OB99W

The 2" change from 16" to 14" only describes the wheel (rim) diameter difference, and hopefully not the overall tire size difference. I assume that the tires being used have similar outside diameters to each other, whether 14" or 16"; if so, the change shouldnt be a cause to re-align. What can have some effect is wheel offset, but hopefully you have the correct wheels.

Yes, it's a bit tight in there. A couple of hoses (in addition to the ones going to the purge valve itself) may have to be disconnected to make life easier. That's one of the reasons I'm holding off on the dancing banana. By the way, Gregg, if you get as far as installing the new valve where the old one was, the correct torque for the bolt is only about 12 ft-lbs.

Gregg, I'm glad I was able to help move things along. However, how about if I don't " " until the problem is fully resolved?

Exactly! The vent and purge valves do seem to get people confused. Let's hope! For future reference: The ECU connector pins are numbered consecutively. For example, continuing past pin 30 for five more, you'd be at pin 35. The last one in that row is 44; the count then jumps down to the beginning of the next row, beginning at 45, etc.

Yes, half the connector is shown, being back-probed (see the lower left depiction in the diagram I posted). Answered above. Right beneath the cylinder #3 portion of the intake manifold. (Cylinder #3 is left/rear when facing the engine from the front of the car.) It may be easier to spot if you stand at the passenger side fender and look from the rear of the engine. The main relay supplies power to several things; if it were the problem, we wouldn't be discussing P0443. Yes, and light at the end of the tunnel probably isn't from the headlight of an oncoming train.

Yes, P0443 is for the purge valve. No, the purge valve is not the one at the canister (that's the vent control valve). More to follow...

You're welcome. See attachment.

AFAIK, not all the time -- otherwise, what would be the point of having the ECU control it? Checking resistance in a powered circuit is almost never a good idea; things can get damaged, and the readings are rarely accurate. The proper way to test is via voltage readings under operating conditions. ECU Pin 72 should pull down to below 1 volt when the purge control is activated. P0443 is "EVAP System Purge Control Valve Circuit Low Input". I added the emphasis because that would seem to indicate that your ECU is not seeing battery voltage (greater than 10 volts) at Pin 72. You said "I backprobed the ECM plug on the correct wire and had 11.8 VDC at the ECM with the KOEO."; assuming that means you made the measurement right at ECU pin 72, it should have seen sufficient voltage. Is there any possibility that the ECU connector (B84) isn't making good contact? You seem to have tested for the things the FSM suggests (voltage, wiring opens, solenoid resistance, etc.). The first test in the FSM is for greater than 10 volts at ECU pin 72 with key ON; if that's there, the FSM indicates that even if the MIL is lit, "the circuit has returned to a normal condition at this time" and "probable cause is deterioration of multiple parts". I'm not sure I agree with that second quote, however. I'm not certain about this, but D-Check mode may cycle the purge control valve solenoid. You could try warming the engine, shutting it down and connecting the green under-dash connectors, then run D-Check. Monitor the voltage across the solenoid while D-Check is running.

Actually, the following is your previous post concerning this problem: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=77287 The original discussion began here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60858&page=2

A '99 Forester without a vapor canister? The EVAP system doesn't exactly pull gas vapors "through" the canister; the charcoal "stores" the vapors, and the system extracts them when it can do so without compromising engine operation. I suspect that you'd find removing the canister will make the ECU unhappy when it tries to run the EVAP, and will tell you so via the CEL.

Welcome to the forum. Try the parking light switch on the top of the steering column.

There are several possibilities. To help narrow them down: 1) Did the vibration start immediately after the brake work, or did it show up after some miles? 2) Does the vibration occur only when the brakes are applied, when not applied, or both? If both, does it change when applied versus not applied? 3) Does the vibration occur at all road speeds? Does it change with speed?

