The better-halfs 98 Outback with a 95 2.2 through the misfire codes the other day. I reset the computer and the codes had not returned, but it was running rough.

 

I don't know were I first learned this, but if you put a dollar bill or any small piece of paper in front of the exhaust and it get sucked back into the exhaust pipe, you have a timing issue or bent exhaust valve.

 

Sure enough, the bill got sucke into the pipe. The RH cam was off 3 teeth. It had a leaking tensioner so I replaced and set the timing.

 

It's happy now.

thanks for posting larry, good to know. so if you try the dollar bill trick on a good running engine it won't suck it in?

 

do you know how many miles were on that tensioner?

 

was it noticeably leaking more than the little bit of wetness around the seal/edges?

 

was that an old style or new style tensioner?

Yes, the bill will just blow out, not get sucked back into the pipe.

 

Old Style tensioner and yes it was leaking enough to drip down on the water pump casting.

 

130K on the tensioner. This is the first one I had fail. I did not take the time to compres it today.

 

130K on the tensioner. This is the first one I had fail.

 

 

and 180+ months??