Fairtax4me

What exactly occurs? The code sets? Any other symptoms? Not sure of wire colors but 5v will be one side, signal will be the middle, ground is the other side. The TPS does need to be adjusted so the ECU gets a signal of about 0.5v with the throttle closed. If you have 0.2v on the signal pin adjust the TPS so the signal pin is 0.5v and see if it still sets the code.

Is the purge solenoid plugged in?

Unplug the MAF sensor and see if it will start.

There are way too many causes for a p0420 code to just condemn the cats without doing a full diagnostic on the car. If it passed the tail pipe sniffer emmissions test, the cats are fine. We do need the actual codes though, since different codes are set because of different issues. For instance, if you have a code for "system lean bank 1", that could be caused by an exhaust leak or a small vacuum leak. This would also likely trigger a p0420 on a newer car like yours. Replacing an O2 sensor would probably not fix this code, since its caused by a mechanical issue.

The axle could be forced out while driving, and the splines chewed off the end of the axle stub and out of the side gear in the diff. Then you need a new diff too. How far in does the new axle go? Does the dust shield slide right up to the diff housing? If it still has a small gap I'd try giving it a bit more oomph to get it to go that last click. Axles often need a "love" tap to get them fully seated anyway so I dont think giving it a few whacks would have done any harm before. Unless your whacker was an 8lb sledge or something.

Did you remove the cam sprockets for any reason?

You may be able to switch that yourself. What year is your Outback?

Crank sensor is fine if you have spark. Checking timing with the center cover on is more difficult but doable. On the back edge of the crank pulley is a little notch. It might be difficult to find if the pulley is very rusty. Point the notch at the 0 mark on the timing scale on the cover. Look at the arrows on the cam sprockets, they should all point straight up. If you could see the crank sprocket it has a small arrow on the face which also points straight up. This is the only time it is useful to use the arrows, other than for setting valve lash clearance. Do not try to use arrows for re-setting timing. Only for checking.

If it has an oil cooler I would definitely look there first as the source of a leak. The timing cover is sealed with Fuji-bond from the factory, which is a very good RTV type sealer and almost never leaks. I would certainly hope they have service info available and would not dive into that type of repair without having the torque sequence available, but the only way to know is to ask them. Last time I changed an oil cooler o-ring I didn't have to remove any coolant hoses. Just removed the hoolow tube in the center and the hoses had enough flex that I could pull down the cooler and replace the o-rin without draining the cooling system. Like Gary said, changing oil types would not cause the timing cover seal to start leaking. Fuel dilution in this case is a non-factor. You have to have a very poorly running engine for fuel dilution to reach a detrimental amount.

It's not magnetic in a sense that it will stick to your refrigerator door, but just enough to hold small iron filings. The speed sensor is a simple magnetic pickup, which requires a ferrous (iron) material to pass by the end of the sensor in order to induce a change in the magnetic field and create a current.

The timing cover is held on by 40 small bolts around the outside, and they all have to be torqued in a certain order to avoid warping or cracking the timing cover. So yes it would take several hours to remove, clean, and reinstall. 2.7 hours per side for valve cover gaskets seems a bit high, but these are not exactly easy to get to. I recommend what the factory recommends for spark plugs. The originals have lasted almost 4 times longer than the average life of a typical spark plug, I'd stick with that brand and type. Most likely NGK.

Interesting. I guess they figure that the torque converter is bad. Nice that they're going to warranty it. Hopefully that takes care of it. Thanks for the update.

I think STI wires were about $80 a set last time I checked. The suggestion was to swap the WIRE to another cylinder (move number 3 to 1 and vice versa) and see if the misfire code changes to that cylinder. Platinum plugs do not have a good reputation among Subarus. If you must use them though, they have to be Double platinum (platinum coating on both the center electrode and the ground electrode) otherwise the wasted spark ignition system will mess them up.

110 is too low for compression. Even with new rings. If they aren't "seated" the oil on the rings (you did oil them, right?) would still bring compression up to a somewhat normal level. But I suppose if you only pulled one spark plug the reading would be low anyway. If you think the oil may have run off, squirt some into the cylinders and recheck compression.

