Fairtax4me

MAP: Manifold Absolute Pressure. It measures and compares atmospheric pressure and intake manifold vacuum and alters a voltage signal based on the amount of difference between the two. Foreign market vehicles could have had different air metering systems during those time periods. They certainly had plenty of other things that we didnt get here on the US market. Also some 95-97 cars have both MAF and MAP sensors. My 96 has both.

Thanks for the info but he's trying to replace the inner adjustment bolt on a 2002(?). Entirely different setup. Much more limited space to get tools into when working with the inner bolts.

I would be tempted to use the blue wrench if not for the proximity to the fuel tank. Only problem with cut-off wheels is there usually just isn't enough room. But if there is room to fit the tool and wheel that would be the fastest way.

You had no heat because the coolant was low. You need to replace that upper hose ASAP. The inner and outer layers have separated and it will rupture soon and leave you on the side of the road. I think you have another larger issue, which is a bad head gasket, but you'll have to get the cooling system filled properly and keep an eye on it for leaks for a couple of weeks. Where did you get the thermostat? If it came from Subaru, good. If its an aftermarket it may still have problems.

Some of the newer cars have a pump shaft speed sensor on the PS pump which is plugged into the engine wire harness. Not sure what its for but something worth looking into. 02 and 03 wiring shuld be the same at the engine end. If you have an alternator and Ps bracket for an older ej22 and have alternator and pump to match the brackets they should fit fine, and the brackets should bolt to the block. The AC bracket may be tricky, but if the car has no compressor, get a compressor and matching brackets from a junkyard car.(if you care about AC) You may even want to get the hoses since they sometimes change the ends where they attach to the compressor.

Depends on the type of failure, but yes generally the idle will be different with the MAF sensor unplugged. With normal operation of the MAF sensor, if the ECU loses the MAF signal (it gets unplugged) while the engine is running the ECU will freak and cause the engine to stall immediately. If the engine does NOT stall immediately upon unplugging the MAF sensor, the ECU is already in a failsafe mode which would indicate that the MAF is bad. If you unplug the MAF, then start the engine; the engine should run, though idle may be rough. It may lope or hunt for proper idle speed and there will be a noticeable decrease in power if trying to drive.

I'm not aware of any way to make the CEL blink the codes on an OBD2 vehicle, so I can't say what those two digit codes mean. Its hard to find info about foreign market vehicles here in the USA. But with the p1141 displayed, there's a good chance the MAF sensor is bad. Make sure all of the hoses that connect to the intake tubing are tight and not split or broken. And make sure the intake tubing is not split and it clamped tightly at both ends as well.

What year engine did you get?

Dome lights should all be switched ground so that should be a good place to get juice for the auto-dim. Only issue I can see is if the lights are on a timer module (not sure if 05 was that fancy) which would cut power to the circuit if it senses a draw. A mirror with one of the built in compass modules would need a few mA to keep the compass memory, which might not be a good thing to draw from the light circuit if its going to shut off entirely when the control module powers down.

Really has nothing to do with octane. It's in the detergents they add to the higher priced fuel. Engines that require higher octane fuel need more additives and cleaners in the fuel to help keep the combustion chambers clean. Carbon buildup in the combustion chamber increases compression, and provides a burnable substance that will retain heat. Both of which will lead to detonation and internal engine damage. Because of that the fuel companies add extra goodies to the higher octane fuels, at the request ($$$) of vehicle manufacturers looking to avoid warranty repairs on engines damaged by carbon buildup from poor quality fuels.

Yeah, blame it on the wife. If this has the new style tensioner they are known for being "soft" and they often jump right after a timing job. Best to replace them every time. The older style tensioners are a bit more robust but can still fail with age.

Right, its a low PRESSURE switch, not a Low Level switch. If the pump is able to create even just a few psi of oil pressure the light will stay off, regardless of oil level.

Sprocket probably moved when you weren't looking, or there was slack in the belt and the sprocket was pulled out of time when the pin was pulled on the tensioner. P0341 is a 2 trip code. It has to have a present fault in two consecutive drive cycles to set that code. If you cleared the other code multiple times first the 341 may not have stored as a pending code until after the last reset. This code just means the ECU has detected an anomaly in the signal from the sensor. It's not quite within the correct range but the signal is still there. This code will set if the cam sensor signal and crank sensor signal are not in sync, which is usually due to incorrect timing on the drivers cam sprocket. If you had code p0340, which is a circuit code, that would indicate an electrical fault in the sensor or wiring that is immediately detectible by the ECU as either an open or short circuit, which should then immediately light the CEL and set a code. Check the electrical connector on the purge solenoid. Easy to leave that one unplugged or slightly loose since its kind of a PITA to get to.

Plugged cat will affect high RPM and heavy throttle driving first. If you can redline the engine in second gear and keep accelerating, cats are fine. If a plugged cat gets so bad that it affects off idle and low part throttle driving it will glow red after a short drive, and the high rpm test above will be a very determinate test. You can check for a plugged cat with a vacuum/ pressure gage. Hook it to the intake manifold and check engine vacuum at idle. Increase engine speed to about 2000-2500 rpm and hold it there for 1 minute. The vacuum gauge should stay steady near or slightly above the vacuum reading from idle. If the reading slowly drops during the whole test it is due to back pressure in the exhaust system which could mean plugged cats. Another test is to Get a few brass adapters from a hardware store and thread a barbed nipple into the O2 sensor hole in the top of the front cat. Stick a vacuum gauge on it with a hose long enough for you to see the gage inside the car. Start the engine and watch the needle. At idle you should have no back pressure in the exhaust system. The needle should sit still or waver back and for the between pressure and vacuum. Raise engine rpm to about 2000 and watch the needle. It should be no more than a few psi. If the reading is high psi, or the hose pops off of the gage, there is excessive back pressure in the exhaust.

