lstevens76

So you have a good and your not fixing it? Before you go trying to diagnose the problem, fix the one you know. Replace the knock sensor and see what happens. The other catch is a bad knock sensor can affect MPG, it could also be providing more fuel than necessary or not enough spark to fire all the fuel with a bad knock sensor. With a malfunctioning knock sensor the computer is running in the dark regarding timing and puts it in a "safe zone" instead of adjusting it as needed.

You may want to replace those top hats. There are bearings in them and they affect your handling. Better to replace them while doing the struts than have to do it later

Hmm, I need you take a road trip to Idaho and help me do head gaskets or an engine swap.

The E in the EJ22E designates EGR from what I've read and understand. That is the only difference I can find between the EJ22 and EJ22E. But I do need the EGR, making the task a bit harder. Now you have me questioning one at a Junkyard locally though that they are saying has 195-200 compression on all cylinders............ On another note, since I now have (I believe) all the information I need to make a good decision and take action (TY to those in here who helped. ) I need to come up with the parts list for the rest of it. I know I need a radiator and TB/WP Kit. Those are basically the givens. Doing the radiator I'm going to service the transmission (it's passed due anyways and I'm going to be pulling the lines on the radiator....) so what do I need for this? I know there is an in-transmission flat filter then fluid. What else? Here is my basic list: Radiator TB/WP Kit Plug Wires Plugs PCV Fuel Filter Air Filter Transmission Filter / filter kit Transmission Fluid Oil Filter Oil I'm also thinking coolant hoses. I know if I do the head gaskets (either motor) I'll need the head gasket set. What else should I be looking for?

I'm not sure what the difference is but check top hat interchangeability. There are a lot of years they have the same top hat for the fronts.

I believe all these prices are "EACH" and you will need 2. Well the rear KYB G2 are $60.79 and $61.79 for a '98 Outback. The fronts are $67.99 & $68.79. This doesn't include the Strut Mounts (Top Hats) which KYB ones are around $48.79 rear and $44.89 front. The boots/bellows are $11.23 (think each) for the front. Right now if you had ordered all 4 from Rockauto or someplace like that KYB is running a $40 rebate on the purchase of 4 struts. They also have the kit you probably got on eBay for $221, if that kit includes the mounts and the bellows, although no free shipping but if they are on the promotion that $40 rebate might have covered the shipping for all of it.

Ok, I know I need an EJ22E engine (unless I pick up the EJ25 on CL for $300 that includes a new TB and Head gaskets...... but it was welded in a spot so not sure). I'm not sure how to differentiate (without getting back to the transmission) which motor is which as far as an EJ22E vrs an EJ22 Phase II. Also, what should the compression be on an EJ22E? Thanks

Ok, then next question. What vehicles came w/ this motor? I.E. an early '96 2.2L? Now I need to pick up a compression tester, spare battery, and grab an oil squirt can I guess. Then go hunting motors at the pick-a-part. To add to this I think Lucky and I are thinking alike, except the head gaskets which I really don't want to do. lol If this motor turns out to be in good condition than I can rebuild it the way I want it (which is going to take a lot of research) and have the time to do it. If this motor turns out bad, I can always go back to the junkyard and buy a second core.

This is what my loc mechanism looks like. I don't remember whether that's in the lock/unlock position (would have to go look). Lubing is probably a good idea, but I don't really have any rust on the car (other than the spare tire slot and only surface rust there). You can see where the rod goes onto that flip switch. That lever/switch is what seems to bind about halfway between both.

I didn't say they were, it's that I could possibly find it. I don't know the history on this car only that he replaced the water pump because it failed. How hot it got, how many times it got hot, etc... prior to me owning it I don't know. I also don't know how prone to scoring Subaru engines are.

Before I put this in I was already planning on replacing the radiator and hoses no matter what option I took. I know exactly what this does to the inside of an engine and what it takes to get it out of the engine when I go to do work on the car. No, I don't like sealants but when you are short on cash and you need a solution sometimes they are worth the risk and it was to me. If you don't know what you are doing and can't follow the directions "exactly" as the manufacturer describes, don't even try a sealer. Over 80% of the people I have dealt with who have had problems with Blue Devil (specifically because bars leak and others just does nasty spoob to an engine) they didn't follow the directions. The biggest mistake is not idling it long enough. The other thing most people that use a sealer expect is a permanent fix and it to always work, which is two big myths. It does not always work and it is not a permanent fix, I know this. That's why I'm working on options and will be putting things in motion to get it fixed right. I know it's going to fail, that's just the nature of the beast, I just don't know when. What Blue Devil did that nothing else could have is bought me time, which I needed, to financially be in a better position to purchase the parts and do the job right instead of rushing through it using the cheapest parts I can find.

