idosubaru

Where’s the least clearance? Strut, inner fender well or fender? I’m sure you know this but I’ll vote you anyway. Sometimes you can buy some clearance by getting a tire a little skinnier if clearance issues will be the inner fender/strut example with made up numbers: If you have to choose between two same height sizes and one is .2” wider and the other is .3” skinnier - get the skinnier one. No newer Imprezas or comment on specific size. But low profile I’ve had numerous side wall bubbles as well driving a few miles of mountain dirt gravel mountain roads every day. What seems to happen here is mid range well priced tires don’t do well with side wall bubbles. General Altimax RT43 are a good example. Excellent tire for its price point but very prone to bubbles. I’d run them anywhere but areas seeing sidewall issues. Higher end/more expensive tires seem to resist side wall bubbles. I wonder if low cost tires have, on average, less forgiving side walls.

I’d check the wiring to the sensor if the car sat. Do a continuity and ohm check. I’ve seen rodent damaged wires multiple times. If the transmission was swapped it would easily have gotten the more easily found 3.9 gear ratio when it needs a 4.11. And they’ll throw a speed sensor code when that happens. The 2003 trans harness are all the same for 4 and 6 and VDC. See here: https://www.pnwsubaruparts.com/oem-parts/subaru-vehicle-speed-sensor-24030aa041?origin=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9qKC7NvbggMVrVRHAR15nQW5EAQYAiABEgKnHvD_BwE The 2004 is a bit of an oddball. 01-04 all VDC outbacks are identical except very minor changes. The trans are interchangeable except for the 03 or 04 changes in the rear solenoid operation. They changed whether open or close is the operational response to +12volt. Not sure if that change was in the workforce or TCU or at the solenoid. But when I say oddball it’s very minor people have swapped 2001 and 2004 trans before and I think the jdm options work in all 01-04s as well.

This is showing 3, I wasn't expecting that, but here's where the gizmo's are: https://www.subarupartsforyou.com/oem-parts/subaru-speed-sensor-and-harness-vin-required-24030aa041 If you found a bad one I'd imagine you'd just splice the bad one rather than wrestle that entire wiring harness.

1st question is to make sure this wasn't a recent trans swap or other major work that caused this to pop up? The rear transmission speed sensor is external and replaceable at the rear of the trans. It just bolts on. I'm thinking there isn't another one back there it can be confused with. Ideally you test the rear sensor using the FSM diagnostics and see if the sensor is bad or not.

To further follow up on this - it works fine. When reassembling the knuckle/axle - the axle is at a such steep angle, the shaft is hitting the edge of the cup and won't push into the cup any further. So you can't rotate the knuckle to fully seat in the strut. At least not with mine - I'm using Outback struts/springs and EJ knuckles so it's lifted at least 2". Jacking the control arm to compress the strut levels the axle enough for it to slide further into the cup and then with considerable effort the knuckle will rotated fully into the strut. It's really tight but it's what I'm currently running.

Thanks. Never done that before, think my XT6 rear defrost might be weak. XT6 got the low miles, rust free impreza/EJ hubs you sent me years ago.

GL hatch or XT6 all the way.

This guy knows. They are long doors. Electric window hardware for more weight get. ilk check again.

If I manually lift up on the door or look for play, I don't see anything out of the ordinary. No play, no noises, no obvious wear points. But both of my XT6 doors seem to "sag" - they are harder to close and open than they should be, like they're not hitting the striker square. There's no rust. Which is more common: a hinge issue, striker issue, or inside the door mechanism issue?

Leak down test is a far better test in this case.

Interesting, they have a good name, still recommend them to folks in town, city, or flatter areas, and am not saying they aren't good tires, so I'm not surprised. It's almost 100% the back mountain roads I notice it on. I'll test them every year on the back snow covered roads. I have 2 miles of unmaintained commuting roads and 2 more miles of poorly maintained. i don't notice it on the main roads and around town. Myself and others noticed they weren't as good at 5 years as year 1. Studs would be ideal. Except my daily commute at it's worst is way worse than average in spite of not getting enough total average snow to warrant the noise.

Okay so your were just guessing? Read all the codes check connectors removed during removal Prob bent valves. Hopefully you’re lucky and it’s the tensioner. Removing and compressing it for reinstall can compromise them. The bent valve EJs I’ve repaired myself, it can be hard to tell if the valves are bent. Best to just replace them all than get fooled and leave a bent one there. They don’t always bend in a visually obvious way. It is interesting if it’s true you’re saying you have good compression. The valve guide could be damaged or the valve is hanging in the guide, causing good compression but not fully opening.

How did you change your mind so quickly? The timing tensioner can fail. They’ll start moving around/bouncing vigorously during driving or cold start. If you take the cover off and watch it you’ll see it. If it’s aftermarket or was compressed too quickly during reinstallation, that may have been its demise. Pull the drivers side cover and watch it at start up and when giving it throttle.

