Mikevan10

I would agree that putting nails where they may fall out and puncture someone's tire sounds sketchy but I must admit I am intrigued. Exactly how does one implement this fix? Mike V

Is there only one pinch bolt on any given Subaru?

Here's an update: The repair shop that had done the deed told my kid to have the car towed to their shop (at their expense). Then they looked at it (I believe they dropped the oil pan for a look see) and then they told him they would replace the engine at no charge. The engine they are putting in supposedly has extremely low mileage (like 10,000 miles). He should have car back this week. This all sounds too good to be true but we'll all just have to wait and see.. Mike

So, let me get this straight. Either I can spend over 3 hours polishing my hadlamp lenses with sand paper (Commuter) or I can spend 5 bucks (or whatever) on a container of DOT 4 brake fluid and do the job in minutes? Thanks, Mike V

Thanks for chiming in OB. Yeah, the primary blame should go to the "repair" shop and I agree fully with what you suggest. That's exactly what I told the kid to do. I do not see why not to. As far as getting the repair shop tro cover whatever costs are involved, I would expect that to end up being a long, ugly fight. Mike

I am curious as to what the drawback is to turning Subaru rotors (as long as the cut rotor is above minimum thickness). Mike V.

Well, this time it's my step-sons Subaru that has problems. These problems were human-inflicted. Apparantly, the kid (in college about 70 miles from here) had a repair/inspection shop change his engine oil since he had dropped it off for state inspecion. Apparantly they did not properly tighten the oil drain plug! I only have sketchy details but I guess he noticed it started smoking while he was cruising down I-95 but he did not immediately pull off and shut down! Tried to make his exit a mile or so up the road. As he was making his exit the oil pressure light came on and he shut it down. Looked underneath and there was no drain plug. I expect that he has wiped the bearings and that his best bet is going to be to pay someone to install a "new" engine in it. Doing this himself is not an option (nor do I plan to volunteer for this). So, I just thought I'd post this tale of woe. I do not have specific info yet on the exact model or engine. His father gave him the car earlier this year. It is (was) in fine shape and only about 70,000 miles on the clock. Anyone wish to hazard an approximation of what he should expect this to set him back? I will post more details and results of the diagnosis he gets from the Subaru dealer that he had it towed to. Mike V.

Dug, You should consider yourself lucky! This is a rare example of having a clear reason for having those misfire codes being set. Examine/clean the contacts in the coil where the wires plug in and if those connections appear clean/good and you still have the misfire and spark jumping replace your spark plug wires. The wisdom on this forum will advise you strongly to use only genuine Subaru original equipment wires. Let us know of your progress! Cheers, Mike V

Sorry, but I have to ask- Why are you changing out the engine on such a young piece of fine machinery? Mike V.

Thanks Johnc. Makes sense. And it would make sense that this is where Silver's leak is.

Siver Sera, Don't panic just yet. Clean the oil away fromyour plug sockets and as you work on replacement of your plugs and wires. Also. look for corrosion on the contacts in the coil pack wher you will plug in your new wires. When you are done, clear your codes and drive the car. When the CEL comes back on scan it and post the results. Regardless, PLEASE keep us informed of your progress (or set backs). Cookie said "sounds like you need valve cover gaskets and plug seals". What "plug seals" are you referring to, Cook? Mike V.

I just got my emmsions inspection sticker!!! Now I am good to go for another year regardless of what the MIL/CEL/OBDII does. Perhaps I will cut the wires to the darn light or put a piece of tape over front of it! Just kidding. I know there's lots of folks around here who actually think OBDII is a good thing and they we should obey it. I expect that the light will come back on soon and that I will have a misfire code or two. I have good intentions to try to find the root cause but I do not intend to shotgun expensive parts into this thing. Other than a less than perfect idles it runs fine and fuel economy is good like it has always been. Thanks to everyone who helped me get through this crisis either with their thoughtful suggestions or even just their empathy. There are some very knowledgeable folks here. But I just can't help being critical: This resource would be alot better if everyone would follow through and post the final resolutions to their problems. Thnaks again. Mike V.

