OB99W

Thought: See my post #2 in this thread. If the humidity is low enough, the evaporator might not ice up even if it's too cold, so working for an hour doesn't necessarily prove anything.

Okay, sounds good. Let us know what you find once you get the fender liner off.

(Normally I wouldn't post this sort of thing publically, but my answer might help expedite other's efforts to help forum members. My apologies to anyone who might find this "off topic".) Let's just say that after many years of troubleshooting problems such as yours, I've developed diagnostic procedures that typically minimize time and effort needed to find the fault and reliably repair it. When I suggest a particular approach, it's because doing it and obtaining the result usually leads to a logical next step. If the person I'm trying to help keeps going off on "side trips", it just prolongs and confuses the process. You have a perfect right to do that, but I reserve the right to stop participating. I first mentioned the need to pull the inner fender liner back in post #16, and this will be #39. Perhaps that's why I'm "jumpy". There are times when my best efforts over the Internet don't lead to a fix. That's usually due to the complexity of the problem. However, the problem you're having is trivial, although finding the fault will take a bit of effort. I'm willing to stick with you if you'll stay focused.

Do NOT take off the fender. Have you removed the inner fender lining yet? It's a large plastic part, at the underside of the fender, more accessible if you take off the front left wheel. The harness runs between that and the fender. See http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/AC/395-04016010.html. Based on what you've reported, the break is between F40 and the junction (splice) in the harness, very possibly at that junction. Once you remove the inner fender lining and can see the harness, you can inspect it. You may have to untape and pull back some corrogated wire loom to access the problem area. You're making this much harder than it has to be, both on yourself and on me. I'm getting ready to bail, since you aren't following half of my suggestions. If that's because you don't trust me, then let's call it quits right now.

I was already convinced that connector is F40, but I'm glad you're more comfortable with it now. (And yes, the photo shows that all the wire colors agree with what the FSM has for F40.) If measuring continuity from pin #1(red) of F40 to ground (with F40 unplugged and front lamps in their sockets) resulted in an open circuit, then it confirms a break in the red wire. (That assumes good lamps, and sockets making contact with them.) The lamp ground has to be good, since the turn signals work. Next step is to find the break. As I've already suggested, start with a visual inspection.

Yes, a bad MAF could cause stalling, etc. The only thing making it unlikely in this case is that the 2000 doesn't have a MAF (at least in theory, see next paragraph :-\), it's MAP. Not to confuse things, but I noticed that some of the OBD-II live data indicated "0" for the MAF, but there were also some non-zero values. I've attributed this to ECU weirdness, but maybe 2000 Legacy has a strange hybrid engine. He could easily spot a MAF -- if there's one, it would be between the air intake and the air box behind the throttle body. If there's just tubing, there's no MAF. I'm expecting lack of a MAF.

You didn't answer my last question, "What's the resistance to ground of F40 pin #1(red) if F40 is unplugged from the fuse panel (leaving the front lamps in place)?". If you do that, the rear lamps will be disconnected from the circuit, and with the front lamps in place, the resistance should be low if the wiring to the front lamps were good. Since you've reported that 12 volts isn't getting to the lamps, but it's at F40 pin #1 (when it's connected), then doing what I asked should result in a high/infinite resistance. That would then verify a break. You could also unplug F40, and measure the resistance from pin #1(red) to a red wire at one of the front lamp sockets. Obviously, that resistance should be very low if the wire is okay, and high/infinite if there's a break. Of course, I have the disadvantage of not being able to see/do things on you car directly, and have to rely on info you provide. Assuming what you've reported is accurate, what I've said should be as well.

Under what conditions did you make that measurement? If you were back-probing F40 pin #1 while it was still connected to the fuse panel, relative to ground, then you'd be reading the resistance of everything common to that pin. That would include all the rear lamps. What's the resistance to ground of F40 pin #1(red) if F40 is unplugged from the fuse panel (leaving the front lamps in place)?

