porcupine73

Those would be all possiblities. Wheel bearings would be a good suspect at that mileage, plus Foresters and Imprezas did have some issues with those in the rear around that time. Sometimes if you shake the wheel hard with your hands you can feel the looseness, but not always (can be noisy way before you feel any looseness).

Having the CEL on for the knock sensor will make it retard timing to edge of the map so you'll have reduced power and economy. To get the light to stay off you can just wire in about a 560k ohm resistor - though that's not ideal because then the ECU will always see no knock and advance timing as far as it allows, and if it does knock it will do nothing about it.

Often the aftermarket wheels will come with aluminum rings to go over the hub to try to make the wheel center correctly on the hub. So that they don't have to stock 4000 different wheel types it seems like they usually go with the largest hub bore on any vehicle that wheel will fit, and also double drill the lugs, so like it might be drilled for 5 lug 100mm lug spacing and also 5 lug 114mm or some other size.

Ah alright great, the simplest fix is always the best. I had something like that happen on my '94, none of the brake lights worked, and I was searching aroudn trying to figure out what it would be, and someone asked, are you sure all the bulbs aren't just burned out? And sure enough, that's what it was. Both side brake bulbs and all the 3rd brake light bulbs - all burned out.

Hm genuine parts prices on the turn signal stalks are not bad, right on part with the aftermarket. I think I'll go genuine - http://subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partlistbymod.php?model=Outback&subcat=Switch%2C+Turn+Signal

Woah 1998 Outback looks like it might more like $200 even for the aftermarket, looks like the turn signal and washer switches and stuff are all a single unit perhaps: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1002331&cc=1305504 Hm have to check genuine part to compare ...

The 'stalk' is the turn signal switch assy basically, because, it sort of looks like a stalk of corn growing out the steering column I guess. Here's the rockauto one, at least for 2000 Outback. I'm considering this one, the genuine part is $140, rockauto about $70, that way I don't have to waste all my Subaru bucks either ... http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1003015&cc=1434060

Hm ok actually now that I look at that image again it might not represent the Forester actually, since I see they show that same image for all soobs, and Legacies of the mid 90's definitely didn't have the extra nipple. But Foresters do for the oil cooler/warmer.

Haha 10-15 years well hm not sure what to say about that. I think the Subaru docs said to leave 1mm clearance between the guide and belt. That is kind of tight, but I mean, that's a ton of clearance if using a feeler gauge, so whoever did those jobs that Gates had the trouble with failing obviously didn't follow the Subaru procedure.

Not sure on the switch, I thought I saw someone say they somehow cleaned out the contacts, but I could be confusing that with the power window switch. Someone said if replacing the stalk use a new one because I guess it is actually quite a bit of work to replace it. I had a bad filament one time that was intermittent. A few friends told me they noticed my brake light was out, but every time I checked it it was working. Then I got pulled over for a blown out tail light, so I looked closer. It was funny, I pulled the bulb out and it would work if I rotated it one way, and wouldn't if i rotated it another way. The filament was broken at one end, and it would work sometimes but not others, weird indeed.

Hm well what make/model gauge do you have? I'm guessing the instructions will probably show how to do it. Some sensors I think have two wire output, so as to not use the noisy case ground to reference the o2 sensor output.

You're sure the bulb filament is not intermittent? I've seen them where sometimes the filament makes contact and sometimes it doesn't. Beyond that, the left turn signal in particular I have seen some posts of the switch getting flaky on 2000 Outbacks; maybe that can happen with earlier models too. It happens on mine, once in a while, it clicks twice the normal speed but doesn't flash. Cancelling and then re signaling usually makes it kick in.

I don't know about the torque converter compatibility, but I do know from other posts that is critical to get the torque converter seated properly before mating it back up to the engine. Trying to use the engine mating bolts to 'snug it up' results in a cracked ATF pump and having to do the job over again.

