skraft

Big thanks guys. Tried it on the snow and it worked like a gem. Car drives just great in the snow, and shifts right back into 2WD with no problems. Thanks! _S

On my '88, the horn seems to only work when it is warm outside, and even then sometimes it doesn't work. Will the fix listed above help, or do I need to try something else? Thanks, _S

Thank you all for the prompt responses. I'm curious why 4WD isn't for use all the time (e.g. on dry surfaces)? Luckily it's snowing like crazy here in Rochester, so it will be a great time to try all of your recommendations. I'll be sure to check the tires for their model consistency and pressure. Let's hope I can get it back in 2-wheel afterwards! _S

Hello all, I am a newbie, so if this topic has been discussed elsewhere, I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction. I did some browsing but didn't find anything. -- Anyhow, I have an '88 GL with 174k miles. It is running fine now, in 2WD. The snow is piling up and I want to be able to use 4WD - HI. I have tried to put it into 4WD mode with the car on a flat surface, engine running, in neutral, stopped. (Should I be using the clutch?) The dash acknowledges the change and shows me it is in 4WD. However, once I start moving, I hear all sorts of bad noises and feel some resistance driving. This was not encouraging, so I put the car back into 2WD. It was difficult to get it back into 2WD, and required me to put it into 4, then 2, and back a few times. I got the car used, and I'm assuming 4WD was just not used for a long time, and that the parts are not lubricated, or something like this. Is this a common problem? Should I just stay in 2WD forever? If I run it in 4 for a mile or so will this go away (I'm a bit afraid to try this)? What should I do? As a note, the transmission fluid was checked recently and was clean and full. Is there a separate fluid I should be checking? Thanks, _S

Hi, Super-newbie question. If you could help me out, I'm in Rochester, NY, and winters here are cold. The car is a 1988 GL Wagon. What is a good oil recommendation for this winter? Thanks, -Steve

Thank you all for the responses. Would my diagnosis of these problems be more helpful if I were to get the error codes of the two problems from the dealer? It sounds like the EGR solenoid and injector problems are relatively easy and inexpensive fixes - thanks a lot for helping me out with that. Now I just am questioning why there would be so much trouble in having the car move, even when in neutral. I would hate to fix the solenoid and injector to find there were transmission issues or something like that. The car did have oil leakage issues in the first place and perhaps the transmission wasn't well lubricated when I began driving it, and I did some damage? What do you think?

Hello, I have a 1988 Subaru GL wagon. I posted it here for sale recently as I'm a college student, and didn't think I could afford the repairs it required. I'll list the description so you have an idea of what the car is: "SUBARU: GL-10, 1988. 173,000 miles, 4 door, 5-Speed transmission, good condition, Blue exterior, Blue interior, 4WD, radio, cassette, power locks, power windows, rear window defrost. This car was on the West coast for it's whole life until this past winter. It has no real rusting, no holes and the body is in great shape. Interior is very good. It sat in a garage all summer. It will require some repairs to the fuel injector and a solenoid valve to be road-ready. This was the first even semi-serious issue this car had in its history. With a bit of work, it has a lot of life left in it. You all know it is a winter-machine, can drive through most anything, and will go for a long while. I am the second owner, and have put none of the miles on it. It was a family car all its life." I purchased it from a friend as working, and had driven it quite a bit, and it was fine in May. He did some longer trips after that point, and then it sat for 3 months in a parking garage. I jumped it and after driving a mile or so it began smoking and even with the clutch pressed in it resisted rolling, it was very strange. I had to give it way too much gas to even pull over at that point, and it was clearly straining the car. The temperature gauge was rising and of course I pulled over and had it towed. The Subaru dealership I brought it to had done a simple "once over" inspection before I purchased it and informed me of some oil leakage that I had been informed about but didn't find any other major issues - the body was solid, no rust etc. However, it seems now that I brought it in with these recent problems, they informed me that there was a large amount of carbon build up (most likely due to long drives) and that the EGR solenoid and fuel injector needs replacing. I am not sure if questioning a repair price is appropriate on the forums, but he quoted me $998.00. A fellow board member I spoke to said this was outrageous and the repair should be a lot less. What do you think I should do? How much should repairs be and is it worth repairing? Lastly, do any of you know of any mechanics in the Rochester, NY area who could perform this task cheaper than the dealer? I appreciate all the help. I am a newbie on the forum, so please kindly correct me if my etiquette here is not quite correct.