I don't have any suggestions as to your noise, guy, but I must give you credit for your ingenuity and take charge approach! I am also amazed that this has not generated a torrent of comments. For example, will your mods result in dynamic balance errors? Will the clearance in the pin holes in the crank sprocket be problematic (considering that with the original keyed arrangement it is a snug fit)? Is the fact that you are now relying on the crank sprocket to resist any relative twisting between the crank and the pulley OK? Have you weakened the pulley enough to be a risk? And on and on... I am not saying any one of the above definitely is a problem. Maybe it's a perfectly satisfactory fix. Is that what you guys are all thinking or is everyone too shocked to make a comment? Mike V.

The coil pack was installed by the dealer (don't get me started). I already cheched the connectors at both ends of all spark plug wires. Nice and shiny and seem to snap in nicely. Is there a good way to test injector function, including leak tightness? By the way, I cleared the codes yesterday morning and then went on a 200+ mile trip. The CEL did not come on. When I got home, I interrogated OBDII with the scanner: No DTCs (of course) and only one non-ready item (catalyst mon is incomplete). So I believe at this minute it should legally pass PA emmissions inspection. So I will try to get it inspected ASAP although I expect that the light will come on before I can get the deed done... Mike V

That's what I was afraid of. It could be almost ANYTHING! And, to answer your question, the idle is not dead smooth. This is supposed to be my wife's Mom car. Not an expensive hobby. Mike

1997 Legacy 2.2 Manual Trans California Car Non-Turbo I am very sorry to be back with more OBDII woes. The CEL/MIL had been off for over a week (after finally solving the EVAP sys. P0446 problem). During that week the car was driven about 10 miles daily, mostly around town. Then, my wife took it on a 200 mile round trip last night. The MIL came on after she had driven like 8 miles. She had stopped for gas and then, I believe while waiting at a light, the MIL came on. She proceeded with her trip and, of course, the MIL sayed on. I scanned the codes this morning. Here are the results: Two DTCs: P0302 (cyl 2 misfire) and P0304 (cyl 4 misfire) Freeze data: P0302 713 rpm Calc load=3.1% MAP=8.3" Hg Coolant=201 deg F LT FTRM1=0% ST FTRM1=0% Veh speed=0 mph Fuel Sys=closed Plugs were replace (NGKs) in April this year Wires are 2 years old (OEM) Coil is 2 years old Besides replacing plugs and wires, are there any suggestions? Does anyone know if the MIL comes on immediately upon the first time OBDII thinks it senses a misfire or does it have to think it detects it more than once or over some period of time or miles? Very frustrated with this Subaru (actually with the OBDII system). I am driving around with an expired inspection sticker and I wonder if I'll ever resolve it. I could not get the car inspected immediately after I got the P0446 problem solved, which extinguished the MIL, because, of course, OBDII was not "ready"! Thanks again, Mike V

Regarding the technique of "squeezing" the tapered ball joint pin out of the control arm with a sharp blow of the hammer, Southpaw said: "Yep that is one of those old school trade secrets... I use it all the time... I think its time he got a good compressor and impact wrench... "there is no replacement for have the right tools for the job!" I would disagree that the hammer technique is a cave man method used only because the "proper tools for thejob" are not at hand. I have compressed air in my garage but would use the hammer method for this job every time, not an impact wrench. The hammer quickly separates the ball joint without ANY damage to the ball joint boot or the control arm (or the bearings at the inboard end of the control arm before someon questions that). By the by, the shop where the old guy worked indeed also had all the fancy tools available. But YMMV, of course. Glad you got your job done Matty. Mike V

During the course of my recent OBDII war (epic P0446 battle), I procured a used ECM for my 1997 Legacy (the ECM is a type AD050). Turns out, my problem was not with the ECM at all (at least so far that is what I think/hope). But, in the heat of the battle, I did buy the ECM f(for 40 bucks)from some out of (my) state salvage yard. They said that it came out of a car with a functional engine. They said they had pulled the ECM out of the car and put it on a shelf where it sat until I ordered the part. My question is, is there any risk associated with temporarily installing this ECM in my car just to see if it works? I would like to do that since the place I bought it from did tell me (verbally, over the phone) that it is warranted for 30 days plus I would just like to know for my own information if I have a "good spare" on hand in case I need it in the future. What do you think? Thanks, Mike V