The knock sensor code tends to point to the culprit. Replacing a knock sensor isn't a big deal, although sometimes it's a bit annoying to get to. If you wind up replacing it yourself, be careful to torque the mounting bolt correctly. It has to be snug to make the ground connection, but too tight can damage the sensor. The P0420 code is often not due to a bad catalytic converter, but rather a "tired" front oxygen (O2) sensor.

If you haven't seen this already, it might be informative: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/DirectIgnition.pdf However, there are errors -- in the "Ignition Coil Testing" section, the terminal numbers listed are reversed between the primary and secondary; the diagram is labeled correctly. This might also be worth reading: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/IgnitionCoilSum04.pdf

Sublute, I just started reading this thread, and then read your previous one. In that previous thread, you said "spark seems kinda wierd? it seems to be firing too often and maybe weak.". You should see firing at what appears to be twice the "expected" rate; that's due to the "wasted spark" type of ignition. The plugs for cylinders #1 and #2 are fired simultaneously (as are #3 and #4); the paired plugs connect to each end of one of the secondary coils in the coil pack, and are effectively in series. Under normal circumstances, one of the paired cylinders is on the power stroke when the other is on an exhaust stroke. The spark at the cylinder on a power stroke should, of course, fire the mixture, while the spark at the one on an exhaust stroke is "wasted"; some spark energy is lost, but it's minimal (just a few kilovolts drop) since that cylinder isn't under compression at the time. If you have a timing light, you might want to see what it indicates. It should be possible to get it to trigger during cranking, even if the engine won't run.

Another question: Does there seem to be any relationship to the symptoms versus humidity?

If replacing the CTS seemed to cure the problem for a while, it might be that the connector is corroded. (Lots of sensors get replaced when it's actually a connection to them that's faulty.) I'd verify that's good (at least by visual inspection) before any further diagnosis. You could try removing and reconnecting it a few times, which often scrapes off corrosion, and see if that helps. If the current problem isn't too severe, this might explain the cause: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/LegacyIdleSum04.pdf Keep in mind that problems which only slightly affect operation when the engine is warm may be much more evident when it's cold. Is it completely "OK" when warmed?

Massachusetts is a "no-fault" state, so where blame is placed probably won't affect the outcome of the settlement; however, it could play a part in determining whether Andy's or the other driver's rate goes up.

While I sympathize with your plight, you've gotten some good advice previously on this problem: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=68293 http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70690 Another possibility (which you may not find acceptable) is to ask that the trunk lid be replaced, but have the spoiler left off.

There's no absolute answer, due to the varying road conditions you experience, especially in winter. The depth of snow (and how often it occurs and how long it remains), road crown, wind gusts, etc., can all have an influence on whether a wider tire is a good idea. Narrow tires are better for "cutting" through deep snow; wide ones tend to "plow" through. However, narrow tires don't have as good lateral traction as wide ones, and especially on a highly crowned road under conditions of wind from the side and driving over packed snow or ice, they can make your car more prone to slipping sideways. Based on having to use the same tires year-round, I'd suggest staying with the stock width, and getting the best-performing all-season tires you can find/afford. If you get a second set of rims, then of course you could consider buying "winter" tires; however, it may still be best to stick to the stock width for them if deep snow is a sometimes-occurrence.

IIRC, '98 Brighton and L have 2.2L SOHC, GT and Outback 2.5L DOHC.

There's a reason for the substantial difference in price between engine oil filters and the trans filter (see http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=964). I'd sooner leave an old trans filter in place if it isn't damaged than use an engine filter. You're welcome.

What did you wind up doing; just the ATF and filter, or more? What was the final cost?

Even if the crank pulley bolt is tight, it's possible that the t-belt may have jumped a tooth. It could be useful to determine when the belt was last replaced; is any of the service history before 138k miles known? Perhaps some testing with a vacuum gauge might help point to a possible cause.

Sounds like the mixture is a bit too lean. How many miles on the car? Ever replace an O2 sensor, and if so, at what mileage?