Cougar

Markus, After reading your posts I think your problem may be with the CAS sensor. Have you thought about that. I think this provides the signal to the ECU for firing the plugs. It sounds like the magnet for those positions is a little weak. A O-scope tied to the CAS would tell the story on this.

Since you stated this problem first acted up while it was raining I suspect that there is a problem with a wiring connection, possibly at the sensor itself. You have clearly eliminated the sensor as being the problem by replacing it. Another possibilty is the problem is in the ECU circuit for the sensor. I usually don't look for a problem with these units since they are pretty reliable but in this case it may be the faultly component. Your statement about the problem being sensitive to damp air really leads me to think the problem is somewhere outside the cab of the car. It would be nice to be able to monitor the MAF signals while you are driving to see how things are. You didn't say how it was determined that the circuit to the MAF was checked out. I assume it was a simple ohmmeter check. If this is so, doing a voltage check or O-scope check to the various wires while things are running may show something up. Keep us posted on your progress.

If this problem only occurs while the AC is on then I would suspect there is a problem in the AC control circuit causing the AC to turn off an on again. Turning the compressor on and off changes the load to the engine and this may be what you are experiencing while driving.

Here is a list of temperature vs. resistance readings for the sensor from the service manual. If you want to measure the resistance of the sensor on the wire going to the ECU the wire color is white/black, on pin 9 of the ECU connector. Here are the specs: Temp.---- Ohms deg.F 248------ 14.9-17.3 212------ 26.2-29.3 176------ 47.5-56.8 122------133.9-178.9 I suspect you have a poor connection and just cleaning things will fix this. If the sensor was bad, I don't think it would be intermitant, but it is possible. As was suggested earlier I would not remove the sensor until it is proven to be faulty. You may want to remove the connector going to the ECU if you take your reading at that point so you don't have the rest of the circuit possibly changing your reading. If you take it at the sensor then just remove the wire to it. I like the idea of taking the measurement at the ECU as it will include all the wiring to the sensor in case there is a problem there.

The pressures I mentioned are at the pump during normal operation I think. I could be wrong though, it's what I seem to remember.

I think your right on target about the fuel pump Eric. Sounds like the classic low fuel pressure symptoms. I think these pumps run between $150-$220 dollars normally for a car with fuel injection. Less for carburated versions. Doing a fuel pressure test will verify the pump condition. I think normal pressures are about 70 psi for injected and 30 psi for carburated.

To see if the fuel pump is working try cranking the engine for a second and then turn the key to 'off'. Then turn the key to just the 'on' position and you should hear a slight hum from the fuel pump for about a second. This will tell you that the pump is getting voltage and most likely working ok.

You bring up a good point about the window I have not really thought about before, but it seems there must be some sort of cutoff switch. I would suspect the switch is inside the door panel near the bottom of the window track but this is entirely a guess. I would look for a switch somewhere near the window track if my first guess is wrong.

Your mileage sounds too low even for an automatic. I would take it into the dealer and let them look things over since this is brand new.

Thanks for the feedback Subaru420 and good call to GD. Another case closed. I have heard of this problem before but never have seen a disty in that poor of condition for myself.

On some cars I think they put some of these things under the passenger seat. Not sure about the XT though. Have you also checked your fusible links for a problem there?

I assume that there are no codes being left in memory for a clue to see what may be causing the light to turn on. If not, I would suspect the ECU has an intermitant problem but it is hard to say. They are usually very reliable but when something like this happens, all bets are off. Hopefully the people that caused this problem are helping you pay for the repairs you are requiring now.

From the sounds of things to me I would say your problem is due to an electrical problem more than mechanical. I say that because you stated the problem happens at idle also. It may be the bushings in the disty but I would think you would be able to check for excessive play while the disty is in place. To me, it sounds like something is breaking down electrically. The pickup in the disty may have a problem or the coil may be going bad as was previously stated. I think a noisey alternator can cause this to happen also. A good check would be look at the negative and positive sides of the coil with a oscilloscope and check for noise being generated by the pickup or the power supply before changing anything. A good auto electric shop will have a scope to look things over.

Also check the fusible links, in the box mounter on the coolant reservoir, for a bad connection.

Great story and price Karnofsky. You are still way ahead of the game. No shame to the wife, this is just a business deal that dealers do every hour of the business day. They love to see her kind come in and just up for their "best price". I would have done the samething you did.

I would think that you should be able to get this through Panasonic parts. Have you tried them?

I would imagine then that the other windows have the same problem and replacing the harness that runs throught the jamb will get your switches going again.

Sorry I wasn't clear about the wire, there is more than one. The wire that I refer to is the main output wire (the big one, since it carries a lot of current) that is tied to the post with a nut backing it. This wire will tie to the battery. There may be a fusible link in series with it if I remember correctly.

Nice pictures Chip. I learned something new that I was not aware of. Thanks.

If you can do it, I would recommend spending the money on a small portable generator (around 500 watts) that has a 12 volt output along with the 110 volt. You could run the generator as needed. I think the DC current for most of these units run between 8 to 10 amps. They are pretty quite also. If you don't get one with a DC output you could purchase a charger to plug into the generator. This would give you more versitility for other things also.

Sounds like you've been through a lot. Drive on, Snowman.

The following info comes from a manual for a Legacy so this may not help too much. It sounds like you have an open power connection to the driver's main switch panel. There is a common power supply wire from the power window relay that goes to the drivers switch panel for all the windows. It shows the color symbol 'BY' which is black/yellow, I think. It ties to pin 7 of the switch connector. This wire should have 12 volts on it when any window switch is closed. Your wiring may or may not be the same. If not, you could check for a wire connection that jumpers to all 4 switches, that will be a clue. There is a common ground to them also but it ties directly to ground so it will be easy to find. Its' color is black. The same power wire also branches off and feeds power to the other window switches before it gets to the drivers panel. This would let the other window switches work, like you stated. Edit: To Subaru Styles and original poster, My drawing also shows a wire harness tying the driver's switch panel, to the rest of the switches. I assume this goes between the door jamb and is replaceable. Since you replaced the main switch panel your problem may very well be in the harness that goes through the door jamb. Checking the continuity of the wires will prove that out but it may be hard to get at.

Welcome to the club Lucas. Another place near you is Carter Subaru in Lynnwood. I puchased my first new car from them. It was a '83 GL-10 wagon. Had it 11 years. Worst problem I had with it was the water pump and intake manifold gaskets failed. I think I spent about $200 on replacement parts for that car. It was the cheapest car to maintain that I ever owned. Only had one compaint---it was gutless, only about 85HP. If you want a real reliable rebuilt engine check with the folks at CCR, they are tops at rebuilding these engines. If the body is in good shape it may be worth the investment of one of their engines. Here is a link for you. http://www.ccrengines.com/

Check the wire connection between the alternator and the positive battery post to see if there is a bad connection somewhere. Using a voltmeter to measure the voltage between the two points is a good way also. You shouldn't have more than 0.25 volts if the connection is good. Check the ground connection to the battery also. Another check to do is on the fusible links which are located in the small plastic box mounted on the coolant reservoir. You may have a loose connection there.

Sounds like you got that solved. Now you should find out what is wrong with the engine and causing the poor mileage.