Rooster2

I think Mugs has the right approach by systematically finding and solving problems. He is the kind of mechanic that I would want to take my car to, and could put my faith in. I have seen dealer shops, not Subaru, and private shops pull the same nonsense on me, that you just received. The approach is to take minor questionable weak evidence and weave it into a story to tell the owner, that a bunch of work needs to be done. The result is a very pricey quote with some scare tactics thrown in about the need to get the work done ASAP, as the car is unsafe to operate, and going to break down. This sales pitch works really well on a lot of people, especially women, who are scared to death of having their car break down anywhere and any time. I think the most bothersome aspect of what you wrote, is the dealer trying to sell you wheel bearings and a front axel, when you brought the car in with an over heating problem. Unless you asked for these items to be checked out, it is my humble opinion that the dealer is "looking" to make work, and a fat profit, irregardless of what really needs to be repaired. If it were me, I would get my car out of that shop pronto, even if I had to have it towed out. I would also let them know why I was leaving without having any work done, and that I was never coming back again. A letter to the Better Business Bureau, and to the Subaru Zone Manager would follow. Let us know how you come out on this!

Everyone responding here is giving good guesses, however, pulling the codes is really the first thing to do. With a code read out, a lot of guessing is eliminated, when the problem gets defined.

Glad to hear that you are back on the road again. Still, if it were me, I would replace the ECU. A used one from a wrecking yard can't cost much. A good investment verses breaking down on the open road somewhere.

had same symptoms that you described on my 98 OBW, went to a auto parts store, where the counter guy pulled the codes. Indicated that the knock sensor was bad. Replaced the sensor, which fixed the problem. BTW, the codes can only be pulled when the check engine light (CEL) is on.

No, the axel nut does not have to be removed to swap out a front rotor. Simply remove the caliper. Looking on the back side of the rotor, there are two bolts located at the top and bottom. Remove those two bolts, and rotor is off. I just replaced my rotors on my 98 OBW. I ran into a snag when one of those two bolts was froze up. I put an extension bar on a breaker bar, and promptly broke the bolt off. Then the fun began. I had to take my car to a repair shop where they applied heat to what was left with a torch to remove the rest of the bolt. Suggest you soak thoroughly those two bolts with PB Blaster, or a good penetrating oil (not WD-40) to keep the bolt from breaking, particularly if you live where they put salt on the roads in winter. As far as rotor size, I dunno. I went to Autozone, told them I had 15" wheels, bought their best, and bolted them on. The Autozone desk guy never asked me what size 15" rotor I wanted. I did not have any sizing problems with what they sold me. Maybe those numbers you list are for thickness, so any size thickness will work.

The Trans-X works well for the 99 and 00 models with their unique AT forward engagement problem. My 99 AT marches on after a year on Trans-X and 10K+ miles. However, you may suffer from a different problem with your 95 model. Still, it is worth a try. Just be sure to drain some ATF off before adding Trans-X. You don't want to over fill.

IMO soldering/brazing on the neck of a gas tank with a torch is a bad idea. Just too easy to cause an explosion from the gasoline fumes.

Don't think that changing the ATF caused or resulted in the problem. Are you sure that your ATF level is not low or over filled? Check the fluid level when the motor is warm, engine still running, and in Park gear, in case you didn't know. BYW, changing the ATF just once, only changed about half the fluid. Suggest you fill and drain a total of three times with some driving between changes to do a thorough fluid change.

Repair with JB Weld, available at auto parts store. Works great!

Agree with others, my money is on a broken timing belt. I can't remember but I think in 96, the 2.2 motor was non-interference, so your valves may not be damaged.

Projects become an issue of time vs money vs value of what you have. Which do you have more of? I agree, if it were mine, I would replace the pan and drive on. As Nipper wrote, change the oil and oil filter and hope for the best.

