Bushwick

^ I looked at all 91-97 Legacy on that site you linked and none even show "Amethyst Metallic" color as an option on Legacy, though it's interesting that this particular wagon seems to have been ordered with every available option. Too bad this car isn't some race spec'd turbo model as that might mean something then. I'm guessing this was an odd "custom request" color. Really wish it was just a dark grey or something, but doesn't really matter in my case.

@39k miles that dust must be nastier than it appeared in the video. Makes sense though as it started slightly after the left turn. It took 105k miles in another car for front wheel bearings to fail, and it'd make more noise while going around left bends and quiet on right as it was loading the bearing differently. Might be a good idea to rinse the hubs down often as preventative maintenance. Makes me shutter thinking what your air filter looks like after 10k miles

^ I didn't realize local body or paint shops offered this service. I knew some could mix up pints, but never aerosol cans. Thanks for the tip.

^ Seems kinda risky w/o a warranty. Seems odd too considering they state they want "high volume" business ideally on an "obsolete" line of short blocks.

@Heartless That's the EXACT same link I was referring to They sell actual aerosol cans that are factory color code matched. After seeing someone do his bumper on a Saab with a rare harvest orange color; I couldn't even tell the difference between the bumper and the factory colored fenders it was so close. $20 a can is steep, plus whatever the clear coat runs, but $60-70 for a color-correct DIY paint job isn't bad when it can be done in your garage. @John Well, that's actually encouraging as it means it's not some freak one-off thing and they at least exist, but it does affirm it's not an overly common color. The only thing google images seems to bring up is a bunch of Porsches and a plum-violet colored mid 90's Legacy sedan which has more purple hue whereas mine is more graphite or dark grey. Looks like I'll go the "whatever works" route and try those color coded cans so it doesn't look like a Frankenstein on wheels. If anyone has access to, or knows of any Legacy/Outback wagons (hatch) or Legacy sedan (fenders, maybe front bumper mine is scratched) at local yards in the color "363" in this link http://www.automotivetouchup.com/touch-up-paint/subaru/1995/all-models/ lemme know.

Wasn't sure what color my 95 Legacy wagon was, so after some searching on a paint site I discovered it was "Amethyst Metallic", which is sort of like a graphite color with a slight tint of red in the light. The paint site didn't have this color listed an option in 95 for the Legacy wagon. Wasn't until I searched Subaru in general that the color code came up. It needs a rear hatch (priority), and eventually fenders. I'd rather find used replacements with same color, but if it's uncommon I'll just get whatever color and have them painted. Anyways, how common is this color?

If you want to run the car NA for awhile, you can block the oil and coolant lines to the turbo, block the oil return, and remove the CHRA from the exhaust housing. Get a piece of 16 gauge steel, drill holes in it to bolt to housing (or however that turbo works), and you can at least run NA. OR just force it to bypass boost so at least that way it's still spinning and getting oil. If the seals are bad and it's puking oil, then try the above method to avoid your best James Bond smoke screen running people off the road I actually did the bypass in my Saab when the factory turbo went out and I was rebuilding it with wheel and housing upgrades, waiting for parts to arrive, and sending off for a proper balance which took several weeks. Then had back surgery so it remained NA for about 6 months. The exhaust housing will limit NA flow and HP, but it'll at least be drivable and easier to diagnose if you don't have a fresh turbo to install.

Yes. It depends on which wires are backed out. Forget the number of pins, but it's either 16 or more. Scanner will get a "NO Connection" error like it's not even hooked up, or it'll connect but can't go any further. What was interesting is NO one had a clue what was wrong and I heard stuff like "xxxx might be faulty" "you might have a bad fuse" etc. So long as you insert the scanner slowly and evenly into the slot, you should be OK. But like I said, I had this happen years apart, and different stores in different states to be honest. A quick google search will show it's a common occurrence with most not figuring out a solution.

