bulwnkl

I don't think I understand. Does the manual specify Type F or the other stuff? OK, that's kind of rhetorical because I'm not aware of Subaru ever specifying the old Type F fluid (at least in the past couple decades?). If yours really does, though, then only use Type F. For the other stuff, one of the "universal" ATFs on the shelf will work extremely well. Most of the 'new' ATF specifications are essentially the same stuff, and very similar to the ATF +4 that Mopar requires. So, you could use that, too, if you want. The differences between these 'new' specs and ATF +4 are very small indeed. The worst that would happen is that shift feel would be slightly different, but frankly shift feel will likely change just from the new fluid. The computer will shortly adjust shifting to compensate. You're not going to have any wear issues between the OEM fluid, the ATF +4, and the universal fluids.

This isn't what you asked for, but I run 88 octane gasohol in my turbo Baja all the time (91 octane 'required'). So long as I'm just driving around there's no issue at all. To the point you asked about: Try HEET (alcohol) if you can find big enough containers on sale. That'll raise it as much as anything and be much, much less expensive. Still, I'd try it on 88 (probably 89 in your area?) and see how it runs. Just fine, I bet. Worst that'll happen is you don't get much power.

Removing the filter to do an analysis makes relatively little sense. Maybe they were just checking the filter itself for contamination?

U-haul just replaced the convertor box and all corroded wiring/receptacles today. Problem solved, but I don't know for sure whether the issue was the box or the corrosion on the outlet. Thanks for the assistance, fellas.

As I understand it, the manual tranny still uses a conventional mechanical differential, it just incorporates a viscous-type limited-slip unit. Thus, your rear wheels are always getting 50% of the torque put out by the engine until and unless the viscous unit heats up and alters that situation. An open diff should spin the front wheels and leave the rears motionless in the situation you describe. So, the fact that your car moved suggests the fluid was heating up and starting to alter the torque bias.

Didn't get it to U-Haul yesterday so no info yet. Yes, there is a 'magic' convertor box for compatibility between the factory wiring and the trailer. Initially, I installed a box myself when I was installing the hitch. That box was DOA and the supplier wouldn't do ANYTHING except tell me I should search for contact info for the manufacturer and send it to them to replace. Timing was such that that didn't work for me, so I took it down to U-Haul to put a new one in. Sadly, they removed the factory harness plug when they put theirs in, but they used the same wiring points I had so they did wire it correctly (it has all worked fine for months). I have thought about the U-Haul connector itself (where the trailer plugs in). It's very corroded now from the massive winter salt use here and because my 4-wire plug-in caps won't fit their double-stack connector thing. Gloyale, thanks for the tip on the diode and where/what to look for to chase a diode. I'm hoping something to do with the trailer wiring is the issue because looking for that diode doesn't sound fun (I understand automotive electrical fine, but I HATE troubleshooting it!).

Sorry for not being able to follow up until now. The problem is not in the RR lights. No changes, un-plugging, etc. impacted the problem. It appears that none of the lights are the problem. Gloyale, the Baja uses a dual-filament bulb for brakes, markers, and blinkers. No separate amber turn signal (uses brake light bulb). The thing I haven't been able to check but I believe is the problem is the U-Haul trailer lighting converter box. Since they installed their box, I'm going to let them do the troubleshooting on it. I think there's a year warranty (it's not their hitch, just their wiring) on it, so I'm hoping there'll be a favorable outcome. Thanks for the troubleshooting hints, tips, suggestions. I'll report again when I've been to U-Haul and back. One question remains unanswered: Will running like this a while cause Very Bad Things? I've been running with the markers (aka parking lights) for the past couple days to mask/eliminate the problem.

I'll bet it's the wheel bearings, but don't discard the driveline idea before the rear diff. I too have had drivelines growl at me and make really odd noises. Personally, I've never experienced the clunk described as common in drivelines. Not saying it doesn't happen, only that my experiences have been other sounds more like what you're describing.

