I have A 96 impreza outback,

(1) when you start it the AT oil temp light flashes 16 times. If you start it and don't let it warm up it runs poorly and sometimes shuts off, it smells like A catalytic converter. It generally starts right back up.

 

(2) Another time it was raining hard it would not start for 2 days(no spark)?

 

(3) In the summer if you shut it off for say 5 min and try to start it again it cranks but won't start until you wait 5 or 10 minutes more.

 

(4) The rearend seems locked up, when you turn sharp the inside tire slips and it remains in all wheel drive all the time with or without the fuse installed.

 

Other than this it has been very dependable for the 90,000 plus miles we put on it(130,000 total) and it's the wife's so it doesn't get Any maintainence at all, no complaints. It is not worth much but I would like to get another year out of it without putting alot in it. Btw I have expirience on older domestics (GM) Thanks.

I suspect the transmission light is trying to show a trouble code. The hard starting may be due to a ignition problem. You need to check the spark when this happens.

I can relate to the non-starting when it rains, I don't know if your car was in the same position, but my 95 Impreza L was sitting at the slightest angle one night when it rained, wouldn't start the next morning however it did make some strange clicking sounds. I opened the hood and lo-and-behold some water managed to blow/leak its way past the gasket on the hood and was sitting on top of my battery. It was shorting the negative cable out. Again, I don't know if it's anything like your situation but I thought I might try to add some food for thought.

 

Regards,

Brandon Bartolomucci

I can relate to the non-starting when it rains, I don't know if your car was in the same position, but my 95 Impreza L was sitting at the slightest angle one night when it rained, wouldn't start the next morning however it did make some strange clicking sounds. I opened the hood and lo-and-behold some water managed to blow/leak its way past the gasket on the hood and was sitting on top of my battery. It was shorting the negative cable out. Again, I don't know if it's anything like your situation but I thought I might try to add some food for thought.

 

Regards,

Brandon Bartolomucci

 

 

Brandon, the front end was slightly elevated but it cranked fine, just no spark.

 

Cougar, I believe it is A code also, it does it every time after it starts. I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction of what the code means.