Ok, after seeing someone else with a similar type issue getting all kinds of help I figured someone might know what's going on with mine. Using the key, it won't unlock. Using the power locks it won't unlock. But, with the plastic off it appears the lock is not moving all the way. If I manually flip it both directions it will move, but acts like it's sticking on something halfway unlocked. I can unlock it manually at the back of the car (inside) by hand w/ the plastic trim off. Anyone ever dealt with this?

Well, scoring on the block I may not find in another engine, but I could possibly find in this one. It does run decent so I think my first step is a compression test. I'll have to pick up a gauge tomorrow and see what it looks like, that would probably be my best first step. And Blue Devil actually does seem to have worked, which is why the compression test. But I also need a new radiator. It blew the cap off a couple times and now the cap will not sit at the fully tight position. It has to be halfway in order for it to seat firmly. My other thought was if I picked up a used one from the pick-a-part I could go through the external seals before putting it in. Considering they are still in the car I should be able to hot wire the starter to do a compression test on it. That should tell me if it has a blown head gasket, bad rings, etc... and hearing it spin should give me an idea of the bearings as well. My initial thought, and still higher on the list, is to fix this engine though. The problem is if I get into an engine I plan on keeping in the car long-term I want to do a lot of work to it. My thoughts have been: A. ) Fix this engine and keep going (this would be seals, tb, and head gaskets). B.) buy a used engine, replace seals, tb, etc... (all externally accessible stuff not going into the engine) swap it in then start work on the old one and give myself a good amount of time to do the work. This would let me get the heads done, investigate cam options, etc... No I'm not looking to build a racer just a good strong engine with some decent "oomph" that still gets good gas mileage.

I'm running through options. Since Red Devil didn't seem to work I'm stuck with only a few options and need some help making a decision. First, I can do the head gasket job. The car needs TB Idlers anyways so that is option one. But what other problems could I run into doing this? Second, I could swap with a used engine from a local junkyard (about $400 for just the engine + TB, water pump, etc...) Finally our local pick-a-part has quite a few engines, but there is no way to test them. I would have to figure out options on how to check for certain things while they are in the car. Although they have a 60 Day warranty, that doesn't include the headaches of swapping again if the engine is bad. Those cost $230. I need to do something soon and any of these are financially hard at the moment, but less expensive than driving my Durango all the time.

Well my day turned from long, to bad. I was running around and everything seemed fine, but I hadn't done the thermostat yet. I was already suspicious because I seemed to be losing coolant, but being a 2.2L I chocked that up to a leak somewhere. I stopped at my aunts and jumpstarted her and it appeared I lost some coolant at the radiator (odd spot), but the temp didn't show hot so I didn't think twice about it at that point. There's no cap on the overflow so I figured it had just spurted some out between the angle the car was at, etc... I didn't make it all the way back to my grandfather's before it got hot. Shut it down to cool down and limped it to my grandfather's. Decided I had a coolant leak and it needed fixed so picked up the upper and lower radiator hoses and replaced the thermostat w/ fresh Subaru Coolant, etc... While idling after doing the work I saw the bubbles and knew, whether I wanted to admit it or not. All the up/down temp and the leaking coolant have a source. I went to test drive (hoping it was just air in the system) and didn't make it two blocks before I saw steam popping out of the radiator and pulled over. It had pushed the radiator cap off, but wasn't registering hot. I limped it back to my grandfather's and I now have a misfire on cylinder 4, obvious water/steam in the exhaust, and it's pushing pressure out the radiator cap enough that after about 5/10 minutes it will blow the cap off. I'm going to blue devil it tomorrow, refill it with Peak generic antifreeze (phosphate free of course) and hope that holds while I order parts.

one obd2 Bluetooth adapter, one android based phone or tablet, and the torque app from the playstore. Then you have live read. The obd2 adapters are about $10 on amazon.

That design has been around for years. It was common in the US "boat" station wagons. My grandfather has a '92 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon with a seat in the back like that. Its factory and folds down flat when not in use.

Ok, multiple searches of a Subaru OEM Parts site later............... It seems there are 4 or 5 different springs for the Impreza, but they all appear to be the same ride height. At that there are 3 or 4 different struts as well, OEM, but they all appear to be the same height. I can't really figure out the different part numbers unless they were just literally different numbers for different years but the same part. So this means I just need a set of front struts for a 90's to '01 Impreza. There are 2 more I haven't looked at in Junkyards here so I will check them out tomorrow.