Try leaving the battery disconnected for the period of time it's usually dead by. Reconnect and see if it starts. It's possible the first battery was indeed faulty, then the replacement is poor quality or has issues. car-part.com has alternators for roughly $80 which might be cheaper than outright buying a reman. Also, you aren't leaving phone chargers, Ipod, etc. in the 12v socket are you? Are the doors/hatch closing tightly at night? Those are things I check 1st.

I've run into this with 2 completely different cars I've owned, and years apart (both Lincoln and Saab). What was happening is the code scanner is being inserted into the OBDII port at an angle by a careless parts store employee or mechanic. What this does is it backs a pin or 2 OUT (might not even look like much, but even a TINY amount will prevent connection) in the connector preventing the scanner from being able to connect. This first happened to my Lincoln. Had codes pulled, everything fine. about 2 years later had codes checked and no connection. Left it alone for a couple more years. Then got the Saab which had an O2 sensor issue. Codes were pulled fine, then one day nothing. No connection error. Reflecting back on the Lincoln, I knew no one else had scanned it in between and no CEL was on, so on a hunch I removed the 2 screws for the OBDII connector, and inspected the wire crimping from behind. About 3 wires were back out slightly and NOT lined up with the other crimps. I pushed them back in with small screwdriver, and was able to get a successful scan once more. So I inspected the Saab's connector. EXACT same thing! One problem I've found though is once they've backed out once, they'll do it again. In that situation, attach the scanner plug while leaving the OBDII connector hanging. Take a small screwdriver (do NOT touch more than one wire crimp at a time or risk shorting something out!) and push them back while it's attached. Then try and get the codes pulled. EDIT: I absolutely will NOT let a parts store person insert a scanner into my OBDII ports anymore because of this. I'll insist they let ME do it. Had one guy get slightly offended as he was clueless and thought it was something "HE" could do.

Any luck with diagnosing yet? This is off topic, but the amount of dust on those roads can and will clog your AC condenser and radiator fins over time. If allowed to pack in and settle for too long, you'll get premature overheating and AC issues. I've even seen this happen on semi trucks that have a radiator the size of a car hood. Easy solution is to take a garden hose with the nozzle removed, and let fresh water flow w/o force through the fins being careful to avoid the tip touching the aluminum. Should have a steady flow of water, otherwise it indicates blockage. At first the water will be dark and dirty. Once fresh water is exiting the opposite side, move to next section. If you remove the radiator fans, you can hit both units as there is a gap between the 2 so it might not get everything out otherwise. Disconnect battery while working on/near fans as they can start w/o warning.

Actually they're all located near main cities. Out of the 4 near me, 2 are in Cleveland, one in Akron, and one in Canton. All strategically located near our main cities. Look at their site and you'll see every location in other states are all in major cities. Are you in CT? They're still expanding, so maybe one will open near you soon. They're nice yards, completely gravel, cars are neatly rowed, and they cycle new cars in daily. Seems they'll create a row, keep cars in that row for 4 weeks, the rotate fresh ones in. So instead of waiting months for something to come in, they usually have several on hand and Subaru stuff seems to get extra lot time by 2-4 extra weeks.

Who would have done the AWD conversion then if it was just an option? On a hoist with people that know what they are doing, I'm guessing it could be knocked out rather quickly in a modular fashion. Might not be as simple as say dealership installed standalone AC on an early 80's Rabbit, but optional either means it was installed from the factory as-is and sat on a lot until sold, or it was added to a lesser model by someone after it was requested or based on demand. Wiring harnesses are like that in pretty much all cars. I know Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, GM, and Saab did it off hand. Often the plug for switches are already installed, or the main harness has the plug socket that will accept the switch harness as it's easier to incorporate, this way they don't have to waste time keeping track of which vehicles are capable of carrying what feature. In those situations, I don't believe it's "wasteful" as it's saving them $$ and time in the long run as they are no longer limited to a set number of vehicles only being able to accept certain features. It also streamlines the entire process as they can add virtually any feature at will to any chassis. Some bare bones factory cars don't get that treatment though. i.e. manual windows, locks and 2 speaker "FM radio" in a "work" van typically won't have the harness for power windows or locks, and no wiring for rear speakers, etc. Anyways, if somebody knows what differentiates a TCS ABS unit from others as well as if there are separate modules and relays for the TCS in FWD cars, please speak up as I'm interested in learning about it.