Got a sawz- all? Could make short work of that rusted bolt. My first approach would be PB and brute force just to see if you can get it to budge loose. If not, sawzall.

"Not on the stick" doesnt mean "No Oil". Oil can be only 1.5 qts low to be off of the dipstick entirely, leaving 3 qts of oil in the sump which is more than enough to adequately lubricate a 2.5. At any one time only roughly 1qt of oil is in circulation theough the entire oil feed system. (Pickup, pump, filter, galleries, crankshaft, camshafts and valve train) The oil light probably never came on because there was still oil being pumped through the block. Sounds to me more like the engine overheated, but there are several factors which can lead to engine failure without much warning. The oil pressure switch is easy to find and test. The first test is to turn the key ON, but do not start. The oil lamp should illuminate. If it does not, the bulb can be faulty, wiring cam be faulty, or the switch can be faulty. The second test is to locate the oil pressure switch directly below the alternator. Remove the wire from the switch and jump it to ground. With the key ON the oil lamp should illuminate. If it does not the bulb or wiring has failed. If the lamp does illuminate (but did not in the prior test) the switch has failed.

The ECU grounds to the intake manifold somewhere near the ignition coil. Should be at least 4 ground wires coming together at that point, make sure the bolt is tight and the eyelet connectors are free of corrosion. Also check the main engine ground near the starter. You should also check the battery negative terminal for corrosion and tight connection.

Thanks for the update, glad to hear it's fixed.

I vote the third, since its just as effective as a flush and only costs you $40 and an hour of your time. Didnt mean to make it sound like I snapped, but just wanted to keep you from making a $1000 mistake. There are additives that can be used safely in automatic transmissions, but none that I'm aware of which will correct torque bind. It's always either clean fluid, new Duty C, or new clutch pack and transfer drum.

You don't need to remove the grey connector. The part that needs cleaned is inside the intake tube. It's a black post about 2" long with a hole in the middle and some small wires and dohickies in the middle. Spray the dohickies off with MAF sensor cleaner and let dry. That's all you need to do. Not a very good mechanic if he can't even TRY to figure out a stalling issue. Find a new mechanic, preferably one that has some Subarus in his lot to be worked on.

When did it last get new spark plugs and wires? If it has been more than 40k miles its time for those.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! NO LIMITED SLIP ADDITIVES IN AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EVER!!!!!! It will ruin the clutches in the transmission. Limited slip additives are designed to make clutch type LSD units slip more easily by lowering the friction co-efficient of the clutches. If you put this type of additive in an automatic transmission it will affect ALL of the clutches in the transmission and you won't make it far up the road before the clutches are toast from constantly slipping.

Torque bind is the thumping/jumping feeling in tight turns. Usually caused by a failed Duty C solenoid or the clutches in the transfer pack are grooved and sticking. Sometimes a fluid change can help. No way I'd pay $190 for a trans flush. Drain and refill 3 times (really easy to do) for the cost of a case (12qts) of recommended fluid. I think they ask for dexron III, but check in the owners manual if you have it, or it may say what it needs on the dipstick tube. Auto trans dipstick is on the drivers side and is usually hard to see. The short one that's easy to see on the passenger side is for the front ring & pinion, and differential, which uses gear oil. You can test the Duty c solenoid by putting a fuse in the FWD fuse holder under the hood on the passenger strut tower. With the fuse in the AWD should be disengaged, the binding ahould go away, and the FWD light should turn on. Changing the clutch pack and transfer drum is about $450 in parts and takes a few hours, but is doable with the transmission in the car. Lots more info about this if you search for "torque bind" here. Overheating when cold could certainly be an incorrect thermostat. Get one from a dealer or get a Stant "Exac-stat" (part number listed in the sticky thread at the top of the new gen forum page). It could also be a sign that the heater core is clogged, or there is a clog in the bypass pipe. Try a correct t-stat and fresh coolant first. Also be sure to fill the block through the upper rad hose before filling the rad to prevent air locking and only partially filling the system. Timing parts are cheap. You can get a whole kit in eBay with belt, idlers, tensioner, water pump, and oil seals from MizumoAuto for about $200 IIRC. Do that first and pop the new t-stat in there while its all apart. There is an o-ring that goes behind the oil pump that you have to get from a dealer but its only a few $ and they always have them in stock.

Ether Starting fluid is awful for diesels. It's best used in low compression gasoline engines, but even then it has to be used wisely. Fans running indicates the ECU thinks the engine is hot, or the test mode plugs are connected.

If the lenses of your headlamps are foggy at all get a kit and polish them. Takes very little time and the clear lenses allow a TON more light out of the lamps. Even a minor amount of fogging makes the light diffuse enough to severely affect output. Another thing to check is the connectors on the bulbs. Make sure the pins in the connectors are clean and the sockets in the plugs are clean and corrosion free.