The Ball Joint is done and was definitely bad. It was only the driver's side one. I was informed correctly, I mistyped it. lol The vibration is in the body now, not a wobble in the steering, telling me the struts need done right away. Still going through options on that. I have the thermostat, coolant, gasket, and the subaru additive to do it I just need to. So far I think I'm getting close to 30mpg (roughly 28mpg on my last fill up), but the speedometer is a little fast and sometimes sluggish so I'm not 100% sure that's accurate. And yes that matters because that is why I own 2 vehicles. If the Durango could get the MPG the Subaru does I would keep the Durango due to versatility, but that's the price you pay for that as well. lol I did clean the windows the other night. It made a big difference in the way the car felt. It's weird how the little things can make something feel different.

I'm actually trying to find just a set of front struts with lower mileage (around 100k or so or less). This would help me eliminate a problem so I can move on to the next problem, etc... I can always go back and do them again. The suspension on this Impreza is simple compared to my Durango. I had that driver's side ball joint done in less than 2 hours and next time it will probably take less than an hour since I know what I need and what to do different. What I'm trying to do now is get it fully functional. This doesn't mean I need new, I just need working struts, etc... And with the ball joint (driver's side) now replaced I am sure I need struts. I no longer have the nasty steering wheel wobble, but going over bumps you can hear the springs and feel the vibration in the car. Now that the vibration isn't immediately being taken to the steering wheel I can tell it's definitely struts.

Called the dealer, no recalls on this car (actually none, not even any fixed ones).

Now, back on topic: I have been really wondering about that, but I think I have two or three problems and they are just causing each problem to exaggerate itself making it hard to diagnose fully. The reason I'm doing the ball joints is although a failed strut can cause problems along with a failed spring that lower ball joint can cause me to lose a tire. I'm asking about the ride height issue because I'm thinking a good low mileage used set is my best option for Struts/Springs at this time because I don't know if there are other problems such as broken springs. I've also noticed Moog sells replacement springs through Rock Auto, but without knowing why the OBS has a higher ground clearance than other impreza's I'm not sure about this either.

They had already been done once prior to me doing them. I was in a hurry so unfortunately she has Masterpro ball joints on the front. I intend to correct that sometime this summer and replace my upper and lower control arms with Moog ones that include the ball joints. Just a quick history on that Durango. I purchased it for $750 w/ brand new tires, water pump, brand new front brakes, and a bunch of other stuff but the computer was toasted. I picked up a computer for $200 w/ a lifetime warranty from Solus Auto in Florida. I then discovered the shocks were bad and the rear-end pinion bearing was wining along with having bad outer tie rod ends. I swapped the rear-end with an '03 and gave myself disc brakes on the back, put brand new shocks under it and new outer tie rod ends. Then I found out it needed ball joints. My Durango had 180k on it when I bought it in September, it now has 198k on it (I did a bunch of towing long trips for my grandfather). I'm into it about $2,200.

Ok, first thing is to me this isn't wandering. I had an old Ford pickup as a kid that wandered, although real bad, and my '01 Durango wanders (either the steering u-joint or inner tie-rod ends but haven't figured out which yet). Wandering to me is going down the road and the car will drift one way or the other on its own without moving the steering. You correct and it will drift again, sometimes the other direction. That or having a "loose" feeling steering wheel can also cause wandering to me (i.e. my Durango is an example of that one as well). On the OBS the steering is completely tight and the only time it tries to wander is on our stupid grooved pavement, but every car I've driven over that grooved pavement has issues. Now, to explain the issue again and it has two causes, one of which I'm fixing ahead of the other. When going over a pothole, mostly driver's side, you will get a "springing" noise and the steering wheel will "wobble" and it feels as if the front end wobbles as well. Since I didn't know if it was the tires (2 bald, 2 ok, none matching tread) I replaced all the tires w/ a brand new set I got lucky and picked up off Craigslist for $100 (on rims). After they were put on it was better, but obviously still there. I realized I hadn't had them balanced so I had them balanced. Again, better but still there. The first shop I took it too thought it was axles and stated all the front suspension was tight but that the struts were bad. Since he didn't believe struts would cause the problem I was experiencing he put the blame on the axles (even though no boots are broken and the axles seem fine.) The second shop said it's struts again. I agree the struts are bad, but they aren't the cause of the problem they are only causing the issue to feel different, maybe worse, than what it is. Although what it is I need to fix right away anyways since it's bad. So, after having all those people guess and make comments and no one give me a 100% answer I went to a local repair shop that specializes in Subaru's (Ken's Repair in Garden City, ID). Both my front ball joints (obviously as they showed me) are bad w/ the Driver's Side being worse than the passenger. I'm honestly surprised Commercial Tire missed it since they caught that problem on my Durango and I had to do all 4 front ball joints on it. Now, back to the issue at hand. Although I'm planning to do the ball joints sometime today I do still need to do at least Front Struts and possibly springs with those.

car-part.com lists your local junkyards and national ones. I go there a lot and search. You can get some pretty good deals that way and also use it to get local ones to price match.