porcupine73

Not sure where to post this, but a co-worker has a '98 VW, I think Passat, gasoline, turbo. He just started getting sometimes when taking off from a stop some very rough running and kind of bucking feeling with like no power. He says if he applies throttle really slowly then he can get going. Once moving it seems to be OK; mostly just when getting on the throttle after being at closed throttle does there seem to be a problem. He got a check engine light the other day (after which he said it ran much better), but the light went off by itself and the problem is back. His mechanic said he couldn't duplicate the problem. So on lunch I went out and read the codes with my Actron and it came back P1127 which I think is VW specific code bank 1 rich or something. Any VW knowledgable members have any suggestions on what to try/check? Some google search said there was a TSB for this code that could occur if the oil filler cap wasn't on right or maybe fuel regulator high pressure issue. Thanks in advance!

You might try my.subaru.com; you can register and enter your VIN. I don't know if has the 'as built' info but it did show me on the used Sub's I bought all dealer service and recall work that was done and some other stuff.

I've done front O2 sensor on '96 Legacy (not Outback); not sure how similar it is to your '97OBW, but I just used unhooked the connector and put a 6pt wrench on it (I think it was like 22mm) and squeezed the wrench up in there (didn't disconnect any exhaust). It was a little bit of a snug fit reaching up in there but was doable. Maybe some of those special O2 sensor sockets would help?. The trick (for me anyway) was to run the engine for maybe a minute (to warm up the exhaust) and then press on the wrench pretty hard. The manual says not to use too much force or it could damage the bung. I bought the Bosch universal O2 sensor and had to cut the connector off the old sensor and splice it up to the new one. I wish I'd just have ordered OEM instead of being in such a hurry. Not a bad idea might be to soak on some good penetrating oil like Kroil a couple days before trying to remove it. And use a little antisieze on the new O2 sensor when putting it in of course. Oil leak could be o-ring as already mentioned and/or screws on the back cover of the oil pump backing out and pushing oil out the front crank seal. Anyway, I'd plan on replacing the timing belt too if it's old or is oil soaked as you'll have to remove the oil pump to replace the o-ring and/or check the back case screws anyway. And since changing the timing belt, checking all idlers for freeplay/grease leakage, checking out the water pump as a candidate for changeout, and replacing the cam seals maybe, and if the timing cover gasket(s) are damaged, replacing those too.

Well, I just figured I'd send them in and see what happens. I didn't have any other reason (other than mileage I guess) than I had the car down for awhile anyway for the 105k service and had the air intake stuff out of the way, washer bottle, battery, etc., so I figured it would be the perfect time to send out the injectors too. Anyway, I don't think they really needed servicing in hindsight, but it was fun nonetheless.

Not completely sure how well this would work for you, but I saw my brother do it in an old Dodge Charger that had that problem. He bought a few cans of that spray adhesive (it's actually just aeresol rubber cement); sprayed a good coating on both the headliner and the roof and let it dry, then carefully stuck it back up there. It seemed to work OK. Not sure if there's any adhesives specifically for this purpose.

'00 OBW 2.5 105k mi here, bought it one year ago, no HG issues (yet! :-\ ) Anywho, better mileage with it (up to 30mpg w/NY 10% ethanol gasoline) vs. my '96 2.2L Legacy, about 24mpg (maybe somethin's giving it lower mileage). I definitely notice much more power from the 2.5L '00OBW than in the 2.2L '96 Legacy. It's probably common on many smaller engines, but the 2.2L makes good power only above maybe 3100rpm; otherwise it feels bogged down a little when stomping on it. The 2.5L feels a lot more torquey at the bottom end than the 2.2L (to me anyway).

I think it ran 15$ each return shipping included for the 'premium' service; they have all info on their web site. Turn around time was, I think I sent them out Thursday (priority mail flat rate envelope) and I received them back on Monday or Tuesday. Only issue I had was they sent them back insured, so post office wouldn't deliver them without my signature, that delayed my getting them by a couple days.

Thanks for the info! Hm...simple, cheap, I'll give it a go

Anyone into fuel injector servicing/cleaning? I sent the injectors from my '00OBW to witchhunter performance for their cleaning and flow service. They came back nice and spiffy with new o-rings and stuff. I had new OEM o-rings and other seals on hand anyways. They replaced the little filter jobbies in them too and sent back flow test results. Showed a little more flow after service; but I think they were fine even when I sent them in.