Here's a few more thoughts/symptoms: When the temp gauge was really high, you could hear the sound of boiling in the engine block (or it sure sounded like it). I was able to intermittently get heat from the interior heater, and the hose on the right side of the rad was hot (normal kind of hot, not super hot). If it was a thermostat issue, would the rad hose on the right side of the rad at the top be hot, or would it stay cool until the thermostat opens? When hot, you hear a boiling sound, intermittent heat, are again indicators of a bad head gasket. What happens on this type of motor is that the bad head gasket allows exhaust gas to enter the cooling system. The super hot exhaust gas gives you the boiling sound, and since the water pump doesn't pump both water and exhaust gas very well, the heater doesn't work well. One guy with your problem loosened the bleeder bolt that is located at the top of the radiator on the passenger side. That allows some of the exhaust gas to exit the radiator to somewhat minimize over heating a bit. It is a bandaid fix, but it can help a bit.

Nice car, looks well taken care of. Enjoy!!

Regarding the low beam out, high beam still works........sounds like a bad bulb to me. Replace the bulb to see if that fixes it. If you do it yourself, don't touch the glass envelope of the bulb with your bare fingers. The slight oil from your skin will cause hot spots on the bulb, and substantially shorten the bulb's life. Clean with rubbing alcohol and paper towel should you accidentally touch the glass envelope.

Yea..........bring on the pixs, want to see your new car!!!

Caught your post that you do not have comprehensive auto insurance, so there is no coverage for your flood damage with your auto policy. Another thought, in your original post, you mention the rain arriving before leaving for work. Was your car at your house or apartment complex when it was water damaged? If so, your home owner's or renters insurance may well cover your loss. It may be worth looking into. As an example, in the past, I have had my car damaged in my home driveway by vandals. Home owner's policy covered the loss. Even though you have done a lot of clean up work yourself, the pictures you have taken are valuable evidence to show an insurance adjuster. Just save your pics!

Well the parts store idea seemed good at the time. Not every idea works out. Hope you get it fixed with little hassle.

Always worth more selling as a whole, vs. parting it out. Besides parting it out takes time, often a lot of time. I guess on the other side of the coin, since you say it runs good without knocking, replace the pan and drive on. Maybe the metalic grit you found is a carry over from the original spun bearing, and everything is really okay with the motor.

maybe more then one rod bearing was bad at the time that you did the work. Did the rod bearing damage result from running the engine, when it was low on motor oil? Any current rod knocking noise?

All the auto parts stores sell wiper arms and blades. If it were me, I would remove the arm, take it with me to a parts store, and match it up size wise with what they sell. Chances are, you will find one that will fit.

Regarding the carpeting that you are drying. Suggest taking the carpeting to a laundromat. They have those large clothes dryers, just the right size for drying the carpeting. Throw in a few dryer sheets to get the carpeting smelling nice and fresh. The home clothes dryers are too small to do this.

Sounds like a nice ride if the price is right. Don't think sway bars are available. Prolly needs shocks/struts at all four corners to firm up the ride. Recommend KYBs. If you check the fuse to the cig lighter, and it is good, then like my 99 OBW, the problem is with the cig lighter receptacle. Replace, or do what I did, bend the prongs down to by pass the resistor thingie in the receptacle. If the motor is running strong, then figure 250 to 300K miles is the running life of a 2.2 motor before replacement.

Nice looking car. I hope it serves you well. I hope you are not the guy that pushes that 1930's era push type reel lawn mower around that I see in the background of the picture! That doesn't look like much fun. I haven't seen one of those in years.

So I should go ahead and buy another ECU? Yea, replacing the ECU would be money wisely spent. I wouldn't trust the broken one you have as far as I could throw it. Subie ECUs don't break often, so easy to get a good one from a wrecking yard. Shouldn't cost much. Just find one from roughly the same year car you have. Match up part numbers, and you should be good to go.

Sorry to read about your troubles. Looks like you parked in a low area for the water to get that deep. If you have comprehensive insurance, you may be covered on the water damage. That much water in the car must have entered under the doors, prolly not from the sun roof. The ecu looks shorted out. Replace the ecu with one from a wrecking yard, then see what codes you have. If you don't have comprehensive coverage, and have to wait for an insurance adjuster to view the damage, then suggest you pull out all the seats and the carpeting. Once out, then you can really get the carpeting dry and the floor pan dry as well. Otherwise, mold and mildew will ruin the carpet. Another thought is to use a "rinse and vac" vacuum cleaner. The type that is designed to vacuum up water, then use a couple of large box fans to blow air on the damp carpeting to complete the drying process.