Matty, I can symathize, as many others have, with your situiation as I've experienced tjhis type of problem in many areas on many cars. However, I believe you are making thing much more difficult for yourself than need be: The only reason you are separating the sterering knuckle from the lower control are is so that you can swing the knuckle (with the hub and everything else attached to it) out until the end of the axle can be slid out the back side of it. The esiest way to do this is to separate the tapered pin on the ball joint from the lower control arm. Leave the ball joint pinched in the steering knuckle. You will have to deal with the pinch bolt when the time comes to replace the ball joint but you can put that off for now... The way you separate the ball joint from rthe lower arm is by striking the end of the control arm sharply with a heavy (metal) mallet in the area surrounding the ball joint tapered in. Believe it or not, this will SQUEEZE the ball joint out of the control arm (bu virtue of the taper on the ball joint pin). Don't be afraid to smack that baby. By the way, this technique was shown to me by an old school mechanic at the shop where fellow lister xrturbo now works. I had removed the entire knuckle complete with lower control arm and brought it to his shop. The guy laughed at me and told me he would separate it with one blow of the hammer. Sure enough, he did so and told me never to be so silly again! I have had success with this technique several times since then (although it usually takes me 3 or 4 shots). Hope this helps! Mike V

Is this a quiz?

Oh yeah, I wanted to bring up just that point of providing feedback. I have noticed what seems to be a tendency for troubleshooting threads here to die unresolved. Which, I guess, could mean the problem was bever solved or the person with the problem did not bother posting the solution (maybe because they ended up paying someone to resolve it for them?). This is only meant as constructive criticism. For the good of the whole, PLEASE advise the board of the resolution (even if it was burning the car down). As far as enjoying the ride, I am afraid that at this point I am rather paranoid. I will feel alot better when I get an inspection sticker. Probably a good thing it's my wife's car. I'd be watching the dash instead of the road, and a nervous wreck at that. Gimme a pre-1996 any day. Mike V.

