Hey all!

I got a 99 legacy wagon automatic. 2.2L. Twice now the motor acts like it's got a miss. It doesn't have power. Last time, it developed this miss, I noticed the heater blowing cold and the engine overheated and spewed some antifreeze. I pulled over checked it out, went and got some water, but it was full. I started the car and it ran fine. Full heat and no miss. What would cause this. A miss and overheating with no heater? No check engine light either. The first time it did this I was driving down the road and it did this I pulled over and checked under the hood and the miss just went away. The second time it started up with a miss and kept the miss for about ten miles before it did the things I just mentioned. This is my work car, I need to fix thi this weekend!!!

How long has it been since the timing belt has been replaced?

Your car is interferance so you need to be extra carefull since a broken timing belt could cause valve damage.

The PO had it done. It's got 176,000, I will have to dig out the receipts she gave me for the mileage when it was done. While driving it would develop a shake or bad shimmy until I would kick it down a gear. Most recent thing I have done was valve covers. Could this be a stuck valve?

With a cold start up, check for bubbles in radiator or overflow. If you get some it's probably head gaskets.

A couple of slow bubbles. @&$*%!!

I had a 2.2 [a 95] that started to bubble in the reservoir indicating a failed HG.  So it happens with a 2.2.  It drove ok but it probably would have eventually overheated.  The rear frame rusted out at 213K so I junked it before it got worse.

Headgaskets don't normally cause misfires in subarus

I'm stumped. If a cylinder wasn't firing, why would it overheat as well? Then be fine. Also like I said, while going along with this miss thing, all off a sudden it acts like the driveshaft is wobbling until I would kick it down a gear. It has always shifted a little funny. Could there be something in the transmission? I'm getting 24+ mpg every time.

The timing belt runs the water pump as well as cam timing. So if the belt is compromised the water pump could slip and the cam timing can change thus causing the missfire randomly as well as overheating

If it jumped time, it wouldn't fix itself. Could torque converter be loading up funny? Do coils go in and out?

Timing belt was replaced 50,000 miles ago.

Timing belt was replaced 50,000 miles ago.

Timing belt tensioner could be going out makeing the belt have slack in it.

50,000 that's close to time, it would be worth inspecting. Service schedule for these cars is 60k unless its a California car than its 100k.

But it sounds like a bad tb tensioner

Also age of belt should be considered as well

Edited November 29, 201411 yr by mikaleda

Thank you. I could see that. It's starting to get below freezing here at night. Spring tension and old grease letting it not keep proper tension. Good thought.

 

Thank you. I could see that. It's starting to get below freezing here at night. Spring tension and old grease letting it not keep proper tension. Good thought.

Its actually a hydraulic tensioner, you should be able tell if its bad by seeing if the casing around the tensioner rod is leaking. With the age, miles and symptoms its very likely the probl.

Is there a way that the car has a code, but not keeping the check engine light on? If so, how should I check the codes? On off 3 times didn't work.

Yes, check the new gen FAQ sticky at the begging of the site it has a good link on how to check the ecm and the TCM codes

I'd pull the plugs and see how they look. I'd also inspect the spark plug wires. If routed wrong and heavily chaffed, or just plain OLD and falling apart, they can ground out on the engine and cause all sorts of issues. Had an 86' Cougar years ago. The battery hold down was loose and the battery moved. It touched the alternator fan blade, which promptly chewed a hole on the exterior of the battery, which spewed some battery acid on a plug wire and ate right through it which went unnoticed. Replaced battery, and engine was misfiring and running rough. At night, the arcing from the compromised wire was visible. 

 

Have you checked your oil lately? That's an easy way to see if coolant is leaking in there, as is a steady decrease in coolant from the reservoir. 

Do you think I could see the timing belt tensioner if I remove the right side timing belt cover? And, will it be showing leaking like a shock absorber?

 

Do you think I could see the timing belt tensioner if I remove the right side timing belt cover? And, will it be showing leaking like a shock absorber?

I believe you have to pull the crank pully and pull the center cover off, this is the best way to inspect the timing belt anyway. Yes it should be leaking like a shock absorber if its bad. I think the proper way though is to pull it and check for side play in the shaft.

Copy that. Wanna recommend a full timing kit name brand or two, and who sells them. I am sorry, I'm new to the subaru game. I don't recall the receipt I found said anything about the tensioner as a separate piece. I bet they did the pulleys and not the tensioner. If I do it, I'm going to do the wp too.

Gates makes a good timing belt kit, typically a timing belt replacement includes new belt, idlers, and water pump.

The tensioner is usually inspected upon removal, but the tensioner could have started deterating anytime during the 50k since its been serviced

Ok! Got the timing belt, all the pulleys and gear replaced ( full Gates timing belt kit) and the water pump and thermostat plus radiator hoses and the bypass hose. It took me a while but I got it. Fixed a leaking hose today. I hope it fixes my issues. BUT. I got no heat! I think I might have a bubble in it. What's the trick on that?

There is a vent bleeder screw on the opposite side of the rad cap take that out while filling. Once its full leave the cap and vent off while it warms up to let any remaining air pockets out

Edited December 17, 201411 yr by mikaleda

Cool, gonna go do it know. I appreciate the help!! Thank you.

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