Fairtax4me

Yakima and Thule are both good. They both offer "fit kits" that allow you to attach cross bars, upon which you can mount various attachments and carriers to hold anything from kayaks, skis, bikes, etc, to the factory side rails. Unfortunately they cost a pretty $$$, even when purchased used.

^ ^ ^ What he said. ONLY the black/yellow plastic overflow cap. DO NOT open the radiator cap unless you're prepared to get sprayed with burning hot coolant.

Hopefully you get it straightened out. Those cam bolts are always a PITA whenever I've used them. If rust is an issue in your area, you might want to try coating them with copper grease or anti-seize compound to help keep them from corroding.

Get some new camber bolts and re-align it. Seems kinda crappy that those would completely rust out in ~4 years. I think I'd try a different source for the new bolts.

Most places that I found don't carry any full suspension kits for any Subaru. You can piece together a set from whiteline or rallitek though. There are a few others out there as well that make bushings for the Impreza.

I'm not entirely familiar with the 1st gen legacy chassis, but if it's anything like the 2nd gen, most Impreza parts should fit just fine.

For a whole set maybe. Find your local "Fastenal" or similar fastener/hardware store and take them the old stud. They can match it up with a new bolt or stud and get some pinch nuts to go along with it for only a few $$ usually. Use lock washers if you put bolts in instead of studs.

Heater hoses look like this: http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partdetail.php?partid=15891

Yeah you can just skip most if it. Look in the last several pages of the thread for info on what people have done to remedy the problem. Actually, there is a link to another thread on the last page of the "ghostwalk" thread, containing specific fixes and details.

If you just so happen to have a back pressure tester you can check it with that. (most people don't, matter of fact most shops don't). Visual check is about the only option. If you have a Bore-scope you can stick it in the o2 sensor hole in the cat to see if it is plugged, but most people don't have one of those either. The easy way out is to gut the cat and trick the second o2 sensor with a spark plug non-fouler to keep away the pesky CEL and P0420 code. After market replacements can be hit or miss. Subaru OE parts are way $$$, but you're almost guaranteed to not have trouble with them.

Don't think his year has a valve to the heater core. The later ones might I don't know. The heater core hoses do serve as the bypass hoses, which bring hot coolant from the engine back around to the thermostat which is on the inlet side of the water pump. This flow of hot coolant keeps the thermostat from closing when driving in cold weather. Overheating Subaru 2.5 DOHC engine. 3 main reasons: Head Gasket Thermostat Air pocket in the cooling system If you have bubbles pushing out into the overflow tank when the engine is running, it's probably the head gasket.

I've had to cut dry rotted oil hardened hoses many times. The trick is to cut it enough to get through, but not so much that you scar the sealing surface of the part it's stuck to. A good hose pick helps immensely for the hard to get to areas.

I'm guessing you have a set of dedicated snow wheels/tires for your vehicle? A good set of snow tires should greatly reduce your chances of having any trouble.

I'd venture to guess the cat is plugged. Do you notice any strong fuel smell from the exhaust after the car is warmed up? How did you remedy the P0420? Did you do the non-fouler trick or did the new sensors take care of it?

It is if they are old codes or pending codes. The CEL will go out if a certain number of drive cycles are completed without the fault showing up. Does your CEL light up during the bulb test when you turn the ignition key to ON? When does the stutter occur? During driving? At idle? Under load (acceleration/uphill)? Does it not stutter when the engine is cold? The 95 2.2 does have hydraulic lifters, so using a crankcase flush such as Seafoam may help quiet the noisy ones. Drain the old oil, pour in a half can of Seafoam or Marvels Mystery Oil through the oil fill tube, along with 4 quarts of fresh 10w-40 engine oil. Let the car warm to operating temp and take it on an easy 20-30 minute ride. Don't do any hard acceleration. Drain that and refill with your favorite brand of motor oil and a new filter. I use Valvoline Maxlife 5w-30 and it has done very well at keeping a noisy lifter or two quiet in my 96 2.2. With that many miles you may need to change the oil more frequently to keep lifter noise to a minimum and that still may not cure the problem.

A flare nut wrench. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944195000P They're a little hard to find in oxygen sensor size though. Just unplug the connector and slip a box end wrench over it. If it won't fit you can cut the connector off. Heat helps 100% when removing O2 sensors. Get the pipes warm by running the engine for 15 minutes or so before taking it out. Just wear gloves and long sleeves to keep from burning yourself by accidentally putting your arm/hand in the wrong place.

What Dave means is. If you put a REAL location in your profile, a member near you might have info about a car that is readily available and in your price range. I quite frequently see late 90's Outbacks on craigslist with head gaskets done, full timing belt job, complete engine reseal and lot of other new parts for under $5k. Do some digging around here and educate yourself on what signs to look for that may indicate trouble. If you can avoid the major stuff, you'll be able to get several years of trouble free service for a fair price.

Collapsed hydraulic lifters are best fixed by an oil change or three with a high mileage or synthetic blend type motor oil. Depending on what engine you have, that may or may not help. Don't go pouring anything into your engine just yet. Need a year, model, engine size, and mileage on the car. Exactly which parts have you replaced? If the cat glows, you have one of two things, A plugged cat, or excessive fuel in the exhaust gas. Whether that is related to cam timing or incorrect intake air/fuel ratio I can't say without some other details, but lets get the info I asked for above before going any further.

You know I'm not sure. It never occurred to me to look at transmission type in any of the posts I read. But the main thing seems to indicate that this problem is speed and load dependant. If you read, people who drive over about 40mph or have a heavy load in the cargo area tend to have, or at least notice, the problem the most. Honestly, if you like the car, don't let this issue deter you from buying one. Just be aware that there is a somewhat common issue with the later model Outback. It does appear to be correctable though.

The 05 to 09 Legacy/Outback platform is entirely different. Impreza and Forester share similar (basically the same) chassis design with the 99 and older legacy. Not sure on the Tribeca.

If you live where it snows (which can be damn near anywhere in the US this winter) You will be interested to know about the mysterious "ghost walk" problem that affects the 05 and later Outback. Search for "Ghostwalk" and you'll find some info here. This thread - http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=107496&highlight=Ghostwalk - contains the link to the largest base of information and personal accounts of ghostwalk experiences on the internet over at Subaruoutack.org. Good news is that some people seem to have found a "cure" for the problem, and there is detailed info in the thread about the supposed "fix".

This is plausible IF either of the front dirveaxles has been replaced with an aftermarket axle. I'd look for a split vacuum hose somewhere. There is a diagram on the bottom of the hood showing all of the vacuum hoses on the engine, and where they go.

Just so you know you can drive around without that for a while if you need to. Just plug the hoses with small bolts until you get a replacement. You'll get a Check engine light if the valve is unplugged, but it will still run fine as long as the hoses are plugged closed.

That is the evaporative emissions system canister purge control valve. It opens at specific intervals and driving conditions to allow engine vacuum to pull fuel vapor out of the charcoal canister. The canister stores fuel vapors that build in the gas tank to prevent them form escaping into the atmosphere. Just grab one from a junkyard.

You have Conti-Touring Contacts? Those suck in any weather. Quieter ride and better dry grip than Goodyear Eagles, but nothing worth getting excited over. ContiPro Contact is better in rain than the Touring, but still not worth anything in snow. The tread blocks are too close together and the rubber compound is too "hot" for good grip in snow/cold. Snow tires have a "cold" rubber compound that is still very pliable in temperatures below freezing which allows them to grab better. Combined with larger spacing between tread blocks to allow more snow between them.