening to see if the fix has remained. I noticed that I have not heard the "sucking" sound of a vaccum seal being broken when refuling in the past, but when I removed the gas cap after driving around today, I did hear the slightest sound of a vacuum seal being broken. BUT - After all this work, the computer is now throwing me a P0325 code (knock sensor), so now I'm going to have to fix that one. Go figure.

Thanks Fairtax! Okay, I will call a parts dealer on Monday and check the product to see if it is built into the neck. I could try to find a replacement at Pick N Pull too... In the meantime, is there any way to test to see if the valve is functioning properly? Also curious to know if I can change the neck without lowering the tank. xD I found an old thread on our mystery valve. It looks to be a fuel filler neck valve or fuel cut-off valve: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/127154-fuel-filler-neck-what-is-that-thing-on-the-side-called/ Here is also some conversation advising AGAINST replacing the plast filler neck cover due to its role in causing rust to form: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/95285-help-rust-ate-my-fuel-filler-neck/

So here's what I've done since last post: - Checked the USRM for related entries: none found. - Realized my Haynes manual covers 90-98 but not my 1999 model, which has the EVAP under the rear of the car. - Searched Oreilly, Autozone, and Active Auto Parts (online) to try and ID this part; unsuccessful. No filler neck for sale seems to include this valve either, although there is a space for it on the neck. - Still Searching online for a Diagram that might name what is this part / rusty valve on my filler neck. Starting to get desperate here. Any info in the right direction is appreciated.

(Note: I've been searching the forums more and found this related post, although not seeming much more helpful than the other) http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/93486-is-it-my-vent-valve-cant-fill-gas/ So I've removed the rear right tire and the cover for the fuel filler neck. Found a lot of mud / dirt around the top of the neck and heavy rusting. I suspect the heavily rusted (purge?) valve may be faulty in this case. and I may even need to replace the filler neck because the rust has corroded the parts for connecting the valve. Can anyone answer the following? 1) What is the name / part # for this valve? 2) How can I test its operation? 3) Do I need to remove the neck or tank to replace this valve? I see there is a nut on the far side that is difficult to reach. 4) Will I likely need to replace the filler neck as well due to the heavy rusting? Thanks for all input! Pic 1: This is the top of the filler neck and the heavily-corroded valve can be seen on it's side. Pic 2: Zoom Back View Pic 3: All the Dirt from around the Valve. Done by bugs? I also found this cool YouTube video on the same problem. But it's a Toyota. I wonder if Subaru has a comparable part causing this. I may remove the charcoal cannister/brick box and see if I can find any clogged parts if I get desperate:

Hey All, I've got a 1999 Subaru Outback Wagon LTD 2.5L, MT, Dark Green, 190,000 miles. I live in California but the car is probably from out-of-state - had to install a second cat to pass smog. Since I've owned it, it has had a hard time taking fuel. This means that when I try to fill up the gas tank, the nozzle keeps clicking off as if the tank is full. I've noticed that if I pull up the rubber cover around the gas nozzle while fueling, so that any excess air pressure can escape from the tank, the overfill safety is less likely to be tripped and click off the nozzle. I assume this is some kind of EVAP or fuel vapor issue. I searched the forum, and the problem is more or less identical to this gentleman who owns a 2005 Legacy: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/131472-trouble-getting-fuel-in/ Now comes the issue. I'm trying to smog (and sell) my vechile for top dollar and need this issue resolved. However, my CEL is on and a trouble code came up which I believe is strongly related to this problem: P1443 - EVAP Control System Vent Control Function Problem - according to http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/ I am looking over my Haynes manual of my book, as well as the previous forum thread, for things to troubleshoot and will update this thread as I conduct troubleshooting tests and learn further information. However, if anyone is familiar with this particular problem and its symptoms, I would appreciate some clues. =) Cheers

There were three batteries: Mine His The Marquis The Marquis battery was dead and set aside. His battery was used in the Marquis. Mine was used in my car while my car was running to jump his battery while it was in the Marquis I had him attach the Marquis positive, then my positive and negative, then the Marquis negative when we were jumping. Not sure if that's a proper order but I heard something to that effect when I was trained. It's been a while. xP Now that I know about the Hydrogen thing (Yikes!) I will certainly have the last negative go on the chassis every time I jump a vehicle.