What kind of seal puller/method do ya'll use to pull the cam and crank seals? Pictures and links would be appreciated. I've never pulled a seal before; I have a Lisle seal puller, but it seems like it's kind of big for this job (maybe more suitable for wheel bearing seals er somethin). -Louis

Cam sprocket tool arrived today, posting a pic for reference, about $61 ('credit card price) plus shipping from SVX Kent Moore. No more bent cam sprockets from the chain wrench!

Thanks for all the info guys. I removed the oil pump over the weekend. Anyway, long story short, the bad news is I bent the casing getting it out but the good news is I ordered a new oil pump that'll be here Thursday! I forget one of the rules of car work, namely to make certain that ALL of the bolts securing an assembly to the vehicle are removed BEFORE prying like a madman. Anywho, I was able to get out all the screws on the back cover (some were a little bit loose), except one, which I promptly stripped out. But my never fear screw extractor ripped it out OK. The rotors clearance actually was borderline to the service manual limit actually so I probably would've replaced the rotors anyway, which is only half the price of the whole new pump. Also thanks for the note about not having to remove the water pump. I'm going to pay more attention to the service manual because it seems to list removing things that do make the job easier/safer, but that don't HAVE to be removed to git-r-done. Like it shows removing the radiator to remove the oil pump. I just put some heavy cardboard in front to protect it. --Louis

Hi MSSLGECKO, no I used the Dow High Vacuum Silicone Grease shown below (bought from McMaster-Carr). I think it was like $10 for that tube which is like a toothpaste tube size enough for a lifetime I'd imagine. The pump I bought (from Sears) came with a very small tube of stuff, but I used it up, and couldn't find any of the substitutes listed in the Sears documentation, so I tried the Dow stuff. It seemed to work fine; however, I do not know if it is recommended for use in brake applications. I definitely wouldn't use that Goop stuff as we're working with safety critical car brakes here, not a kitchen sink. :cool: Yes, then after I've closed the bleed valve when I'm done I wipe it off with a clean rag. Anyway, you can get a fairly inexpensive such vacuum kit from Harbor Freight; you don't have to pay $$ for a name brand MightyVac. The setup I bought from Sears for $50 looks exactly the same to me as the one at HF for like $20 on sale. I have had excellent results with the vacuum brake bleeding system. If you don't use the grease though, it does such mostly air bubbles around the bleeder. -Louis

Hi Natalie, I think the screws that tend to loosen up on the those oil pumps are the rear case/cover screws. To get at them, the oil pump must be removed. Be sure all the bolts are removed from the oil pump housing, then there are a few pry points to get screwdrivers or small pry bars on there (don't scratch the mating surfaces of course). (I missed a bolt at the bottom middle of the pump when I pried it and bent the pump casing ....new oil pump for me! ) It doesn't take much force to break loose the seal (if all the bolts are out! :-p ) Then slide it off the crank (after sliding off the crank sprocket). Be careful with the radiator if you didn't remove it, or put some thick cardboard over it to protect. Then you'll see like 6 phillips head screws on the back casing. I'd just take them out and then check the rotor clearances with a feeler gauge while you're in there. I think one of the Subaru articles said to put the screws back in with red threadlocker. If you don't have a service manual, you could get an AllDataDiy subscription; I like it and it has basically the OE manual info&diagrams from what I can tell. There is an o-ring on the oil pump between the pump and block. And of course put in a new front crank seal when putting the oil pump back on. I believe Permatex Ultra Grey is the sealant to use when putting the oil pump back on. Torque specs are in the service manual. I just replaced my water pump too but didn't use any gasket sealer on the screws. There wasn't any sealer on the one that was on there. Just used a new gasket and little blue threadlocker on the screws when I put them back in. I did put some Permatex non-hardening gasket dressing (#2 I think or something) on the new gasket to hold it onto the new water pump while I mated it up to the block. Oh and the service manual has a tightening sequence for the bolts on reinstallation too. You might as well put in a new thermostat & gasket while you're at it if it's more than a couple years old. --Louis

Dude I don't know if you have a Harbor Freight near you but they have A/C manifold gauge set on sale right now I think for $39.99 plus if you sign up for e-mail specials you'll get coupons every week usually one of which is 20% off any single item.

I agree on the cooler; a permacool 1-1/2" x 7" x 18" fit in my 00 OBW. For regular towing I would want a big cooler and a ATF temp gauge. Without the gauge you don't know how hot the ATF is. I prefer to keep it below 180 deg. F. Nearing 250 deg. F for extended periods is asking for trouble. If you can't/don't want to install a cooler, I would at least change the ATF after the trip and maybe also before if it hasn't been changed lately. Synthetic ATF will probably be more resistant to oxidation than dino ATF.