Hm, your gauge, does it have two wires for input? If so I think you would need to connect one of the input wires to ground and the other to that single wire output from the oxygen sensor. Not sure how well it will work with a non-heated o2 sensor. Even if it does if that is a narrow band sensor I don't think those give a very useful output for a/f gauges.

Lightning deal on Amazon today 11/27/12 starting 11:59 AM PST on the INNOVA 3160B ABS/SRS+ Professional CanOBDII Diagnostic Code Scanner with Enhanced Live Data. Showing $179 right now, not sure what the lightning price will be, maybe like $140 if I had to guess? It's crazy watching these lightning deals. Almost everything sells out within a few minutes of the deal going active. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QIUGVI Also at 10:59 AM PST the 3M headlight restoration kit goes on. I don't have that kit but did use the plastic polish and protector chemcials, those work amazing and seems to keep them clear for about a year.

Thanks. I will take a closer look. I never actually see the coolant leaking anywhere, never any on the garage floor (and I removed the underdoor). I can smell it faintly sometimes. All hoses are new including throttle bypass, but I may have not tightened one enough. I think where the heads mate to the block I can see some traces of leakage but I can't be sure. I plan to just keep adding coolant. Mostly I was hoping it wasn't likely that it gets into the engine oil in this failure mode, which it sounds like it doesn't. So actually this failure mode isn't so bad other than having to top up the coolant regularly.

I think it's for the Forester, this image: http://subarupartsforyou.com/images/products/COOLING44.jpg is of a water pump for a Forester, it has the extra nipple.

Oh ok thanks I will have to take a look. I think I just assumed they would be in the rear wheel well covers because it looks very similar in that area to my first car a '91 Escort which had them there.

Oh I don't know, I just assumed you meant the cooler in the radiator. The oem add on cooler I don't know off hand how it installed. I've seen the metal lines under the battery rust out a few times though.

I've had those pipes rust out on two of my soobs, where they pass under the battery. I replaced it with hose. I think I did use 5/16" hose, fuel injection hose in one case because it was what I had on hand. 3/8" hose works but seems a little too big iirc. More than one well respected member I think suggested buying the replacement metal lines, maybe $40 or so, rather than replacing the whole length with hose. I was careful to keep the hoses matched up in the order they originally were going into/out of the rad. I guess if you can fit under there without jacking you can do it. I just pull up on ramps for jobs like this that don't require removing any wheels. You don't necessarily need to get under the vehicle to replace those lines with hoses but where they are near the heater hoses it is a bit of restricted access for the hands to fit in there.

I feel shorted that '96 Impreza Brighton got rear speakers, but '96 Legacy Brighton Wagon did not ... who do I speak with about that? Crutchfield says 6-1/2" round, they could be wrong I suppose.

Hm I've never seen that '03 style but my soobs are older, all using that second style. I wonder if they are interchangeable. If so maybe that's just what came with the pad kit when he had the brakes done so that's what was put in? Kind of surprised they get $20 for just those clips even in the aftermarket. I often skip the shims but I don't think I'd skip those clips since it provides a nice smooth shiny surface for the pad ears to move on, rather than against the rusty and much rougher caliper bracket.

I always get confused about the gens, and I have only wagons, but here is a '96 Legacy Brighton wagon 'stock', and then later with Outback struts and Outback King Springs lift springs, and the largest tires that would fit: Wow it had no visible rust back then but that was probably 7 years ago. With Outback struts and Outback King Springs lift springs: For size/reference, compared to same stock tire size on '94 Legacy:

Hm I don't know all applications that use the guide plate, I just assumed it was on all MT soobs. I thought I remember seeing on Endwrench that it was to prevent them from jumping time if parked in gear on a steep hill, I think that's what they said.

Hm do you mean what size could you fit back there? I have a '96 Legacy Brighton but wagon and it doesn't have rear speakers at all (front only). Hm for '96 Impreza Cruthfield seems to show 6-1/2" round for both front and rear, seems weird yes I would think 5x7 or maybe 6x9 for the rear.