Hey guys, I need some help on a judgment call here; I may or may not owe my buddy some money. I went with him to help diagnose a car that had been sitting for over a year, a 91 Grand Marquis 5.0L. The car's battery hadn't been disconnected so of course it was dead. I said "Hey, let's use the battery out of your 93 Legacy (2.2L)." So we did. His car was much smaller than the Marquis and it required that I jump the Marquis with my own car while his fully charged battery was in the Marquis. The Marquis ran for a grand total of 15 seconds, revved up high several times by my friend, before I pulled the jumper cables off, after which the Marquis died at idle speed. We assumed the car was good but just needed a new battery. After replacing his battery into his car, he was not able to start it. So I gave him a jump. After he got home and parked, he was not able to get the car to start again. He put the battery on a charger for a couple hours and got it to start again, but after parking it the battery would not start the engine. He thinks the battery may have died due to improper use as a testing battery for the much larger Grand Marquis 5.0. Is this possible? I knew the battery size was different but I never imagined that the Marquis would be able to destroy a battery in 15 seconds just because it was meant for a smaller vehicle. But if this is true I should pay him for a replacement or at least half of one; the battery appeared old and is almost certainly out of warranty. Advice?

Yeah I already flushed it very thoroughly though; has anyone ever heard of an advanced flushing technique that requires "injecting" the hydraulic clutch system? I really wish I could do this at my house. Maybe that black stuff I saw in the master cylinder earlier was deteriorated rubber from a seal rubbed too far past its limit point. So are you suggesting I should keep the pedal adjustment point where it is currently even after fixing the main issue, in order to prevent seal deterioration?

Just talked to the mechanic who sold me the vehicle; he's gonna take a look at it in a week when I have my day off. He sounds like a real good guy, I think he'll have no problem figuring out what it is. He thinks it's not properly bled; it needs to be "injected" in some way to get all the air out, he says. Hope that's what's going on. Can't wait to be done with this problem. xP

Well I replaced my slave and master cylinders with a new set and the problem is largely the same. The only difference is that the pedal doesn't go soft when I press on it slowly anymore, so that's at least one point of progress. But I still have to adjust the pedal to the very end of the master cylinder's threaded shank. Also, something I forgot to mention; there is a squeaking sound coming from the clutch that occurs when the engine is running but the pedal is not being touched. It becomes a little more high-pitched as engine speed is increased, but if the pedal is depressed slightly the squeak disappears. Any ideas on what might be causing this? At this point it's pretty clear it's not the hydraulic system; it has to be part of the clutch assembly itself. Perhaps the bearing has fallen off the fork or come apart? The car can still shift it just has a squeak problem and the pedal has to be adjusted to its maximum position. I'd like to resolve this problem in the event it could be causing excess wear on the new clutch.

Figures. Thanks for the info John, that's good to know. Hopefully that's the cause of my problems xP

Awesome Edrach, that's good to know about the clutch play, because mine definitely has some. I talked to the guys at Oreilly (wish they had kept to calling themselves Kragen) and they are going to order both parts for me as a trade-in for no charge. So after two new master and slave cylinders it should be possible to narrow down what the hell is causing my clutch to work half-assed. The clutch master and slave cylinder part numbers are CS2552 and CM1475, just for reference. This problem has been hampering me for a long time, really hope I can resolve it without a clutch job... HEY! By the way, does anyone have a quick description of the proper way to flush the clutch system? I've got the Haynes manual for the Legacy up to 1998 but mine is a 1999 and apparently has a different type of clutch system. The 1998 and earlier apparently need to have the front jacked up and the slave cylinder is located at the bottom of the transaxle housing (the manual suggests)? Mine all appears to be located at the top of the engine and is easy to access. The master and slave cylinder both have bleeder valves, and I've been flushing it by doing the slave, then the master, then the slave again just to be thorough, but perhaps there is something I'm missing? Probably not but thought I'd just throw it out there.

