Rooster2

If I do find a voltage drop, what is the solution to fix the problem??

Good advise.............Thanks

Will check that out............Thanx

99 Legacy Outback.......... Throwing check engine light code P1100, Starter Switch Circuit Low Imput was advised If the starter operates (which it does), there is an open, or ground short circuit between the ecm. and the starter motor connector. How do I trouble shoot this?? Car has stalled recently a couple of times at traffic lights. Suspect the problem involving the ecm is responsible for this. Car restarts easily after a stall. I need to fix this, before it gets worse. Any advise greatly appreciated. Thanx

If you keep an eye on the temp gauge, and notice the temp reading start to hurridly spike towards hot, open the hood and look at the radiator over flow container. Open the container cap, if you see bubbles in the over flow, it is a positive sign that you are having a head gasket problem. Seems like every 2.5 motor on cars built from 96-99 will eventually develop head gasket trouble. Both my 98 and 99 developed the problem at about the 175K millage. Some cars develop the problem at a much lower millage. What ever you do, don't repeat over heating. The aluminum motor will warp, and the main bearings will go bad, and then the motor is toast.

Thanks for the advise, I will look into it.

Not worth trying to patch up a 12 year old radiator. New radiators are inexpensive in USA, would also think so in Australia. Rather easy to replace yourself with minimum tools and time.

Now car has begun to stall at traffic light, but restarts right away. Is this related to code P1100?? What is code read out......... "low" voltage condition on the Starter Switch?? Does this mean the ignition key switch??

Anyone know what code P1100 means??

On those rusty bolts & nuts, spray them with PB Blaster or penetrating oil, a few days in advance of when you want to loosen them up. This gives the oil some time to really break the rust bond that makes them hard to break loose.

I have a 95 2.2 motor in my 98 Outback. Runs just fine. Little loss of power compared to the 2.5, but you get use to it. The 2.2 is bulletproof, so gives me great peace of mind to know it won't blow its head gaskets.

Agree, needs new spark plug wires. Buy a good set, cheapie wires don't hold up and last very long in a Subie. Also, change spark plugs can also help. Perhaps the cold start sensor needs to be replaced. However, I think if it is going bad it sets off a check engine light.

For what it is worth, there may be an external auto tranny filter on your car. It will look exactly like a spin on oil filter. However, the media inside the filter is different. Replacement external AT filters are available. Cost is about $30. Don't bother dropping the tranny pan to change any filter in there. Just a waste of time.There is no internal filter, just a piece of screen wire that never seems to clog up. Dropping the pan also puts you at the risk of creating a leaky pan, as a pan gasket is nasty to remove and replace, and pan will want to leak afterwards. Not worth going down that road. You can tell I have been there before.

Recommend you drive about 5 minutes between ATF changes to give the old and new tranny fluid a chance to mix well. Tranny fluid should not be thick at any time, so agree with you that the "thickness" could cause shifting problem when the motor and tranny fluids are cold. Maybe previous owner added some additive to the tranny fluid that results in thicker fluid to perhaps seal a leaky pan gasket??

I remember there are two starters available by different manufacturers. I remember I had a starter go bad. I bought a reman unit from a parts store. The unit turned out to be from the other manufacturer from what I had. Construction wise, they looked a little different from each other, however, they are interchangeable, so "New" one worked just fine. Never had any trouble with this R & R. You need to find out which manufacturer your starter is from before ordering parts for a rebuild.

Took my car to an AZ to have a CEL code read. Definition....... result is P1100, indicated that the PCM detected an unexpected "low" voltage condition on the Starter Switch signal during the CCM test. Error Code "reads P1100 Starter Switch Circuit Low Imput." What does this mean, what needs to be fixed?? Thanx

If the bad bearing sound is coming from the alternator, you will need to replace it soon. At some point, a bad bearing will "lock up," and refuse to rotate. When that happens, if it is the alternator, it will not let the shaft spin in the alternator. The alternator belt will heat up and break, and then you have no electrical charge going to your battery. At that point, you won't be able to drive far because the battery will go dead.

Sounds like a bad bearing in the alternator. To confirm it, use a long screw driver as a stethoscope. Touch the blade tip to the alternator case, the other end, press to your ear. This should tell you if the noise is coming from the alternator. If not, apply the test elsewhere on the motor to find the source of the noise. Pretty sure it is a bad bearing making all the noise.

Yes the 99 is my DD. I seldom drive on two lane roads, where passing in the on coming line of traffic is an issue. My experience is driving on the interstates. I have plenty of power accelerating the on ramps, and have never felt a lack of horse power from the motor to complain about. Where Subaru really shines is their all wheel drive system, which IMHO is supurb. I have been to Colorado to ski the Summit many times, so I know what challenging driving conditions can be. Really recommend you shop more for an Outback made after 1999. The SOHC 2.5 motor in the later models is more reliable, without having serious head gasket problems as with the 96-99 models, should have plenty of power. With all the Subarus you see on Colorado roads, their drivers certainly must be happy with their cars. You probably know several people who own Subarus, ask their opinion of their driving experience.

With a 2.5 DOHC auto, it sounds like you drove a 96-99 Legacy. I have a 99, and it has plenty of power. With first gear shot in the auto, and poor power, I don't think the car is in good shape. Keep shopping. Colorado is known to have a large number of Subies, so you should find some good ones to choose from.

Agree that trans is prolly trash. Being a 92, I guess you will have to make a choice of replacing the tranny, or sending car to a wrecking yard. If you are like most Subie owners, that will be a difficult emotional choice. I did look around on the internet to see what a used tranny may cost from a wrecking yard. Looks like in the $200+ area. Even so, used trannys from the 92 era have a ton of miles on them. I would question the reliability on high millage trannys. Still worth a look at Car-Part.com Keep us posted on what you are going to do. The best to you!

I have never had any trouble with reman starters. Starters don't cost that much, if it were me, I would replace the starter with another reman unit. Most likely will solve the problem.

Opinions I have read on this forum over many years, is that it is far better, and a lot easier, and less expensive to replace the tranny with a good used one from a wrecking yard. Rebuilding a 92 tranny at a shop would be labor intensive and therefore expensive.

Have never heard of any Subarus built at the factory with a block heater. So, inclined to think that it is an after market add on, that you will have to install to the car. The only thing I can think on, is maybe block heaters are factory installed in Canadian spec cars, but no so with American spec cars.

Replacing the timing belt is a usual time to also replace the water pump, as it requires minimal extra labor. Probably also a good time to replace the auto tranny fluid and tranny external filter. Don't drop the tranny plan, as screen filter in there does not need to be replaced. If you are handy, you can do the tranny work yourself. Just drain and fill the tranny 3 times, with short drives between drain and fills. The 3 time approach is needed, as only about half the tranny fluid can be drained. The remainder stays in the torque converter, and won't drain out.