F40 is a 10 pin("pole") connector, with red wire at pin #1. The other two wires that can be seen of the connector you're at in your photo would be pins #6 & #7 if it's a 10-pin. The FSM indicates F40 pin #6 has a yellow wire, and pin #7 has a white one. "Amazingly" those colors match the pic. It would be quite a coincidence (and very stupid on Subaru's part) for there to be two connectors in close proximity that had identical wire colors. In addition, you've already reported that the pin where your meter probe is shown has 12 volts that's switched by the light switches. Is that also coincidence? Being human, I'm not infallible. However, I spend a lot of time before giving specific information about things like this. I don't blame anyone for trying to be as careful as possible with their car, or for being cautious about trusting someone on the Internet that they don't personally know. But you're going to have to decide whether you think what I've told you has value, or if you're going to keep "shopping around" for more opinions. Good luck.

Just electrically disconnect the sensor. The connection isn't hard to get to. It's just a bit behind the E/B connectors (about in line with the axle), fairly out in the open. You should be able to see the leads going back to the sensor. Look at the 2000+ info, Engine/Fuel Injection(fuel systems)/front oxygen AF sensor.pdf . It's the first page of that PDF file, page FU(H4)-63 of the manual. Since the cause of the problem is still uncertain, if you disconnect the sensor, don't go very far initially. You'll want to be able to reconnect it if drivability gets worse when it's not plugged in. I'd suggest an "around the block" trip until you verify that the stalling doesn't worsen. Since the ECU will go to default settings, it's probably a good idea to only travel enough to determine if things are better or worse with the sensor unplugged, and then reconnect it.

Well, the E/B connectors aren't hard to deal with, and eliminating potential problems with them just makes the remaining possibilities more likely. ECUs don't fail very often. The only reason I mentioned it is that there's a history with the 2000 Legacy. If there was an open recall, then it would have made sense to let SoA see to things. Since SoA says there are no open recalls, I agree that going to a dealer will probably result in more charges to you. Because you've had a code for the front A/F sensor pop up previously, and it has lots of miles on it, and the readings aren't looking that good, it's probably worth the $140 risk. (Yes, I know, that's easy for me to say. ) An "interesting" experiment (if you're so inclined) is to disconnect the front sensor and see what change there is in operating conditions. You will get a code due to the disconnection, but that can be temporarily ignored. Removing the sensor can be a challenge, especially one that's been in there a long time. The key is don't force things so much as to damage the threads. These links cover the situation fairly well: http://www.ehow.com/way_5380534_ways-remove-oxygen-sensor.html http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/14904-2000-obw-p0136-disconnected-front-o2-sensor.html A new sensor should come with some anti-seize lube, typically already applied to the threads.

It's not common, but with the possibility of both four- and two-legged critters having gotten into things, who knows. Nevertheless, this shouldn't be hard to fix.

Okay. That's an even better reason to visually inspect the wiring before further troubleshooting. That red wire doesn't go very far -- from F40 pin #1 to the point where it splits to left and right marker lights is only a few feet, and pulling the inner fender liner isn't very hard (assuming the weather cooperates ).

Yes, that's what I'm referring to. Sorry, bandwidth restricted here, so text or still photos only for me.

So, now the "fun" begins. If you haven't already done so, pull the fender liner, and look things over. Fix any obvious damage. Untaping the harness back to the red wire junction I mentioned previously allows you to test things there, and sometimes the fault is right at that spot.

If you're looking at a PDF, what's the file? (Is it MSA5TCD95L5928.pdf ?) F40 location on fuse panel (turned sideways, as in manual):

Yes, it's fuse #5, and yes, it powers both front and rear, so the fuse obviously isn't the culprit. Good. F40 isn't directly under the tail light relay -- it's below it, but as you're facing the panel, slightly more to your right. Look for the red wire in #1 position.

Look at the "POWER SUPPLY ROUTING".