Yes the hose and a couple metal ring-style gaskets were about $30 at the dealer, a very good price considering the source. BUT I installed the parts and there has been no change in my situation. I flushed the clutch lines again and the problem is the same. But I think it may be the master or slave cylinder that is still giving me problems, despite the fact that both have been replaced recently and here's why: I have identified that the pedal goes soft when I press on it SLOWLY. If I push it down quickly it is much more stiff, I am able to disengage the clutch with relative ease, and I do not lose pressure over time, although the pedal is still not as stiff as it should be. Doesn't that suggest that one of the replacement cylinders I got is a faulty part? What's your guys' opinion? The parts I used are Oreilly replacement parts, were $30 a piece, and could have been remanufactured. If you think it's one of the two cylinders, which one is it more likely to be? Keep in mind I have the clutch pedal adjusted to it's maximal thrust position, right up to the end of the threaded shank coming out of the master cylinder. That's the only thing that allows my car to be drivable; when it's in the properly adjusted position, I hardly have any pushback from the clutch pedal at all; it's very flaccid. The guy I bought the car from said he replaced the clutch himself, and I'd like to believe he's telling the truth and did a good job of it...but who knows. It's the only thing I haven't checked yet. The clutch fork does have some play to it when I'm standing there with the hood open; I can jiggle it back and forth just a little bit between the slave cylinder and the transaxle housing, but not a ton. Should it be unmovable, or is that normal? It would be supremely helpful to know.

Ach well okay I guess it's a dealer-only hose I'm going to get. I'm pretty sure it's only one hose, but I'll double check with the dealer. Will update y'all once I have the part installed. I don't think I have a damper, unless it came as part of the master cylinder. The clutch system seems to be composed entirely of the pedal assembly, master cylinder, a short section of metal piping, a rubber hose, and finally the slave cylinder. Oh and I also just examined the return spring. It doesn't seem to be damaged or disconnected in any way. It's not strong enough on its own to return the pedal anyhow, which is obvious when bleeding the system. Also, when the clutch becomes soft and I fully depress it, the clutch does not always fully disengage, which suggests the return spring is not the problem.

Hey again all, I replaced both the master and slave cylinder on my Outback, and while the problem has improved, it has deteriorated again recently, less than a month after replacing both components. The clutch pedal becomes soft at times that are hard to predict, at intervals that are fairly constant while driving, and often will become stuck at about half-stroke. I often have to put the toe of my foot under the pedal and push it back up, and generally it will regain its resistance for a moment until the same thing happens again. I've examined the entire clutch system and found no fluid leaks, and I've bled the clutch system twice, once with a cinder block for assistance and a second time with an assistant in the drivers seat. The clutch pedal has been adjusted to it's maximal thrust since I replaced both cylinders, but has never felt quite as tight and springy as it did prior to my initial clutch problems. Both times I've bled the clutch system the fluid is replaced with fresh stuff but shortly thereafter becomes black. Could this be dissolved/deteriorated rubber? I've read through previous posts and some seem to suggest this could be a bad hose that's giving me problems. Is that possible if there are no leaks? Like the hose may be bulging at times or something of that nature? If so and I should try replacing it, where would be a good place to get a replacement clutch hose? Autozone/Oreilly/Pepboys don't seem to carry them. A dealer only?