Not necessarily at the right rear, I suppose? I'll keep taking things out until I find it. Can't find any dead shorts (all lights will light up appropriately), so I'm thinking you mean a fault that doesn't necessarily look like a used Polaroid flash bulb? For the sake of discussion, is there the possibility of Very Bad Things happening if I run like this for a couple/few days? Thanks for the help, Nipper. P.S. Anyone ever tried LEDs in the stock tail-lights?

My Baja ('05 turbo A/T) has a problem I first noticed yesterday. When I push on the brakes, the dash lights come on and the radio back-light dims. This also happens with the right turn signal, but not left. Right blinkers make the dash lights go on-off-on-off right along with the blinker. I found an old thread here on USMB where someone had the same problem in an Impreza. Unfortunately, the OP never posted back and his subject line does not indicate the nature of the problem. I followed the initial advice given in that thread and took the rear turn signal assembly out and checked the brake/turn signal bulb and connections. Everything looks completely clean and otherwise fine. I've also discovered that the front corners/markers/turn signals light up faintly at the RF. LF appears to do so extremely faintly as well (very tough to see in the bright sun today). What in the world is going on and what do I do next? This issue is also posted here on Scoobytruck.com if anyone wants to look or post there.

Congrats, Carolinagal! I've used several online Subie dealers, but there are at least a couple in the Seattle metro area that usually end up being least expensive for me. I expect that's different with you being on the other coast. Don't have a bed cover so afraid I can't help you with that. Try scoobytruck.com?

While nearly true, it's the add pack that makes it what it is. Otherwise, and assuming your 5-weight-equivalent claim were true, you could claim the same thing of a motor oil and an ATF. However, the add packs are so different that you really shouldn't even think about cross-filling motor oil and ATF. I do agree, though, that the question of 'which ATF in my power steering system' really makes essentially no difference in the end. The systems are not complex and so long as you have about the target viscosity you'll be fine.

I believe that's because Dex-VI is noticeably lower viscosity than Dex-II, III, etc. That's OK in an A/T because the Dex-III shears quickly to about what Dex-VI starts as. Dex-VI is very shear stable. About the worst that might happen is you put in Dex-VI and the pump squeals or doesn't work that well, so you put some multi-vehicle ATF in.

Quite right, Gary. They're a huge wrecker in Spokane (WA) that is fairly likely to have a junked XT6 or 3 if the OP wants a used rad.

I'll second the recommendation for Spaldings, at least in general. I've done a bunch of business with them over the years, and a (former) neighbor has done tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of business with them.

Nice looking Baja, carolinagal. For a moment I thought something was amiss since the plastic is the same color as the bodywork. That's a hallmark of the '04+. I had forgot that the late '03 blue ones were that way. I know you'll love your Baja; I sure love mine!

You should be able to go to the local radiator shop and have them make you one. As long as your top and bottom tanks are in good shape or you can find them in a j/y, the shop can re-core easily and usually quite economically. Good luck!

OK, so, decision made. For posterity's sake: Most of the generic stick-on pad heaters on the oil pan put out far less heat than a block heater. Subaru block heaters are 400 Watts, and the generic pan heaters are normally ~150 Watts. You'll get a degree of heating to the whole area from each, but neither will heat anything other than what it's designed to very well. IOW, the block heater will get a little heat into the oil, but not too much, and the pan heater will get a trifling amount of heat into the block, but not much. Clearly, running both would be best. If I had only 1 to run, it'd be the block heater for several reasons: One, it will help make sure the engine fires (not that I've ever had a problem), Two, a huge amount of wear occurs simply from the engine being cold and the parts not fitting properly until it gets warm. The block heater will mitigate that tremendously, the pan heater will not. Three, you'll get heat out of the heater faster without a long warm-up cycle, thus reducing fuel dilution. Four, whatever amount of oil you get up into the oil pump will warm enough to flow reasonably well very, very quickly once it contacts the warm engine. That's if I only could/would run one of the two. If it was that cold routinely, I think I'd find a way to run both.

