Hank Roberts

On all those codes -- have you cleaned up the ground connections as you find them? I'm slowly working through those on my 1988 -- unplug, unscrew, clean with elbow grease, clean with volatile Electronic Parts Cleaner, clean with a rubber eraser or scrape if crud remains, add a dab of conductive grease, reassemble. I keep seeing mention that the electrical ground gets bad on older cars -- including from the ham radio community, where they use big braided metal connectors between body parts to ensure proper ground. Radio ground is different from electrical ground, I realize. But the basic point is that all the sensors are comparing some voltage to the reference, which is ground. And if that's dirty, "garbage in garbage out." This doesn't answer the question -- but I know for sure it's worth looking for bad connections, dirty connections, corroded connections, connections with water in them, connections with dead bugs in them, and open (broken) or intermittent (almost not quite broken) wires hiding inside apparently good insulation. As my doctor keeps telling me, "the older your body gets, the more new and interesting ways it finds to fail unexpectedly, so keep checking everything."

Seconding the old unanswered question -- what kind of injector cleaner? My 1988 SPFI (less than 300 miles on a rebuilt engine from CCRinc now) has what feels like a sticky mechanical gas pedal. I realize it has a 'throttle position sensor' instead of a mechanical linkage. Feels like rust on a mechanical one -- basically when starting up in low gear, the car will buck/surge no matter how gentle I am with the accelerator. If I floor the pedal, it'll .... pause ... hesitate ... vroOOOOOMMMM and then be very smooth. Until the next time I try to use the pedal lightly. I'm assuming it's probably a bad throttle position sensor. And -- aha -- this morning, it gave me the appropriate 31 code for fifteen or twenty seconds on first starting it up. Since I was already on the way to the mechanic to try to find the clunk it's developed when the wheel's turned full right, in the right front after they replaced the right front inner axle boot (sigh) last month -- they got it now. But does this sound right, like the TPS is bad? I also found the note elsewhere that it's easier to take a big file and knock a quarter inch off the air conditioner housing than to remove the whole mess o'stuff the manual requires to take off the TPS. But I doubt I can talk the mechanic into saving me any money. Dagnabbit.

One last thought about this general problem -- from a mechanic's page talking about Ford and Dodge brakes: http://www.asaaz.org/canyonauto/techtips.htm#rust "The Sinking Brake Pedal "..... If you have a customer with a 1977, or earlier, Ford diesel truck complaining about a sinking brake pedal, and you are certain it is not caused by the brake master cylinder bypassing, it may be a normal condition. With the engine running, vehicle stopped, the vacuum pump may be pulling "excess" vacuum from the booster. The vacuum pumps on some earlier models continued to replenish booster vacuum, causing the sinking pedal condition. If this "normal" condition is unacceptable to your customer, Ford offers a replacement booster, PN # F5TZ-2005-CA. ..... This brake "problem" is old hat, but we still periodically run into the complaint. I first noticed this in the mid-1970s with Dodge pickups, and it has slowly progressed through all the pickup lines. The dreaded soft pedal! ..... Typically, what happens is right after a brake job, the customer "tests" the brakes by stepping (hard) on the brake pedal, with truck stopped. The pedal sinks, is spongy, or otherwise feels crummy. To really test whether you have a spongy pedal, dump the vacuum from the booster (engine off). Now step on the pedal: Is it hard, or spongy? Chances are it is rock hard, with no sign of falling through. ..... What I THINK is the explanation (I have asked numerous brake hot line techs this question, with no real affirmation, or denial, of the scenario), besides firewall flex, is the master cylinder construction. In late model tandem masters, the pedal operated primary piston, except through a spring, which in reality, it's not an operational spring. The spring's primary reason for existence is to simply keep the secondary piston in place. The secondary piston is operated by the hydraulic action of the primary piston. When the vehicle is moving, and brake operations are normal, the truck stops wonderfully (even with a bit of rear wheel lock up in a quick application), but the driver never notices any pedal problem. But stop the truck, apply the brakes, and pedal feels spongy. I believe what the customer is feeling is the spring action between primary and secondary piston, an action not typically felt during normal braking conditions. The trouble starts because many techs have never noticed this "problem" until the customer points it out. Then we go crazy trying to correct a problem that doesn't exist. "..... However, I have no explanation for the Suburban brake pedal feeling. I mean, those felt terrible when the vehicles were brand new." ---- Just to confirm, the above wasn't my problem, just adding it for consideration when someone finds this thread.

And here's another relevant item, if the boots are cooking and cracking, from http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm Impreza FAQ: 3.3 Exhaust manifold heat shield Heat shields were a common fault on pre-'97 cars, as these cars do not have the tray under the engine bay. It is possible for road water to splash the very hot shields caused them to fracture. They then resonate, as the two sides of the crack vibrate together. This is a warranty fix, but if it's the one where the left and right side pipes join, (by far the most common one to fail - this is a very hot area) then the dealer should pack the lower shield out by 3mm. This lowers the temperature of the shield and it will then last much longer, if not forever. The owner who came up with the 3mm spacer trick had got through 3 shields in 15,000 miles and was used to driving a car that buzzed. It has never failed since.

