zyewdall

Have you checked the voltage at the various outputs of the switch to see if it is turning both the start and run outputs on at the same time? Sounds as if if is shorted inside the switch so they aren't really separate despite having separate output terminals. I'd just put in a momentary pushbutton connected to the start wire and don't have the ignition switch control the starter at all.

Wow. I thought that cold climates were the worst on batteries, but I've never lived in a warm climate... We have the better technology -- just no will to use it. The battery pack in the Prius and Insight are factory warranteed for 10 years, and that's at a much heavier use than a starter battery ever sees. If they used the NiMH technology for a starter battery, it could last 20 years before needing replacement, no matter what you did you it, and weigh half as much. But it would cost about $400 initially, and why would a manufacturer do that, when they can put in a $40 battery and let it be your problem for the next 25 years....?

Up in the NW, we used to replace the battery in the daily driver truck every 3 years, then the 3 year old one would go in the landrover. Then the 6 year old one would go to the wood hauling truck. So we got 9 years out of them before recylcing them, and still had a new one for the daily driver every 3 years. This was also back when all vehicals took the same battery, or at least had a big enough compartment to accept the same battery. Starter batteries hate being run below 20% DOD (depth of discharge) or so. They have really thin plates to provide lots of current at low temperatures, but the chemical composition of the plates actually changes from lead to lead sulfate as they are discharged. Structurally, this isn't good for a really thin plate -- I believe this is why just leaving the lights on a few times can seriously injure a starter battery. The big deep cycle batteries for off grid homes use really thick plates, with a frame that holds them together, so they can go to 80% DOD before real damage is done. The other thing that happens is that if you leave it at a low state of charge for a while (a day or two), the lead sulfate starts forming larger sized crystals, which won't redissolve in the acid when it's charged again, which permanently decreases capacity. We usually get about 7-10 years on the deep cycle batteries -- or about 2 years on a sears marine battery subjected to deep cycle use. They're not really deep cycle batteries, although they're a little better than starter batteries. The other thing to watch out for is loosing water. If the plates on the battery are ever exposed to air, they oxidize, and you can never use that part of the plate again. You used to have to add water to car batteries every few months. The maintenance free ones you don't have to, but then again, you can't if you need to either... If the voltage regulator is letting the voltage get too high, it'll use more water. Or if it's hot outside, it'll use more water at a given voltage. AGM (Absorbed glass matt) batteries are nice -- I've abused them alot and they hold up alot better. Never tried them for starting batteries, but for deep cycle service I like them alot. Of course, they are twice to three times the price of flooded cell batteries.... Z

I usually go for the all four wheels off the ground problem myself. Done that several times last winter.... Great recommendation on the shovel, BTW.

Don't know. I've never done this. But in general, you need to get a welder! I went for many years trying to bolt stuff together, rivet, whatnot. Then I got a welder! Wow is that fun (and easy to stick metal stuff together:banana: ) For about $250, you can get a nice little flux core wire feed welder that will operate off a standard 15 amp 120v circuit, a self darkening helmet, an angle grinder (seems to be a necessity to go with the welder), and some other misc supplies. It's pretty easy to learn how to use the wire feed welders too -- took me about two hours of practicing to get good enough to do real stuff. Much easier than stick welding IMO. Harbor freight has a few decent ones -- not top of the line, but good for the hobbiest welder. It takes a while to acknowledge that this is worth getting, but you won't regret it. Of course, that's more hurt on the wallet.....

No, I think it should curve towards the wheel at the outer edges, at least if MilesFox's description the convex side towards the nut is correct. BTW, I've never seen an axle nut strip like that. Hubs yes, and nuts come loose, but threads stripped? Well, there's always a first.

How must rust on the suby? The rear control arms do tend to rust a bit on some older ones, which has to affect the structural strenth... I've never seen bad rust on the front, but could be.

I don't know about the ECVT, but 4wd justies are becoming rather rare, and at $500, I'd buy it even it if needed an engine rebuild and new tranny right away. What else can you get that's a 40mpg commuter car, that also has 4wd?

A friend of mine has the 99 jetta. We hammer that thing on the highway (85mph over mountain passes), and still get 42mpg. Closer to 50 if we slow down a bit. If that diesel engine was available in an outback..... For now I'll be content with my mitsubishi turbodiesel pickup, but I'm going to get a biodiesel subaru eventually, if I have to build it myself...