After you get the existing belt off, spin all the idlers with your fingers and make sure they're smooth. Also try to slide the idler in and out to feel for play. Also try to rock the roller in all directions. Basically if there's any roughness or freeplay or it's leaking any grease then it's probably a good candidate for replacement. I'd also check freeplay on the water pump. I'd also try to wiggle the cam sprockets and just make sure nothing is loose in there. Also I think that era 2.2 had an issue with the screws coming loose on the backside of the oil pump so that might be something to look into as well while you've got the timing belt off.

What brand/model code reader are you using? I have a '96 Legacy that choked up a MIL shortly after I got it, bought a cheap Actron scanner at PepBoys and it showed front oxygen sensor slow reponse; replaced front O2 sensor and code went away. I've noticed the code scanner when connected to my '96 Legacy takes about 45 seconds to display the codes. My '00 I think it reads a lot faster. I think 95/96 or there abouts Subaru's only respond to OBDII 'supported' info requests and not 'all' requests, whereas most vehicles will respond to 'all' requests hence why I asked about the brand/model code reader you're using. (Read that in the ScanGauge manual).

On my '96 Legacy Brighton Wagon, the idle air control valve is as shown in the pic below. Mark I got the FuelPower FP60 from their Web site. It's actually a gasoline additive. I don't think it's sold in retail stores. It seems to work very well as a cleaner when warmed. I've used it to clean the throttle plate, etc. RedLine SI/R-I fuel system cleaner works very well too, and that you can get at I think Parts America, or from Summit. Anyway, I would think people would typically use a throttle body cleaner for this kind of work, but I didn't have any when I cleaned mine hence my use of alternates. I don't know what this board thinks of AllDataDiy, but you can get the trouble codes on there too, at least I can for my '96. I also poured you a beer!!!

Making a new panel for that area sounds cool nipper. I hope your back gets better quickly! I always like how on those car shows on TV they make shaped panels out of that fiberglass resin with the cloth and it always looks so nice. >> i see your car is dirty well, it's um, not really all that dirty, you see, the camera - it's flash makes every little spec of dirt show up! Really it does!

I had sticking calipers on an Escort before. Did the place you had the brakes done at rebuild/service the calipers? Sometimes if you just squeeze the pistons back in and slap in new pads, there's a little corrosion/dirt/gunk/whatever on the piston, it can damage the seal/and or hang up on the seal and stick. I had that happen at Monroe before and I complained hard and got a full refund. Gas mileage also suffers obviously when calipers are hanging up. A little grinding/squealing in the brakes when stopping, esp. if the car sat for a couple days when it's wet out probably isn't a big deal.

I don't know about the belts, but dude you sound lucky you didn't get pepper sprayed! lol j/k. It's always nice to offer a helping hand. My older brother's nickname is 'Manson' because he looks like Charles Manson so he doesn't often offer to help out young ladies in distress.

good morning nipper, per your request, here's some more pics of the center console of the '96 Legacy Brighton. pic1 pic2 pic3 Basically I removed that plastic piece down there and drilled some holes in it for the wires/vacuum tubing and used some mounting hardware for the gauges. I had to be a little careful because right behind that plastic thing is some contraption/computer for the airbags. You might be able to drill a big enough hole to fit that scangauge cable through there. The older scangauge I have doesn't have that unpluggable cable. Well nipper I'm going to try that oil pump reseal on my '00OBW now.

Dude the IAC is dead easy to clean; I just unhooked the hoses and poured some warmed Fuel Power FP60 down in there. I think sometimes if they're really caked up, the IAC will be fully open or nearly fully open and that's just not enough when the A/C is on? my '96 manual says for this code PO505, check air intake system, check output signal from ECM, check idle air control solenoid valve, check power supply to idle air control solenoid valve, check harneess between ECM and idle air control solenoid valve connector, and then step by step instructions on each. --Louis

Awesome thanks for the info. I'll R&R the oil pump tomorrow. The only thing I wasn't planning on doing is the RMS, as I'd have to yoink the engine for that, which I don't have a hoist and that'd be the most involved job I've ever done. Actually this timing belt/water pump/valve clearance/etc. work is the most involved I've ever done so far, but I think it's fun, probably only because i have another car to drive while working on this one, well oh, and that Sub's are pretty easy to work on!!!