Who ever said working on cars wasn't painful at times? First check for 12 v at the fuse panel connector, as above. If it's not there, you won't have look past the panel (since the rears are working). However, assuming there's 12 v at F40 pin #1, you could: 1) Untape the harness where the left (driver) side turn/marker lamp wiring breaks out from it, and keep going until you find where the red wire joins the one coming from the fuse panel and the one that continues to the right side. 2) If 12 v isn't there, visually inspect the harness from that point back to where it goes through the large grommet to the interior. If you don't see any damage, and don't want to find the break, you could just run a single wire from the red wire junction described in 1) to the red wire as it comes out of F40. I'd find the break rather than bypass it that way, but it's an alternative. Be sure to use wire of gauge equal to the factory wire.

Besides allowing the clear coat to adhere better, color sanding the base coat knocks down any orange peel and therefore should result in a topcoat of more-even thickness. It's important to not let the wet-or-dry clog -- keep it well lubricated. If it clogs or dries, it can dig into the finish. You can add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the water, but more importantly, rinse the paper frequently.

The first place I'd check for power is pin #1 of connector F40, which plugs into the interior fuse box, near the tail light relay. With the plug connected, you'll be looking at it's back end, so it will appear to be "flipped" from what the attachment shows. If you turn on the parking lights, by back-probing you should find 12 volts at pin #1 (red wire) with respect to ground. If so, but there's nothing at the lamp sockets, then there's probably a break in the wiring, possibly behind the inner fender cover. Got mice?

The problem isn't so much that it "hardens too fast" as that once it's mixed, the usage time is limited. "After activated this product will last approx. 24 hours." Obviously, everything you expect to use it on should be ready to coat beforehand.

Welcome to the forum. The ECU looks for a certain drop in coolant temperature when fans come on, and if it doesn't see what it expects, it can set P0483. Since you're reporting that the fan operation itself seems correct, it's possible that the radiator has some blockage. Another possibility is that at some time a non-OEM thermostat was installed -- some aftermarket units are quite inferior to the original. It's also possible for the ECTS (Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor) to be going bad. If any of these situations are marginal, the temp gauge can still remain close to its usual range.

2000 Legacy, As we've already discussed, some of the OBD-II live data readings you're getting are erratic/inconsistent. I've suggested cleaning the E/B connectors because previous experience has shown contamination and corrosion there to be a cause of some very strange problems that show up in OBD-II data and even set spurious trouble codes. However, in order to perhaps "cut to the chase" on your problem, I'm going to fill you in on some things you might not know, and suggest some steps to take if cleaning the E/B connectors doesn't help. Subaru had problems with both the front A/F sensor and ECUs on the 2000. There were recalls for the sensors, and ECUs got reflashed and/or replaced. I don't know if your car was subject to, or had those recalls applied in the past. My suggestions if the upcoming weekend's efforts aren't helpful: 1) Have your VIN number handy. 2) Call Subaru of America at 1-800-782-2783 3) Tell them that that the way the engine is running/stalling you're afraid to let others drive your car. 4) Tell them that you know of the 2000 model A/F sensor problems and recall(s), and that your A/F (O2) sensor readings are out of spec. 5) Ask if your car has any "open recalls" on it (they'll ask for the VIN). 6) If the A/F sensor and/or ECU are covered, ask for written confirmation (so that you can go to a dealer and have the problems addressed at no charge to you). 7) If SoA can't/won't help, replace the front A/F (O2) sensor. I've been somewhat reluctant to blame the front A/F sensor because you've reported that the problem is worst with a cold engine, when the engine management system should be "OL" and ignoring that sensor. However, we've seen from your posted data that the ECU is going "CL" very early (inappropriately?), which means that it could be affecting running conditions even with a relatively cold engine. Please let us know how things go.

Earlier models used two sensors (a single terminal one for the gauge, and a two-terminal one for the ECU), but the 2000 and later have a combined sensor with three terminals.