Here's another replacement boot material: http://www.staugustinefwd.com/Diagnosis/Boots/boots.html Along with a good discussion of how each of the materials available fail and good closeup pictures showing where to look for visible signs of failure.

Mine got real noisy; first, had the rear diff. replaced with a used one (it'd been beaten up when Hell's Subaru Shop (loooong story) had put in the wrong ratio used transmission, last summer and we also chewed up the rear tires real bad on the one 4wd trip we made. I'd worried about the rear drive train after that debacle. Besides, the car has 240k miles on it, so I figured, okay. WTH. The replacement rear diff. didn't end the noise (though it helped noticeably). So, they looked further. Turned out that one of the four bearings on the rear axles (2 per axle) was rusty. Mechanic did this job -- had to send the axle out to a shop with a hydraulic press to get the rusted bearing off of it. I looked at them on the shop table -- three bearings with black grease, and one reddish-orange bearing in orange-brown grease. It was just coming apart. Looks like it'd gotten wet sometime in the remote past and just had fresh grease squirted in over the water, after that, and rusted out inside. It's nice and quiet now. The previous owner sold it to me because he thought it was too noisy, just generally, for his damaged hearing. Yup.

Found inGoogle's html version of this page HERE (sorry about the formatting, it pastes in): http://www.carquest.com/techbulletins/cvshafts/TC2004.pdf. Heat Cracking of Inboard Axle Boot CONDITION If the catalytic converter has been replaced with an Aftermarket version, chances are it does not have the OEM heat shield attached to it. The high heat given off by the converter will damage the inboard boot of the Drive axle, causing it to check and crack or tear. This will cause premature failure. SOLUTION A substitute boot kit, ARI part number 42-62298, has been created with a boot made of special high temperature silicone. ARI offers this axle boot upgrade for part numbers 9103 and 9110. This boot will help withstand the higher operating temperatures of the Aftermarket converters that do not have an OEM heat shield attached to them. Proper inspection of the heat shield and replacement will help extend the life of the drive axle boots. Replacement of the heat shield will also help off set the higher operating temperature of the catalytic converter when the engine is running leaner than it should.

I usually find just removing and cleaning the two contact wires where they slip over the prongs on the windshield helps -- sometimes I've used just a pencil eraser, sometimes I've used electronic parts contact cleaner (the pressure can and brush thing from Radio Shack). Don't use sandpaper, you want a smooth but clean surface. Corrosion seems to happen fast in that area because, uh, it's often damp. I have several wires not working too; I'm about to try one of those electrical circuit writer pens after I go over the wires with a magnifying glass to find where the connection's broken. The brown color is just glue, I think, it's continuous, but there's a slightly darker line in there that must be the resistance wire.

The more common explanation for the problem, apparently, would be an internal leak between sides of the master cylinder, so you should get it checked. I only know of three cars in the world that needed boosters replaced -- the 2 stories I found on the net that led me to this, and mine. So mechanics may laugh at you for suggesting it. One place claimed they tested it, but couldn't describe a test procedure, I doubt they had a clue. Rebuilders for these things can be found; they know how to test them, apparently. I just got a new one, too tired of the problem to risk a rebuild.

Hmmm, same here -- with about 400 miles on a rebuilt engine, new plugs, plug wires, oxygen sensor, EGR sensor, EGR valve, fuel pump and suchlike. Starting from a stop sign, it's erratic, better with the gas pedal pushed down, but the electric hybrid or other little car in the next lane always pulls away from me easily in the intersection. This is a 1988 GL non-turbo 5-speed wagon. Still being broken in, obviously. But I assume the fuel injection system still has 240,000 miles on it, just the engine was rebuilt. I've been imagining maybe the (single) fuel injector is dribbling. I confess I have no clue what a TPS is. I tried to look it up and found airplanes with Subaru engines, here: http://www.sdsefi.com/ Some of their stuff sounds good, but .... anyhow.

Torxxx: > shift to 4lo from 4hi 1st gear you need to be in 3rd gear > before you put it in 4lo to match up the gear speeds to your tire speeds. How? You're in high range 4wd in first gear. Going how fast? Do you -- put in the clutch -- move the gearshift to third -- move the transmission to low range -- let in the clutch ?? I dunno, I've always been crawling just above stall uphill in high first gear and just shifted into low range and given it a little gas as I let the clutch up, ending up in first gear in low range. But I've wondered.

Look deep down inside the rear fenders. I found six inches of standing water and mosquitoes in mine. The drain holes had been plugged by the previous owner to keep dust out. The rear taillights had been leaking water in for a long while, especially when the car was parked tail downhill on a slope (the caulk was dry and dusty where the plastic contacts the body, and water running down behind the hatch was slopping over instead of going around). Water may also be getting in through crevices between the taillight plastic. If you find half an inch of water in the taillights below the bulbs, that's a clue there's more down inside the fenders. I found this all thanks to having to replace a taillight that had a loose cracked bulb socket. Siphon, wipe, wash out with isopropyl alcohol, repeat .... and check again.

