Fairtax4me

This I don't recommend on many newer cars. There are big differences in the way the modern wide-band sensors work compared to the older standard oxygen sensors. This also applies to most California emmissions spec vehicles. The newer wide-band sensors use a bias voltage from the ECU which makes the sensor output more sensitive. The universal sensors are standard oxygen sensors not designed to use a bias. They create their own signal voltage, and will not respond properly or can be damaged if used in a car that sends a bias voltage to the sensor. They work great and are a cost saving alternative if you know your car has that type of sensor. But will bite you if your car needs a biased sensor. This is the reason for closely checking the tabs on the connector. If you can determine that the sensor on your car is a standard O2 sensor, a universal will probably work, you just have to so some cutting and twisting of wires. Sometimes its worth the extra money to not have to fiddle with wires and to know you have the correct sensor.

Unplug the large harness that curls down from the firewall, and loops over top of the transmission. The large connector pictured here: http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/us_b11/type_7/automatic_transmission/at_shift_control/illustration_2/

It's usually best to match the brand of the current sensor that's on the car. If you look at the sensor body you can often see the brand name stamped or engraved in the case. If you can't find the brand on the sensor, go with Denso. Japanese car, Japanese parts, they'll play well together. Also be sure to check the shape of the wire connector for the sensor. There are tabs on the connector that prevent an incorrect sensor from being plugged in. There may be listings for several different O2 sensors for the same car, and the only way to tell which is the correct one is to look at the connector.

Those are just irregularities in the castings. Nothing to worry about. Overheating like that suggests the coolant level was probably low, and was probably that way for quite some time. Knowing it has been overheated multiple times, its a big gamble to put head gaskets on it. The rod bearings could be compromised.

That only lists manual transmissions, so not much use on a thread about automatics. But it is a fairly recently updated list, which is nice, since many of the lists like that in the past were not complete or didnt cover recent models. It looks like that one covers up to at least 2010. Good for reference info. Thanks for posting the link!

What is the noise you have? Does it happen in all gears just a few? What does the fluid look like? The manuals have a habit of eating the mainshaft rear bearing. Haven't ever heard of one doing that with the kind of mileage yours has, but that car has spent plenty of time driving around with old fluid in it. The mainshaft bearings will make a growling or sandy noise in all gears that is dependent on engine speed. It can also change depending on engine load, light throttle vs heavy throttle. It will also make a whirring noise when sitting still in nuetral with the clutch engaged. Disengaging the clutch (pushing the pedal down) will make the noise stop. The bearing is replaceable if you have a press, and is worthwhile as long as the rest of the trans (synchros, front diff) is in good shape.

Disc rears. Both slide easily because I just put new pads and rotors on it 2 months ago. Cleaned and re-greased the slide pins. Had to replace one caliper because the piston was seized. The other caliper was smooth and is working normally. What I gather from the FSM is the proportioning valve is supposed to trip at around 450 psi. Until that pressure is reached, front and rear braking pressures will be equal. After that, rear pressure is limited proportionally to the front pressure. It does this by using a dampening chamber with a diaphragm and spring. Fluid will press on the diaphragm and depress the spring, which effectively lowers the pressure going to the rear brake calipers. So it seems to me that the proportioning valve is functioning at least somewhat normally, and what I'm hearing is the sound of the diaphragm and/or springs moving inside the valve. If there is a leak in one of the rear lines, there will be low or no pressure in the line, and thus no actuation of the proportioning valve. I think my next step will be to swap in another proportioning valve and see what happens. I know the one in my 96 works, and doesn't make noise. I have new brake hoses to put on that car anyway, so ill try a switcheroo and see what I get.

Forgot to mention that. Found no leaks.

Girlfriends 95 Legacy LSi started making a weird noise today. If started out as a clicking or popping sound when the brake pedal is depressed. Only happens when the pedal is moving. I poked around with the stethoscope and determined the noise was coming from the proportioning valve. Pedal feel is fine but I decided to bleed the brakes to check for air. No air, but I found some nasty fluid in right rear caliper. Now with clean fluid throughout, the clicking noise was gone, took the car for a drive. After about 20 minutes of driving here is a new noise. Kind of a humming sound. Again, coming from the proportioning valve. It's kinda like the hum sound you get from blowing across the top of a bottle. It only makes the sound as the pedal is being depressed. Once the pedal stops the sound stops, and it does take some force on the pedal to make the sound. The pedal feel is fine. No sinking or softness. Braking is even. Not real sure what to think of it. Odd noise, but everything seems to work fine. Bad proportioning valve? I haven't ever heard of one going bad. Not just on a Subaru, I mean ever never. Anybody else experienced something like this?

Is it an auto or manual trans? The binding is called "torque bind" and is pretty common. The steps to repair it are different for auto vs manual.

Right, but the starter was replaced and they still have the same symptom. What are the chances of having the same problem with two different starters? Probably not the starter. "Does not engage the engine", in this case, sounds like the engine is just freewheeling because there is no compression.

No cables on that car. The speedometer is electronic. I'm not sure how the speedometer drive unit works, but there could be a motor on the back that is going bad and making noise. Often sounds from under the hood can be mistakenly thought to be coming from the dash. I would make sure the belts and tensioners are in good shape. If you have the h6 engine, the tensioner bearings are known to fail on those.