Same bolt pattern. Bolt pattern changes in 2015. If they clear the rotors they’ll fit. Im unsure on that. Also steel rims have less clearance and 6 cylinder rotors are larger. If it’s a 6 cylinder 2010 Outback and steel forester rims I don’t think those will clear. Unless your snow driving is very easy like the flat land of the mid west or you’re getting studded tires, I’d avoid used winter tires unless the tires are Nokian or Michellin X ice. Every other brands performance decreases substantially after like 2 years. Even the highly touted Bridgestone blizzacs. They are great when new, by year three they perform worse in the snow. Not terrible but definitely worse. I assume they use less chemical protectants in the manufacturing process and they degrade faster. Something I’ve also seen with all seasons. Granted I haven’t tried every winter tire but I’ve seen quite a few and make the deduction this is a case where you get what you pay for. I’ve seen 7 year old Michellin X Ice look nearly brand new when other brands show their age. Huge difference. It’s not minor and not opinion. I wouldn’t want to buy a used winter tire that has unknown amounts of sun and air exposure. UV and oxygen are the key oxidants that degrade the tire materials. Manufacturers use a ton of chemicals to protect them. That’s the chief area tire manufacturers use to cut costs. Prob the same chemicals making fish sterile on the west coast when it washes into the rivers. Gross!

Aftermarket stereo's can be installed into 2010 Outbacks, that's a nonissue. You might be thinking of the 06-09 Outbacks where the issue is the stereo and HVAC controllers are married into the same console. Those are problematic, there are ways around it, but that doesn't matter here - 2010's are not like 06-09 and you can add an aftermarket stereo.

Interesting, it passed without the evap monitors being ready? About to head home if I think of it before my kids distract me I'll get a picture of the ones I've used.

Verify where it's leaking first. Gravity, air, and design persuade many leaks to end up in the same lower rear area. Rear can be multiple things. Is there fluid every where like its pouring out, or just a little bit dripping? Drivers or passengers side? Very common oil leak sources that can end up smoking around the back of the engine and leak a lot: Check the valve covers - they can leak a lot at the lower rear corners. Check under the timing belt cover and make sure it's not dripping there and blowing back on the exhaust while driving. Check the plug/cap on the back of the engine - they can leak as well.

Front CV axle and it'll be the inner joint that's bad. If it's a subaru, clean and regrease the joint. The grease will be gone or pour out like a bucket of water. If it's aftermarket, install a Subaru axle.

What was the final work/results that got it to pass? Did you leave the spacer or take it out?

Should be 06-09 if you reuse all the original manifolds/wiring to the vehicle. I'm not positive on that, but ebay JDM suppliers are showing 06-09 for compatibility.

Good suggestion but 2005+ OB/Legacy has VVT and wouldn't be interchangeable (without very significant effort). Also, the ineffectiveness of the spacer should be due to 2005+ ECU software changes rather than engine changes. Does it say "pending"? Or do you just click "READ CODES" and it shows that code with no other information? Maybe it's seeing a code from memory? Ideally you clear the codes first. Then do your preliminary drive as brusbrothers stated. Then check the codes. This ensure they are indeed new codes. I hate to say it - but can you clear and do one more drive?! Not all the time, there are "Pending" codes. It's best to clear first, run, then read. And ideally tell us how the scanner is working (read/memory/pending/etc) since each scanner has different user textual interfaces. One of mine even has a rudimentary GUI to start.

You should be able to just put the spacer in and let it rectify itself and the light goes out. i routinely install the spacer and clear the code immediately because ivE never had issues with the monitors being ready. but yours seems different and doesn’t respond as we are expecting Your issues may be swap related somehow. You should easily be able to swap those motors with no issues. EJ25 swapped into EJ22 vehicles has been done thousands of times and those spacers are well known work arounds for pre 2005 Subarus. That’s why brusborthers wouldn’t work - his was a 2005 and that’s when immobilizer CANBUS and the O2 data starts to get used by the fuel injection. It’s much more sensitive. In 2004 and earlier the rear sensor is just a trigger for the P0420 code. You can completely disconnect the sensor and the car runs fine. Can’t do that 2005+. But clearly you have issues so it makes me wonder what all happened during that swap?

The Subaru converter for your car is $1,300 from Subaru, so sounds like they might be pricing a new bolt on unit from Subaru. Which has a really good chance of making the light go out. Do you know if they were quoting a new Subaru part or something else? If I was spending $1,400 it would only be for the Subaru part, no way I'm paying that for aftermarket converters. Which O2 sensors have been replaced so far and were they plug and play or wired in? Hopefully the right sensor is in the right location and they were wired properly if they're the generic loose wire variety. I'd also probably gamble on this: https://www.fastwrx.com/products/oxygen-sensor-spacer-with-cat Never used one myself, but for $50 looks awesome. it's like a mini converter right before your O2 sensor. If you're going to replace exhaust - it doesn't hurt to ask around and get a second opinion.

Sorry I forgot to check. I wont' have access to my parts stash until Sunday/Monday. They're guessing, I would avoid that unless you are desperate and have no choice but to gamble with 4 digits of cash to pass that lame emissions. This is the way. lol Being a 4 cylinder all the work has probably already been done and maps are already out there for you. but it is techy and dense to dive into.

I would have new bolts ready for anyone in the future doing this. Although the bearing unit threads should damage before the bolt. In other situations I've had some threads get compressed/damaged doing this before. It also helps to take a huge chisel and just spin the entire wheel bearing in place. Keep pounding one of the bolt hole ears until the bearing assembly starts to turn counter clockwise (or clockwise). It'll get easier once it starts turning. This breaks some of the rust before trying to get it to come out. The chisel can then be turned at a slight angle to help walk the bearing out a millimeter out at a time. Brutal method, and good luck not smashing the disc brake shield, but I've had that work when pounding the bolts from the back didn't on an outback that lived close to coastal salt water/sand. But heat is the bees knees, some of these are absolutely brutal to remove, just don't always have access to that.