The answer was -- replace the brake booster. Problem gone. Oh, first I had to replace the mechanic I was taking the car to. I found a total of three mentions of this problem searching (both web and newsgroups). Summary --- there's a little valve deep inside the brake booster that can get dirty. It's impossible to clean those things, though they can be rebuilt. This has been a known problem on some other manufacturers' vehicles, but not mentioned elsewhere on Subaru that I know of. Well, as my MD keeps telling me, these old bodies find new ways to fail, the older they get, as things start to wear out that lasted 30 or 40 years consistently. Yup. The local new mechanic I've been going to said he'd only be willing to replace it with a new Subaru part. I said yes, tired of living with the problem, didn't want to push getting a rebuilt one vs. new. Life's too short. Problem's gone, entirely. Anyone need a good Subaru mechanic in Berkeley? --> Autometrics. Ask for the guy who knows how to use the Internet. Tell them the guy who came to them because CCRInc sent him, sent you.

> 1969 Ha! my other vehicle is a 1969 Dodge Sportsman camper van. Also the year of the first landing on the Moon, a good year for simple brute force technology that worked.

That is VERY HELPFUL, thank you. Now I've got to find a picture of the stock heat shield and figure out if my 1988 has one. Seems like going with this high-temp boot is going to be a good idea anyhow -- either I'm missing a stock heat shield, or it's inadequate.

Tom, can you sketch how you did yours? I can't quite figure it out from the description -- sounds like a 7 x 12" piece attached only at one point with the tab, sticking out and dipping down under? Doesn't it flop around in motion? Sounds like you're describing something like this drawn in 'cross section' but I'm not sure where the heat riser is in relation to the converter and boot. (periods should be spaces, the software here seems hostile to 'ASCII art') Heat riser>|| ..........tab =___ .(O)----axle and boot ...............||.... \___/.......bent sheet metal between stock parts ........____||~~~~~~~~~ ................hot converter

Well, I put about 120 miles on my car with the replacement boot. The shop that replaced it didn't clean off the stripe of grease the split boot had thrown out along the top of the catalytic converter (nor the firewall, underside of the hood, etc). By the time we got home we had quite a column of smoke rising off the top of the catalytic converter -- that grease takes a LONG time to burn off. It was very obvious it was coming up right around the new boot, on both sides, just covering it with the heat and burnt grease from the top of the converter. So -- besides going in with a wire brush and cleaning the thing off sometime soon, the idea of a heat shield sounds VERY attractive now. I do not know how much things move around in there when the vehicle's in motion -- I assume the boot and axle move a lot and the catalytic converter moves as much as the engine does compared to the frame. So I'm worried about spacing. Anyone got any expertise to offer, or design advice? It's certainly clear the heat from the catalytic converter --- just an inch or so below the boot -- is going to be baking that thing dead very fast.

I've seen worse: http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/images/photo180.jpg http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/archive/photo175.htm http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/images/photo155.jpg http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/archive/archive_101-150/photo127.htm http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/archive/archive_101-150/photo126.htm You could submit your pictures for their collection, and see them immortalized. I've always felt I redeemed my life a bit when I offer something I did as a horrible example in warning to the next generation.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-27999.html related issues

I've never seen a GL I recognized with a 'touring' roof, pics anywhere? Sounds like my next dream car. Meanwhile a GL question for my 1988 wagon, "light blue" paint code anyone know them? Berkeley Subaru dealer can't identify it but has no touch up paint even close. IT's the 'powder' blue standard color, nothing else close in those models.

Watch for a hairline crack in the metal of a valve cover gasket. My very used '88 had started losing a quart of oil in 300 miles, and -- after the nearsighted mechanic I took it to wasted much money replacing gaskets, his boss spotted a crack in the metal valve cover. Apparently it was all but invisible when cold, but when the engine was hot, it was leaking badly. They both said they'd never seen a valve cover crack before. Well, with age there come new problems.

I just went through this with a 1988 GL 4wd wagon -- differential was noisy and rear wheel bearings sounded bad too. This with a local mechanic (third one I"ve gone to, first one who knows what he's doing). He was right. One of the bearings was so stuck, they sent it out to a shop with a hydraulic jack to get it loose. Looking at the old bearings on the shop bench, that one was just rusty orange all over -- it'd been rusting out for a long while, probably had new grease put onto it in that condition several times by the previous owner. He got rid of the Subaru because he thought it was too noisy ... No idea how long it's been bad, bought it used and have been slowly finding out that it involves eventually replacing all the parts.

I'd love to see a picture -- though I may go ahead and try it. Hadn't thought of attaching the heat shield directly to the exhaust, but it makes sense.

Any thoughts/advice on a SPFI (1988 GL, not a turbo)? Just had a rebuilt engine (done by CCRinc) put in; wondering what else there is to do and how I'd know. No, I don't know much about Subarus yet.

I was wondering about putting a second battery in the spare tire area. No problems with heat, up in that space?