robm

These stories always impress me. These cars are almost stupid-proof! I have proved this myself once or twice. Maybe we don't hear about the ones that kill their drivers? Or should I say, where the drivers kill themselves.

You don't think -17 deg. C has something to do with it? If you have a block heater, plug it in before you try again. I find my Loyale likes the blockheater plugged in around -10. It starts and runs colder than that, but it complains loudly (TOD) if I try. A car with marginal systems needs every advantage you can give it. The gas you are splashing in there maybe a problem. Is it fresh, winter gas, or summer gas left over from the lawnmower? Maybe try some ether starting fluid? Volatility is a problem at these temperatures. It sounds like your initial problem is charging system related, which is why it needs to be jumped. Marginal battery, and maybe alternator. Get it running first, then look at the charging system. If it is a jumped timing belt, it can screw up your ignition timing as well as valve timing, but playing with the distributor just complicates matters. Leave it be! One good thing is the temperature around here is going up a bit. Too bad it is going to snow instead! Good luck.

Usually the wiper motor has a contact inside the motor that makes sure it stays on until the wiper is parked. The rear one works this way, for sure. If the wipers don't park, this contact could be burnt out, disconnected, wire cut, or there could be a problem with the wiper switch, as that is where the current comes from. Not sure about the intermittent, I am not familiar with that vehicle, nor have I had to play with the intermittent function on my Loyale.

I wonder if the loose fit is part of the PCV system? Supplies a little fresh air to the crankcase, and perhaps helps stop oily scudge build up in the filler neck? Is there a breather elsewhere in the system? If not, where does the crankcase air come from? I sealed mine. Maybe it is not a good idea?

Sounds like great treatment from the dealer. You should let us know which one, they deserve the credit. My take on it is, if the car does what you need it to do, and is in otherwise good shape, stick with the Forester. A new engine for the cost of labour sounds like a good deal. How much is the labour? A new car would be a whole new set of problems. Good luck.

That is what the trailer hitch is for! Utility trailer converts this thing to pickup truck capacity.

It is not just getting the water out of the oil. That water has to go somewhere, so it goes up the filler neck that is a lot cooler and condenses into that scudge. Like Noah says, a fact of life in a cool climate.

An expert mechanic (truly expert, a sought-after consultant as well as a top-flight instructor) I know used to use dishwasher detergent to flush his cooling systems. He stopped when I pointed out that it eats zinc (brass has high zinc content) and aluminum - and just look at the wife's aluminum pots! He decided he didn't want his water pump looking like that. I am not sure what he uses now. How about hot water? Does this gunge circulate and recongeal as the cooling system heats and cools? Or is it stuck in one place?

Sorry. The PWM circuit I have in mind can only go 0-100%, not 0 - 150%. Which would not be good for the motor, either! There might not be that much more heat left in the core to remove. More air, same heat from the heater core, will give you more air that is not as warm. We can probably guess the engineers at FHI got the numbers pretty close, anyway. Why not roll up the windows? I agree with the sunroof open, it helps dry out the car. But sunroof and full blast on the fan should keep you reasonably comfie, if dressed for the weather outside.

Wow, I love DaveT's post. Nothing like actually dropping those cannonballs... Now, what we need is a good PWM circuit that can replace all those resistors, and get infinite adjustment to boot, with minimal losses. Having the motor data makes it easier.

A 3 ft length of pipe on the breaker bar usually gets something happening. If your socket or breaker bar disintegrate, at least you are that much further away from it! I always lift up on breaker bars, as legs can exert a lot more force than body weight. Back straight, usual caveats for lifting heavy loads. Leave the wheel on and not jacked up, 4wd on, in 1st gear, hand brake on full, right to the last notch. I did my rear brakes last weekend. Pretty easy, once the hub nuts are off. The pistons love to pop out when putting the shoes on, but it is probably time to bleed all the old brake fluid out of the system anyway. The drums go back on easier if you scrape off the rim of rust where the shoes don't ride. Don't forget the antiseize on the hub spindle when reassembling. It will make the job easier next time.

Pipe Wrench! I should have thought of it. I had to move a bunch of stuff before working on the car, and pipe wrenches were on the top of the heap! There might not be room to swing it, as the plug is accessed in a little opening surrounded by engine and exhaust pipes, but it is worth a try.

