Olnick

No shame, Tsuriman. You solved the problem and were thoughtful enough to post the solution. Thanks!

Looks good! Nice work, Erik.

Yup. But look at what he's gonna' use for his daily driver!

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, Commuter. Can you describe what you were hearing (or is it still too painful to discuss?) Tsuriman--excellent choice. I'm sure you'll sleep better knowing the HGs are as good as can be. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Aloha all.

A used seat would definitely be the only reasonable way to go but you're right, being that new makes it difficult to find. I'd suggest just leaving the seat outside for a week or so (out in the sun if possible) and see if the smell goes away. Good luck!

Who are you dealing with--private party, dealership, used car lot?

Just a thought--who did the work and did they use OEM parts?

Got any pix? I'm sure we'd all like to see the results.

Being a '95 it's most likely OBD-2, so you can try the Autozone route--or seee if your mechanic has a code reader. Happe Easter all!

Grossgary makes an excellent point--check the basics first before you start throwing big (expensive) parts at it. His list of sensors and connectors is a good starting point. Tell us as much as you can about the car. How many miles on it, did it have starting/running problems when you bought it? Did you do the timing belt, alternator, etc. yourself or did a mechanic work on it? I'm guessing from the price you quoted a mechanic did the work--if so, you might want to ask him for input. And if you need help or specific advice be sure to ask here. Good luck!

Great line, tc! That is truly funny.

Well that depends. What color is the '00? Sorry John, I couldn't resist. Welcome aboard--you found a great place for honest input.

Slegacy96. I agree with your sentiment. I just wish FHI/Subaru had taken the enormous amount of money they spent on designing, tooling and promoting the Tribeca and put it into diesel or hybrid development. It's pretty obvious the world's petroleum situation is only going to get worse.

Very interesting point, Lukas. Is that the general feeling from car lovers over there? Please keep us posted.

A suggestion--go back and talk to the dealer asap, don't wait for a card or anything. That way you get it on the record and they know that you know there's a problem. Best of luck.

FirstSubaruParts changed hands awhile back. Don't know if anything happened to them but you can still get great service and great prices from Jason at Mike Scarff Subaru (what used to be FirstSubaruParts.) Call him at 866-528-5282.

Don't feel like an idiot . . . you solved the problem!!!

Wow, that is one shweet looking ride Sis. What year is it? Does the engine look as good as the rest of the car? Did you get maintenance records from the previous owner--or do you already know the car's history?

Another perplexing problem solved! Way to go, PeterD. Am happy that you found the problem (And solved it too!)

First of all, what is your year/model/mileage? To answer your questions . . . yes! Extremely sluggish running and undoubtedly miserable gas mileage. A few years ago mine ('95 Legacy L with MT, about 100k miles) stalled in afternoon rush hour at the busiest corner in town and I had to push it across 3 lanes of oncoming traffic into a driveway! Later replaced the ECTS and it's run like a champ ever since. Night-and-day difference. The sensor, IIRC, is at the rear passenger side of the engine, kinda' hidden below the IACV. (Good time to remove the IACV and give it a good cleaning?) Try a search--I know it's been talked about a lot. Sensor cost less than $30 (back then). Go for it! And good luck.

Pull your starter and check the copper contacts in the back of the solenoid housing. That's nearly always where the problem is.

Good suggestion, Commuter. I learned to do this automatically a long time ago and now I don't even think about it--but it works on my car.

Great pix. Thanks for the link, 91LegLS. Now if Subaru would just release some facts/specs instead of all the PR poo.

Right on, daehttub. Thanx!