I noticed a HUGE difference going from the stock 13mm bar on my 96 sedan to the 17 (or maybe 18mm, dont remember) outback wagon bar I got. But ive had the opposite experience, it feels to me like it loosened up the rear end, and it has more tendancy to walk out to the side when cornerin hard with the larger bar. Fine with me, because I hate under steer.

Have you checked the power steering fluid level? Sometimes this is caused by bad bushings on the steering rack. Did you happen to notice if the steering rack was covered in oil while you were under it?

Tone wheel has to be bolted to the hub before its pressed into the bearing, unfortunately. The ring is slightly magnetic (it is steel/iron) so any cuts through the ring will make an odd magnetic field and distort the reading from the wheel sensor. Removing the hub will destroy the wheel bearing in the process. No real way around that. Cheapest way would be to get a junkyard knuckle and bolt it on. If you think that bearing might have been on the verge of going bad you could yank the hub out of that one and replace the bearing.

Take the car by an auto parts store one day and ask them to scan it for codes. Most will do this for free and some are nice enough to give you a printout of the codes. Post the code numbers here and we can offer more help. There are a bunch of valves and solenoids that work to control vapor pressure in the fuel tank and keep the vapor contained so it doesn't leak into the atmosphere. Any one of them could be stuck open or partially open, or have a bad seal and allow the vapors to vent. The catalyst code (that the dealer quoted you $2500 to fix) is possibly related to one of these valves. More often than not that's a false code, and replacing the cats does not help. There is also an issue on older models with the filler neck rusting out and getting small pinholes that let fuel vapors out. Usually this causes a gas smell in and around the car.

Multiple overheating episodes are the primary killer of the DOHC 2.5. One minor overheat isnt a big deal, but when it happens several times the odds really stack against you. I'd hate to tell you it would be fine to fix the problems it currently has and have it put a rod through the block in a few months. I'd try to find a 2.2 out of a 95 to drop in it. Very common swap here in the US. I'm sure plenty of people there have done it as well.

If you put the FWD fuse in that should set the trans in FWD only, and torque bind should go away of the Duty C is operating properly. If the bind does not go away with the FWD fuse in it could be a mechanical issue (worn transfer clutches or transfer drum) or the Duty C could be bad. A little glitter in the rear diff fluid can be considered normal, especially if it has been several years since it was last changed.

Welcome! There's a wealth of knowledge far beyond what you can imagine here. The Soob will be a great car if you just keep fresh fluids in it and don't let the rust eat it.

Replace the O-ring above the cooler first. It's a few $ from a dealer but easy to replace. I think you need a 22mm deep socket to unscrew the tube in the center. Takes all of 10 minutes.

Have you checked all the fuses? That's usually the best place to start. Next would be checking for evidence of mouse or squirrel damage under the hood. Chewed wires, air filter box full of acorns, etc. Pull a spark plug wire and stick a spare spark plug in it and find a good clean metal spot on top of the engine (not near any wires) for the plug to sit on while you crank the engine and watch for spark. The quick and dirty way to check for fuel is to remove the pressure hose from the engine, stick it in a bottle (like a 20 oz) and turn the key. Should get a good spurt for the 2-3 seconds that the pump runs. Do this on the engine side of the filter first, and if you don't get much fuel do the same on the inlet hose going to the filter. If you get more fuel (a significant amount) the filter may be clogged. Can't really tell if the CEL is on if the engine won't start, but if you know someone who has a code scanner hook it up and see if there are any codes stored.

If the engine runs fine and you don't mind the light it will probably last the rest of the life of the car without the MAP sensor. I had a CEL for the MAP for over 3 years and it never adversely affected the way the engine ran. Subaru does use the MAP sensor for fuel tank vapor pressure readings on some models, and uses the MAP for altitude readings (to alter fuel ratio), so if you ever go to an altitude significantly lower than where you live now you may notice some driveability issues.

Try swapping number 3 plug wire to a different cylinder and see if the misfire follows. What kind of plugs were put in at 164k?