There's a huge thread on this topic at NABISCO if you're interested. It's interesting that Subaru specifies a non-amine coolant with phosphates. The non-amine thing is just tricky wording; basically, American-made coolants haven't used amines in years (decades) according to Old World (Peak manufacturer). I also wouldn't worry about not seeing potassium hydroxide on most coolant ingredient lists. Notice how they all say 'corrosion inhibitors?' Most coolants that are non-phosphate are OAT or HOAT coolants and/or are marketed as long-life coolants. The phosphates are useful and effective but can lead to deposits if left in for a long time. However, that's not ever going to hint at becoming an issue if you change your coolant near the interval Subaru specifies. So as Nipper says, use the Subaru coolant if it's competitively priced. If not, use plain-Jane green coolant or pretty much whatever you want. Myself, I wouldn't put the stop-leak in a 2.2, but like you said it's cheap.

I'm not familiar with your models nor what differences there are from N/A market cars, so this may be useless. Still, that thing about not using it in any EJ25 motors is sure odd. Tons of places in the States require E10 and have for quite a while, and most all the Subies here are EJ25 motors. I know that the only issue I have had in my Baja (EJ255) is that I pay the same money for higher octane ratings. Well, actually, mpg may be significantly lower in the winter than with straight gasoline even though there was no detectable difference in the summer with my super-special additive secret. In any case, your combustion chambers and fuel injectors should have significantly lower deposit levels because alcohol is a good cleaner. Personally, I'd probably run it and not worry much about it. May end up needing a fuel filter fairly soon if the car has a bunch of crap in the tank?

OK. My thoughts were running along the lines of a wheel sensor or possibly even the VSS. I hadn't thought of battery terminal corrosion. I did just take the battery out a few weeks ago to do the plugs and there was so corrosion on the terminals. So, I cleaned them up and sprayed them with the purple sealant from Permatex, which means I could easily have messed them all up! Thanks for the ideas and info, guys. I guess I'll see what happens the next few days since the storms are still rolling across (I'm in E. Oregon right now).

So I was on the road today all day ('05 Baja turbo A/T, ~86,000 miles) and suddenly the cruise control shut off and wouldn't resume (wife was driving at the time). Simultaneously, the ABS light lit up on the dash and wasn't functioning. It was blizzarding and slick for most of the trip, so yes I'm sure the ABS wasn't working. At a fuel stop a few miles later, I checked fuse 18 because it says it's for both ABS control and cruise control, but it was fine. So was every fuse I pulled in the cab block and every relay and fuse under the hood. Another stop in ~50 miles didn't reveal anything or fix it. Then, about 250 miles later after a third stop, the ABS light stayed off and it's working again. The roads got genuinely slick by that time so I didn't try the cruise. What in the world happened? Anything I should spend any time thinking about? I'm at my destination for a couple days and then I'll make the return trip home (~500-550 miles). Thanks for any help?

Welcome! Hope you enjoy it here (I'm sure you will). Tons of outstanding info, tons of super-nice folks. I post rarely but am here most days looking around and reading.

CNY_Dave: I always wondered how a turbo XT would have felt compared to my XT-6. Everybody 'knows' that a 4-cyl version of a vehicle handles better than a large V-6 or V-8, but often the difference in weight is almost nothing. I don't know how much difference there is in an Outback, but I wonder whether you're right. I often wished for less push from my XT-6, and blamed it partly on the larger, heavier engine. I blamed the rest on Subaru's drivetrain layout and suspension, of course. I'm sure you meant to quote someone, jamal, but it's not clear whom. Having read most of the book, including the section relevant to this thread (quite good; wish I had bought instead of borrowing), I posted. I agree that putting ultra-stiff springs and sways on a vehicle with a long moment arm (CG vs. RC) will not prevent it rolling over, and my post was to that effect. The sticky tires make it worse, of course. Interestingly, tires do in fact make a significant difference in cornering (and acceleration and braking) ability, even though the equations used in things like Physics 101 and many books would seem to indicate otherwise. Cheers!

To the OP: I'm glad you're learning your Subie's handling characteristics. Can we all clarify that roll center and center of gravity are 2 different things and are in 2 different places on road cars (RC is below CG)? Tall vehicles (like SUVs) roll over because the CG is well above the RC. So, CNY_Dave is actually correct that body roll alters weight transfer. However, it does so to a limited extent, often extremely limited.