Right, I got that. Since AWD was an "option" though in 95, I'm wondering if the car started life as a FWD variant and was converted to AWD as a dealership deal or something. There are no bulbs for the air suspension holes, but the bulbs and holders are still there for TCS which was a FWD option. 2 bulbs and holders might not cost much on their own, but multiplied times hundred thousand cars or so; it'd be purely wasteful on Subaru's part. But if the car was intended to be a FWD car with that option, then it'd be installed. The circuit board is there for them as well, but not the air ride lights. If they were being wasteful, all the instrument back-light options would be filled with bulbs, holders, and have copper circuit contacts for them. I'm hoping someone can pinpoint what's actually different with the ABS between the FWD with TCS and my AWD. I'm wondering if they just deactivated the TCS feature (leaving the ABS stuff alone) while only adding the AWD parts to the conversion. It's more of a fun curiosity than anything else. Just thinking it'd be neat if it could be reactivated easily while running forced FWD or keeping the AWD engaged. Might make really slick roads less treacherous. I'll investigate behind the dummy panel and see if the connector is indeed there for the switch. Then see if it still has power or needs a relay, and try jumping to see if it does anything.

Spent some time researching online and digging through the owner's manual. Apparently TCS was an option for this year, but purportedly only offered in FWD vehicles, though technically the manual doesn't implicitly state that. The manual does however state "If equipped" and mentions it ONLY affects the front drive wheels. Another oddity is there is NO actual fuse for the TCS, so I'm wondering if it's shared with the ABS? Since I have the "AWD ABS" sticker in the hatch glass which I believe is because it was still an option then, I'm thinking this was actually going to be or was a FWD car that was converted after the fact, hence still having both lights. If that's the case, I'm wondering what might happen if I added a TCS switch to the plug? (going out on a limb here, but I'm going to say the TCS switch plug is behind the dummy cover) Would be interesting if it's deactivated/activated with the switch removed, and/or needs to be in forced FWD with the fuse inserted. Anyone actually look into this?

Yeah, I'm sure they were not empty holders. They both contained bulbs and had copper circuits for contacts. The Ride Height too High was an empty green slot which had no copper on the circuit board. The one TCS light has "TCS" then several ~~~ marks (on top of one another) indicating slippage and was I think yellow; the TCS warning light was just "TCS" IIRC and I think the same color. -What physical clues in the engine compartment could give me a definitive yes or no if the car has it or not? (maybe a shared fuse?) -Do either of these lights typically flash with key ON in later models? -What is the earliest year TCS was a known option (Legacy or Outback)? -You know, one thing that's struck me odd about the car is the steering wheel has basically no wear or smoothing, and same goes for the auto shifter. Other than scratches here and there from careless PO, I'd swear the cabin area was a 40-60k mile car. Only thing that really looks out of place is the grey carpet. Everything works which is surprising considering it's showing 178k miles. Point is, I'm wondering if cluster is original or not as that could be a reason why it'd have bulbs. Not a fan of TCS, especially on a low hp car, but if it does somehow have it, it'd be a nice option to blurt out at a future buyer. Once I get the sway bar link repaired, I'll go find a gravel road and see if it warns when slipping or not if it can't be determined beforehand.

