Rooster2

Brilliant idea using smoke to locate the problem. I will try that!!!!

Good job fixing all those little nagging problems. Can you make a house call to Indianapolis to work on my car? I have a continual problem with CEL relating to replacing the gas tank filler tube. I have repeatedly tightened up all hoses and lines, and new gas cap, but CEL will continue to come back on.

I am running Ohtsu FP700 tires on my Outback, and daughter's Hyundai. They have been great, and are reasonably priced. Listed as an all season tire, but chunky tread pattern looks more like a snow tire, so it is not surprising that they run great in the snow, and yet quiet running on dry interstate travel. Plenty of positive reviews if you google Ohtsu tire reviews, and where to buy them. Ohtsu brand tires is tied in with Falken and Sumitomo tires. I guess the Japanese manufacturer sells tires under the three different brand names, so rest assured they are not junk tires from some third world country.

I would suspect the starter.

Any guarantee work is for the specific purchased part only, nothing on anything else. That being said, the knock sensor problem is unrelated to the tranny install, and "yes, not the installers problem.". I have had engines and trannys replaced in the past, and seem to always run into problems with the install. Yes, the install was good, but like you, the installers were in a hurry, and failed to tighten up everything properly. I figured it wasn't going to do much good dragging the car back to the installer, so at that point, I just took it upon myself to check all their work, and fix leaks, and tighten anything loose. It did not take me long to get things right again.

Was the new 02 sensor wiring spliced onto your old 02 wiring? If so, that can be the source of the problem. I have found that to be a problem in the past, and now won't install an 02 sensor that requires wiring splice.

If you purchase a new, or rebuilt alternator, be aware that there are two manufacturers of alternators for Subaru. One is the Mitsu, which you have, the other is I think is manufactured by Denso. Both are good products. They visually look a little different, but are interchangeable. Either one will work.

easier using a "C" clamp to push back the piston, instead of using a large screw driver, IMHO

No, a bad bearing would be noisy no matter what. Since pulling a fuse eliminates the noise, you have something else going on

Whining can be caused by a bad bearing in the alternator. If so, it is likely the source of the noise, plus the added friction of the bad bearing is causing the heat build up. If you bought a rebuilt alternator from a chain parts store, it is possible that you got a bad one. The rebuilders often do a poor repair job, so I have found it takes another swap out to get a good one. Rather doubt that you have any huge electrical draw. If so, the electrical system would blow a fuse on a particular circuit.

While doing the head gaskets, recommend replacing the oil seals. I failed to have that done at last T/B change on my 99 OBW. I blew out one of the oil seals recently. Was fortunate enough to see the oil warning light in time....got the car stopped, before damaging the motor with low to no oil.

All good info...........thanks guys. Rooster2

Tried this, but did not work. Went on line, and got advise of turning ignition to "run," then hook up negative battery cable. That worked! Thanks Mike 104 for your help.

Need help.............Have a 98 Legacy Outback with the anti theft system. The key Fob has been lost to turn on/off the theft system. No big problem until now it needs a new battery. Hooking up a new battery automatically sets off the alarm system. How can I turn off the alarm without the key Fob?? I could not find any advise in the "search" section. Thanks for advise.............Rooster2

How much oil needed to be added, when I assume there was nothing showing on the dip stick?? Was there any knocking prior to this incident?? It is still possible that the knocking is not from the main bearings, but from a timing belt tensioner. The sound is nearly the same.

No need to replace the filter until around 100K miles. Tranny fluid does not get dirty like motor oil. When draining ATF, you will only get about half the ATF out of the tranny per drain. The other half stays in the torque converter, and can't be drained out. I drain and fill three times, with short drives between drains. This does a pretty good job of getting new clean ATF into your tranny. Yes,it does waste a lot of ATF, but still cheaper, then a power drain at a shop.

+1 on making sure the wheel lug nuts are tight. If you have aluminum alloy wheels, it is common to do a re tightening of the lugs at around 25 miles. That might do the trick. Agree with others that wheel balancing may be needed.

I think the "pop" is caused by a spring releasing tension in the hood release. Sometimes, there is binding at the release that can be fixed by lubricating the mechanism. I have used spray can of white lithium grease to free up the bind. Give that a try. I bet it fixes your problem.

Sounds like you have endured quite an adventure. Subarus are great cars, but that one with 98K miles probably had minimal maintenance, and the clown mechanics at the dealership don't know what they are doing is not making things any better. I am guessing that the dealership is not a Subaru dealership. What is your sales agreement upon purchasing this car? If unsure of anything, then I suggest talking with an attorney to learn what your rights are.

Agree, most likely the compressor is going bad. Also, agree on not using the A/C until compressor is replaced. Maybe you can score one from a wrecking yard. Buying a new one is expensive.

Check your oil to see if "flooding" has resulted in gasoline mixed with the oil. If you see the oil level is higher then normal, then change the oil pronto, as gasoline is now mixed with the oil. That combination results in very poor lubrication from the diluted oil.

On both my 98 and 99 Leggie Outbacks, I have replaced both resonators with a straight pipe, at a On both cars, the pipe just rusted through and broke. Surprisingly, the replacement straight pipe does not make the exhaust any louder. Over the years, on various cars, I have used the flex pipe approach. My experience is that the flex pipes don't last long. You may get a year or two out of a flex pipe before it rusts, or the metal gets brittle and cracks open. Always best to use the rubber hangers that came with the car. I can't remember where the hangers are located, but keep using what you have.

It is handy to have a bottle jack available to "jack" the strut in place upon re-assembly. Much easier then trying to strong arm the strut in place for bolt down.

The fix lasts about a year. Reapply Trans X, and you are good for another year. ...........Rooster2

I have done that before on wife's 98 Outback. Yes that can work, just be sure to have your fab in hand to turn off the alarm, as reattaching the battery cable can set off the alarm.