Yeah, I know. I camped overnight in Vedavoo in January once. Laramie reported 9 degrees that night, and 25mph winds. Don't know what possessed us. We had 14" of snow here (in the mountains at my house, not down in town) two weekends ago, but I was back in DC where it just poured the whole time and I missed it:banghead:

On wiring issue: If you've got accessories working, you should have two wires left, and two terminals right? If you have a 12V hot wire, you can jump each of the two wires, and determine which one goes to the starter solenoid. Then, with a multimeter, you should be able to determine which of the two terminals on the ig switch only has power when in the start position. Don't know if that's what you already tried, but that's the way I did it on mine with a generic ignition switch

Hmm, come to think about it, my car with the outboard alternator and inboard AC had one pully on the alt and two on the AC and everything else. The two with the inboard alt and the outboard AC have two on the alternator and everything else, and only one on the AC. The one with no AC at all had only one on everything (but it was also an EA-81). At least it's not the system on the my VW rabbit where the crankshaft belt was connected to the AC and waterpump, and then a secondary belt off the AC drove the Alternator and PS. Or something wacko like that.... Bleah...:-p I took it all off and put a simpler engine in....

Hey, if you come out to Boulder next year, you'll see plenty of Subaru's. Sometimes it seems like every other car is a Subaru here. Some good independent shops, as well as lots of individual mechanics who are good at subaru's, if you do need work done. My dad has a '96 OBW with the 2.2 and 5 speed, and he's got 160k miles on it now. Definitely would be my almsot first choice in a subaru (after an '89 GL, because '89 was the last year with dual range 4wd) Subaru's are cheaper to maintain than the Audi's from what I hear, too.

Engine codes. Although alot of people (myself included) seem to use them to refer to the body styles as well, since they changed body styles at the same time as engines in SOME of the styles (the wagons for example), while the model names were less consistent (GL vs. loyale). I'm sure there somewhere on here, or someone on here, who has a complete cross listing of what engines were available in what body styles in what years.... Zeke

Alot of people use 20W40 or 20W50 in the older 80's subaru's in the summer, to keep the leaks and burning oil down. You shouldn't have that problem in a car that new though. I usually run the synthetic stuff, especially in the winter to start easier when below zero -- not an issue for you in Texas I bet.

Mine also did that (not a stock radio though). If I wiggled the volume knob, it would help a little, but not much. Have you checked the antenna connector -- it could be loose. If not, a new radio may be it.... The factory radios on these cars seem to be smaller than most new CD player equipped radios are, so you may have to get an adaptor kit to be able to mount a new one.

1) on the clutch noise, does it make the noise if the engine is turned off when you push the pedal in and out, or just when running? I have had the linkage make noises sometimes. 2) power -- I would check sparkplugs, and wires. Is it carbed or fuel injected? That'll determine the direction for further troubleshooting. Also, replacing the air filter could help if it's really dirty. Also, one of that era could have a plugged cat. 3) I've never had a noisy transmission at idle. At speed, yes. Have you checked the fluid level in it? I could just be a little low on fluid.

Yeah, most americans hate diesels. And given what was available here in the '80's compared to the rest of the world, and the crappy diesel sold in the US, I can't entirely blame them. But I will never buy another gas powered car, so until subaru makes a diesel, I won't be buying one. I just can't justify buying imported fuel any more, even if it is for a hybrid that gets good mileage.

Interesting that all the sites quote the range rover as the first one through the Darien gap, but they had to call in an old beat up landrover to scout trails for them... http://www.transafricana.com/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=169&op=page&SubMenu= about halfway down the page Sounds like a fun trip you have planned.

I'd have someone look at the engine/tranny with the hood open, and the parking break on, as you alternately put it in 1st and reverse (not letting the clutch all the way out obviously), to see if the engine or tranny is shifting around as the torque changes. Certainly sounds like something's wrong with the mounts. Zeke

Do any of the active systems give you control over which way the back wheels turn? The big 4wd boom forklifts I've driven have a button that you can either keep the back wheels straight, turn them the opposet way as the front wheels for tighter turns, or the same way, to drive sideways. That'd help for parallel parking:D

I also grew up with a 2 wheel drive pickup in snow country in Washington. With studded snow's on the back, and lots of weight in there (probably at least 1,000 lbs) and an experienced driver (not me), it handled snow fine, and with chains it would handle deep stuff even. Rear wheel drive automatic cars without weight in the back were undriveable most of the winter. That being said, my dad just got an outback wagon two years ago and finally retired the truck, and the OBW goes through snow that he'd have to put the chains on the truck for, without even blinking. Plus it gets roughly 2.5 times the gas mileage.

I hope they paid for a new one? I did have the dodge dealership tell me my truck wasn't a diesel, even though it's a dodge truck. After I showed them the engine, they were all gawking over it... Not many of the 4 cylinder diesels made it to the US.

What the heck is that? Looks like it was designed based on the new stealth fighter airplanes, only with wheels....

I told you it was a stupid question..... I saw the XT and assumed it was an XT6...