A big problem with any turbo engine is going to be maintenance. You just have to expect to shell out some cash for parts and repairs on a fairly regular basis, especially if you drive the hell out of it. Anything used, you have no idea what kind of maintenance history it has, or the driving/maintenance habits of the previous owner or owners. Turbos do need more frequent oil changes, and require certain driving habits in order to get the most life out of the unit. Around 03-06ish there were issues with a screen filter in the turbo oil feed getting clogged and starving the turbo for oil. The bearings cook and the turbo chews itself up. There are also problems with rod bearings on the turbo engines. Hard to say if that's due to lack of maintenance or other factors, such as driving habits. Head gaskets are the least worry on the turbo engines. Youre much more likely to have to put head gaskets on the OBS than on a WRX. The turbo gaskets are hefty and don't fail at nearly the same rate as the n/a engine HGs do. Broken or jumped timing belts and burned valves are much more common than failed head gaskets on the turbo motors. Both resulting from lack of proper maintenance. Engine swaps from the 2.5 to the more reliable 2.2 engine are very common and are nothing to stray from. If its a swap from an NA engine to a turbo, that's going to be a can of worms, and probably not something you want to be involved with, unless you have alot of money to spend and time to kill.

From what I understand Impreza turbo springs are shorter overall height, which means they would lower the car, and have only slightly higher spring rate. I found a thread on one of the impreza forums not long ago that listed spring rates for various cars. Ill try to find it again. If nothing else, stock Outback springs and Struts will give you 1" of lift. This is all from the strut though. The Outback Strut is 1" longer than a normal Legacy strut. Often new springs will provide the appearance of more lift compared to the worn out springs that are on the car. There is a section in the service manual that covers alignment specs. Part of the procedure is to measure ride height, and the manual has info on where to measure and what the spec should be. This can give you an idea of how worn your springs are and how much difference to expect with new stock springs.

Like this? Smooth sound is the sound of no compression which would indicate a broken timing belt. Pull the timing covers and check it. The starter pinion is kicked out by the same plunger that makes the electrical contacts for the starter motor. If the starter is turning, the pinion is engaged.

When you turn the key does it make a smooth whiiiiiirrrrrrrrr sound? Or is it a normal chug-chug-chug sound?

Coolant in the exhaust can foul the sensor and cause this code. You may want to check the wiring and connector, but most likely will need to replace the sensor.

Is your car AWD or FWD? FWD rear springs have a much lower spring rate than AWD. New stock AWD springs will make a noticable difference in that case. If you have AWD, and you're loading up with gear every weekend new stock springs will wear out just like the old ones have done. The rear springs are a bit too soft on these cars and just don't hold up over time, especially when carrying cargo on a regular basis. A set of King springs will probably be your best bet here. Their standard height springs are stiffer than stock springs so will carry more load withor sagging, and without a crazy amount of lift when unloaded. The outback/forester struts will all lift the car, but do not offer higher spring rates.

Pretty good bet the cat melted inside and is now toasted, but those can be "fixed", at least well enough to drive it home, with a hammer and a tire iron. Of course you need some tools to unbolt the cats from the y-pipe so the tire iron can be shoved inside. Misfiring dumps raw fuel into the exhaust. Catalytic converters don't like raw gasoline. It makes them heat up, and keep heating up. Eventually the substrate of the cat will melt and clog the exhaust. If overheating is severe enough the cat can catch fire and set the car on fire.

Its an electronic speed signal so it can be corrected with an electrical speedometer corrector. There are various different types out there if you search google. Another way is to swap in an Outback transmission, which will have the added benefit of better gearing to help turn the larger tires.

3rd gear at 50mph should be around 2,700 rpm. If revs are more than 4-500 higher than that its probably still in second gear. The autos can ride out second to about 65mph. Solenoid problems will set codes more often than not, though its entirely possible. These transmissions will mechanically default to 3rd gear if there is a soenoid problem or no input from the TCU. Unplugging the main harness going into the transmission will lock the trans in 3rd gear. If the car doesn't move with the trans harness unplugged, that indicates a mechanical problem.

Ok, now you at least have spark. After cranking for a few seconds can you smell fuel in the tail pipe? If you can there's a good chance its getting enough fuel. Pull all 4 plugs, leave them out and let the cylinders air out for a few hours.

I haven't read the whole thing, but here is an 11 page thread on it: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/46784-eyesight-reviews.html I think you'll like it. Especially the adaptive cruise.

That still seems low. Pretty sure the FSM specifies around 35 psi low side and 230-240 psi high. What is your outside temp? If the HVAC is set to recirculate you will get evaporator cooling faster than normal, which will cycle the compressor in shorter intervals. Set it to outside air. Don't jump the compressor when charging because the compressor can overheat and burn the oil. Also the evaporator will freeze and not thaw properly, which will not help determine if the evap thermal switch is functioning.

The charge is probably too low. When you start driving the speed of the compressor increases and the evaporator core is freezing. There is a thermal switch on the evaporator to prevent damage due to icing. This is why the compressor turns off and stays off for long periods.