I dunno, that sounds like a heat shield rattle to me (or something else) on my stereo. Almost sounds like a cap rattling on something where it's hollow side is amplifying the sound. It seems like it didn't make any noise until after you accelerated it a bit and it shifted, then accelerated again and maintained a higher speed (more vibration). Usually a differential failure (it'd be a mechanical failure after all) would be a constant noise at all speeds, varying audibly with speed. Yours didn't make any noise until almost 40 sec in after the left turn. Also, the exhaust I think routes more to the passenger side too (does on my older car, not sure about yours). I also have something like 5 different heat shields, all of which can rattle. It's free to inspect them to be positive. Even an 1/8" gap on a shield from where it touches the pipe can cause rattling. I had the shields up under the heads "rattling" and it sounded like flywheel teeth rubbing the starter making a "zinging" noise. Another thing I've noticed with the weird engine layout of the boxer, is it transmits noise differently than traditional inline engines or even "V" engines. Maybe someone more knowledgeable with these will hear something different than me, but given your mileage and age, I'd thoroughly exhaust inspecting the simple stuff first.

If you are trying to save money or keep costs down as much as possible, there are 3 Pull-A-Parts in TN. 2 closest are probably Nashville and Knoxville, with Memphis being a 3rd option. They flat-rate their prices, so all 4cyl engines regardless are the same price. Knoxville has some Legacys that might work. They only want $152 for a complete engine with a $55 core. They do have hoists there, and you obviously have to pull it. But $200 for a complete running engine can be way cheaper depending on damage. And you he can always sell the old engine to someone looking for a 2.5 bottom for upgrade, etc. and come out near even. Might be more feasible for your buddy if times are hard. Check all 3 locations. an " * " means they have it, so look at Legacy, Impreza, etc. that shares the same engine for options. http://www.pullapart.com/parts/pricing.aspx?letter=&loc=10pricelist

While diagnosing an issue with the oil light, I had the cluster out and was shining my flashlight through the holes for the bulbs to see what was what. I noticed there were several empty slots for air ride suspension high, etc. while most others were just blanks. BUT, the TCS had bulbs in it. One is apparently for when the wheels spin, the other is a TCS failure check light. Thing is, I've yet to see either of them come on with key ON? Would expect the TCS failure/trouble light to least illuminate with key ON. And considering both slots had actual bulbs in them, I'm thinking the car has traction control. Anyway to be sure if it's a feature or not? I have some sort of aluminum block on the railing just in front of the filter box with what appears to brake lines entering/exiting it. Is that for the TCS?

I'd take it back to where you got it and say they told you it was compatible but it wasn't, and ask for an exchange. Other option might be swapping the carrier over and putting your ring gear on it, just make sure any spacers are installed EXACTLY the same so as to have a proper engagement between the ring and pinion. I had my 95' cover off and these things are extremely simplistic.

It has 10w30 synthetic Mobile One. Been awhile (about 10 years) since I ran an oil pressure gauge and seem to remember pressure dropping quicker and leveling at the normal pressure sooner than what I was seeing with this, hence the need for reassurance just in case I was seeing some sort of bypass pressure instead.

I installed an oil gauge in the port the oil light sensor went in, and pressure was rather high. 70 or so at start up, then it'd gradually go down and eventually settled around 20 at idle? Seems rather high as opposed to what you guys were saying. I started and shut it off several times and that's when it eventually dropped to 20. When still cold, it lingered it the 60's. Is the port I'm using accurate? I haven't installed the gauge yet, rather hooked it up first. I ended up with a mechanical Sunpro gauge and will use a copper feed line instead of the nylon. Also bought some vacuum line that I'll run the copper through to protect it.

Yeah, I've already considered that. Would have to inspect a 3.6L model and see if they went with heavier gauge over the 4cyl models or not. I know I upgraded the charge wire when I basically doubled the output on the Lincoln. Very easy to do.

If you can get your hand through the opening, siphon out as much as possible. Then use clean (preferably lint-free) rags and wipe the dirt out. Careful though as the fumes will be strong and any spark (even clothing static) can ignite it. Other option is to drop the tank and rise out with water after the fuel has been drain. Are you using a new strainer with each pump? Many companies won't honor a warranty if the old strainer is used. Might also want to try a heavier duty fuel pump like what the turbo cars use, or maybe what the AWD cars use (2" diameter pump instead of the 1.5" pump).

Are the exhaust manifolds the same for a dual port head?