It's fixed! Replacing the two cylinders did the trick. I was very confused by the behavior of the clutch pedal when I was trying to fix it though; it remained at the bottom of the push-stroke even after replacing the two parts. And I had trouble flushing the system; I didn't realize that letting the pedal fall to the floor after pushing it a few times was the way to start the bleeding process. It's very slow at first, but once you get a little pressure in there the pedal will spring back to the top of the push-stroke as the clutch fork offers more resistance. Was able to do it myself, without a helper, by putting the seat all the way back and using a cinder block to hold the pedal in place during the later part of the bleeding process. Thanks again for everyone's help!

Awesome, thanks for all the recommendations guys. I think I'm going to start by trying to replace the master and slave cylinders first and pump the system; both together are $60 after tax from Oreilly, and I'll get some brake fluid too, to clear that gunky stuff out out of the system lulz. Dang whatever happened to a cable? I miss a cable clutch system. xP

Hey all, My 5-speed 1999 Legacy-Outback LTD Wagon just became inoperable due to a clutch issue. I purchased this car a month ago from a mechanic (not one I necessarily trust to have been perfectly honest when selling me the car) who said he had recently replaced the clutch while replacing the head gaskets, and explained this was why the clutch pedal was so tight (indeed, it gave a quick response up until today). Well this afternoon, just after getting off the freeway from work, I noticed the clutch pedal was, once released, traveling to only about halfway to its normal, non-depressed position, as was not disengaging the clutch unless I pressed it all the way to floor. Also,the reverse gear became more difficult to shift into due to gear grinding that does not go away, regardless of how long I wait or if I previously engaged the clutch while stopped just prior to making an attempt (which is what I usually do to avoid grinding the reverse gear). When I got home and examined the thing, I tried to pushed the clutch lever back onto the slave cylinder to see if the clutch was fully engaged while the pedal was half-depressed. It popped back a tiny bit, and the pedal came up to the normal position, but after that I tried pressing in the clutch pedal and it went all the way to the floor without offering resistance, and I could therefore no longer disengage the clutch, rendering my vehicle immobile. Now I don't have the proper manual for this vehicle (I have the Haynes manual for 1990-1998), but I suspect one of two things is happening here; either there's something wrong with the pedal mechanism inside the driver's foot area, or there's an issue with the clutch's hydraulic system. A visual examination of the hydraulic system uncovered no apparent problems; indeed I could not find a fluid leak under the car, any lack of clutch fluid, any damage to the reservoir, master or slave cylinders, or the visible parts of the clutch line. This leads me to suspect there is a problem with the pedal hardware. I have included pictures in the hopes someone might recognize something out of place. I've just put over $5000 into purchasing this car and getting it legal and in good running order, and now it's NOT WORKING. I'm seriously about ready to cry. If *anyone* has had this problem before or could help me figure it out, I'd be extremely grateful! I can take additional pictures, perform additional examinations, or diagnostic procedures if suggested. Thank you, USMB, and everyone for reading. Pictures for Reference: 1. Pedal in Normal Position http://oi39.tinypic.com/a4901.jpg 2. Pedal in the Stuck/Depressed Position http://oi43.tinypic.com/23jqyqf.jpg 3. Pedal Spring w/ Pedal in Normal Position http://oi42.tinypic.com/5l73g2.jpg 4. Pedal Spring w/ Pedal in Depressed Position http://oi39.tinypic.com/ndv8sy.jpg 5. Pedal Pushrod (at near maximum length adjustment) http://oi39.tinypic.com/zkfo8p.jpg 6. Clutch Reservoir http://oi40.tinypic.com/2s0l4dv.jpg 7. Clutch Reservoir Open http://oi43.tinypic.com/zl575z.jpg 8. Clutch Slave Cylinder Angle 1 http://oi44.tinypic.com/6z1yz5.jpg 9. Clutch Slave Cylinder Angle 2 (best angle) http://oi43.tinypic.com/fmtouu.jpg

Yeah well the annoying thing about valet mode is that the security light blinks constantly - even when driving. It's a really nice car and I'd rather not put a piece of duct tape over part of the dashboard lights...but I'll check into what you guys are talking about and see if I can figure anything out.