What size is the drain plug on a manual transmission Loyale? I tried my trusty 7/8" 12 point, that normally passes for 22 mm for front pulley bolts, but it just turns on the points. 13/16" is almost big enough, but won't quite squeeze on. 22 mm 12 point ring wrench doesn't have the room to swing, and it looks like it is too loose anyway. Any other ideas besides buying a 6 pt socket? Rob.

Cleanng the MAF may help, too.

I haven't personally seen any problems with those plastic flushing kits. But an old mechanic I knew told me he had seen several engines destroyed by them. He warned me off buying one at a garage sale, and I took his advice. Consider that 4 years is not a great deal of time in the lifespan of a Subaru, and some things aren't worth learning first hand. Another way to overheat an engine is one of them, in my view.

I have heard bad things about those plastic flushing kits. The fittings get old and tired, and disintegrate, spewing all your coolant all over the engine compartment and leading to a blown engine. Metal might be OK, but I haven't seen one in metal. A better present for Bucky might be to just change all his fluids - coolant, gear oil, rear diff oil (if 4WD), brake fluid. And when the coolant is drained, pop a coolant hose or 2 and back flush that way. It is not too much trouble to take every time the coolant is changed, as this only has to be done every couple of years, and besides, it is a good way to really examine the condition of the hoses at the same time. Good luck!

The Subaru gutters are not the most robust, but seem to be adequate. I have Thule racks. Way too much money, but there is not much of an alternative. If you can find a set of Terzo racks at the wrecker, grab 'em, as they have way better towers that clamp the bars with an allen key bolt, instead of the mickeymouse set up the Thules use. The windows clear the bracket on the passenger side, but do not on the driver's side. No idea why they fit dfferently, something wierd in the car's frame? Twisted unibody? I have to roll the window down a hair, or else it touches the clamp. Doesn't seem to hit it hard enough to break anything, but.... Watch for the clips that hold the plastic "chrome" trim strip to the gutter. Place the towers so as to avoid them. One thing I like about the Subaru is the gutters go right to the back of the car. It is possible to place the racks really far apart, great for carrying things like long ladders.

With your clutch, check the simple stuff first. You don't have an extra thick aftermarket floor mat preventing the pedal from going all the way down, do you? A bad O2 sensor might be causing a rich mixture. Good luck!

Chances are very good that the vacuum lines to the solenoids have come off or are cracked and leaking. I would look there first. Hit the button and make sure the solenoids are energizing, that will let you know if the electrics are working. The solenoids are on the driver's side, up on the inner fender just under the hood, close to the windshield. Good luck.

Actually, a 4 wheel dyno is not required, as the Loyale is 4WD, with a button to switch from 2WD to 4, not AWD or FT4WD. As long as they know the hand brake is on the front wheels.... Oh, and the cat should be right at the Y. Other threads on this board seeem to indicate that there needs to be a large plenum right there to work best.

It is my understanding that the Subaru has 2 cats because they do different thngs, i.e. they aren't 3 way catalytic converters. The first one deals with CO and HC, the second with NOx, or vice versa, I don't know which is which. A replacement cat would be a 3 way, so a second cat would not be necessary. Stick with stock diameter to the Y, to keep the velocity up for better scavenging. 1-7/8 or so after. This diameter worked well on 510's, and these engines aren't much bigger, and don't breath as well.

New plugs, new air filter, inspect the rest of the ignition system (wires, cap, rotor) and replace stuff if it is bad. Set the timing, idle speed, etc. as per the book. Make sure the car is well warmed up before the inspection. Pray! Can't hurt.

That is the sensor for the GAUGE. It is not the same as the one used by the ECS to see if the engine is warm enough to go into closed loop. http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1c/61/a6/0900823d801c61a6.jsp This is for up to 1996. I can't remember what year yours is.

You say you have soot in the tailpipe, so that sounds like it is running rich, alright. But before swapping out the O2 sensor, check the coolant temperature sensor. If it is not working, or the connector corroded, it will never signal the ECS to go into closed loop mode, so it never uses the O2 sensor. Sort of like the choke on a carb being stuck on, it makes the engine run rich and get rotten fuel consumption Easy to check, and way cheaper than a new O2 sensor.

Carbon is carbon, as long as it fits in the brush holder. Voltage doesn't matter.