Alright you guys. This is starting to get out of af hand, and although fun, it will end up making my simple but dumb mistake anticlimactic so I'll end it now. No it did NOT involve beer (although I am wondering how you know so much about me...) nor did showing off come into play. What DID happen was (and here's where the picture should get foggy as I take you back to a simpler time...) A little over two years ago the MIL (CEL to anyone who is not as well read on the subject - and, yes, I am prone to sarcasm ) came on in my wife's 1997 Subaru Legacy 2.2, 5-speed manual Brighton (yep, the top of the line...). I ignored it (shame on me) until I tried to get the car past PA state inspection. This being my first OBDII equipped car, I was not prepared for what I was to find out: You don't get a sticker if your MIL is on!!! Now, I've been doing pretty much all the maintenance on my vehicles since I was a kid (I'm an old man of 50 years now) but I do not have diagnostic equipment for electronics. ***At this point I can see that if I carry on this way, my story will take too long for me to type and for you to read so I will switch to just the facts: Summer 2004 - CEL on. Would not pass emmissions inspection. DTCs were P0446 and one or more cyl misfire codes. Took it to the dealer (make that stealer) since the local repair shop/inspection station did not seem likely to diagnose the problems easily or quickly and I was at a loss with ODBII. Dealer installed new ignition coil and wires. Cleared codes. He told me something to the effect of "There is a P0446 code in history so that fault may pop back up. We recommend you have us replace the vent/purge/drain solenoid valve soon as you can. We don't have one in stock but can have it for you in a couple days.". I paid the massive bill for the ignition system work and RAN. But before I ran, I spoke directly with one of the Subaru mechanics and I asked him where this solenoid valve was located. This guy was aware that I was dealing with DTC P0446, by the way... He pointed out what I NOW understand to be the Purge Control Solenoid Valve!!! Well, as soon as I started the engine to dive away from the dealer the MIL came back on. Pissed off, I drove back to the local garage/inspection station and the guy there told me he had figured out how to get around the system and give me a sticker. What a relief. I believe he had just learned about the 5,000 mile rule, but whatever, I got my sticker. Next, I ordered a Purge Control Solenoid valve from Liberty Subaru using the part number they gave me at my local Subaru Dealer/Stealer. When I received the part I installed it. I did not have a scanner so I could not clear (or read) the codes but at that time my (false?) understanding was that even if I had fixed the root problem, that my light may not go off right away but that it would after I reached sufficient "cycles", what ever they are. Well, the light never went off but, heck, car ran fine and I had my sticker. Cut to about a month ago. Brought car to my local garage but this time he screwed something up when hooking up the "The System" and now he could not give me a sticker with the MIL on!! The Horror!!! My only recourse seemed to be to fix the problem(s). At this point I borrowed a scanner from a friend and read the codes. There were 4 or 5 of them. Cleared them and when I started the car the MIL was off for the first time in years!! But, as I stated way above in one of my first posts on this epic thread, the light came back on the second time I started the engine. Read codes, only one, P0446. The next couple week's worth of troubleshooting is well documented above, but, as you know, I was chasing the wrong solenoid valve!!! In my defense, I started out on this (wrong) track due to the dealer's advice. And when I started working on this almost 2 weeks ago, all I had was a Haynes manual. The Haynes manual, in the Emmisions Controls chapter, only addressed one solenoid valve in the EVAP system. I "ASSUMED" that this must be the valve I replaced 2 years ago. Also, the Haynes manual even only shows one (1) solenoid valve related to the EVAP system in the wiring diagram! Although at least one of you guys made comments that in retrospect should have given me enough clues to question whether I had the right component, I was just too dense to see this until I finally got my hands on a Subaru factory manual and started studying the EVAP system schematics and wiring diagrams. I had one of those Eureka moments at about midnight Monday night and almost had to wake up the wife and kids. Once I went after the right component, following procedure 10AJ1 in the factory manual led me right to the cause in about 5 minutes - An open circuit in the tank harness so signal was not returning from the solenoid to pin 35 on the ECM! Like I said, a long story and a very frustrating experience, but, on the other hand, I do understand alot more about these systems and most valuable of all was getting to "work" with you folks who tried to help me out. I had seeked advice from this board in the past and, frankly, was disappointed. But I am now a believer. Some of you guys have great technical minds and the rest of us are lucky to have you around! Thanks again for those of you who took the time to take my comments, think about them and apply it to what you know about these systems. Hats off to Nipper, Cougar, OB99W and Ferret. You guys are the real deal. Also thanks to Matty D for getting me the bible, without which it seems like no amount of wisdom was going to get me to finally find the truth! And thanks everyone else for bearing with us. This Long Strange Trip is over. I am starting a new one now!!!! Mike V

Nipper, I read through the good stuff that OB99 posted but I don't see why you would say "like i said, the car wasnt warmed up yet.". Why did you make that comment? Like I said, I'll let you guys know what I did wrong (as soon as I come up with a good story si I don't look like too much of an idiot...). Mike

Guys - I think I have found the problem (at least the one causing the P0446 DTC)!! I will get back to you with details later. Sincere thanks to all who took the time to think about this and offer there well considered advice and comments. Although it looks like it was a dumb mistake on my part that caused the lengthy struggle, I have learned alot in the process.... I'll get back to ya. Mike V.

Hi Nipper, 1. I will review the instructions for the scan tool and see if they say anything specific about Subarus. Is that what you are saying? That I may find instructions there about how to deal with a Subaru? 2. As far as recording freeze frame data after the car is warmed up, I believe the only way to do that would be for me to first warm the engine up, then clear the codes, then start the engine twice. The CEL will come back on at that point and new freeze frame data will be recorded. At least, that is how I understand it. Now, I could do that but then I would be starting from scratch trying to get to a point where the OBDII says it is "Ready" for I/M. Not sure I want to do that. Thanks again, Mike