robers97

I had a similar experience to ETC's. The car was 1-2 mpg less than advertised and eventually I got some misfires in the morning when the engine was cold before the P301 MIL came on. The coil packs are right in the front of the engine and when I tested mine, the secondary resistance was nearly double than what was speced in the Haynes manual. I change the coil pack out for a Borge-Warner. I was glad that the price was much more reasonable than other individual coil systems ($88 for the pack of 4 verses $60 for one). The misfire problem is solved. I'm eager to get a mpg readout! From the feel of the car, I moved in the right direction.

I changed out my MT fluid with 80W-90 Lucas oil. My race car sounding '99 outback now sounds like a kitten. Found a new roof rack xbar at a yard in Ohio for $15 so now I have a complete set. Life is good.

I got to spend some time on this and found that the recirc switch and supporting mechanisms are working fine. The light must be loose or just on its way to burnt out. I could toggle the switch and feel the air getting sucked into the intake by the fan motor when I had the recirc switch on. No need to open her up I guess. I'll have to keep my eye out for other potential inefficiencies (pressure differences in the lines, etc) or consider getting those back windows tinted to help the system out.

I'm getting used to the car more. The only update so far is 1) the debug information you gave me going invaluable. I can tell if its recirc switch is working at the in the a/c control unit by testing to two output pins. 2) the recirc button seems to stay on if the button directing air to your face is selected. I'm still experimenting a bit and can't feel the air getting sucked in under the glove box so sometime this week I'll open it up. This weekend I stopped short at changing out all the front/rear differential oil. The car sounds a lot quieter now

The a/c system feels good. The temperature drops and it can get fairly cold on the evening commute when its in the 80s. Thank you for reply. I'll get into that this weekend and see what I can come up with. I have really enjoyed this car so far!

I just bought a used '99 Subaru Outback. Love the car, but the A/C is weak - sort of like a car that isn't on recirculation and trying to cool down 96 degree heat. The recirculation switch light will not stay on. It turns on momentarily when I press it and then goes off. I can not tell any difference in the air flow. What's the best way to determine if I have a faulty light verse a problem with the air flap? If I have to take the next step, how do you approach an air flap problem?