Legacy777

Tell the dealerships to pound sand! It's most definitely the first dealership's fault for not torquing the spark plug correctly. The fact the heads weren't resurfaced has ZERO to do with the plug issues. I can see the new dealership not wanting to get involved, but the first dealership should stand behind their work. You're going to have to get quite agressive with these dealerships. I suggest calling SOA and starting a case already, because that's what it's going to take most likely. Next time you go in, tell them to fix it, tell them you already have a case opened with SOA, you're going to contact the BBB, etc, etc, and you are not going to let them waltz on their responsibilities. As long as they did all the work, and you didn't touch anything between then and now....it's their responsibility. If another shop, or you touched the engine......all bets are off.

reset your ecu. If the ECU learned all the bad data from when the vacuum line was off, it's going to be skewing a/f trends.

You might want to try searching a little better next time. Here's two threads you may want to read. I do recall there being another one with pics in it. http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2527&perpage=25&highlight=air%20strut%20swap&pagenumber=1 http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1177&highlight=air+strut+swap

I do have 174k miles though

I checked the u-joints and they were all tight. I could move the shaft below the joints and see the steering wheel move with the slightest change by my hand, and same thing if I moved the shaft above the joints, I could see the wheels move ever so slightly. I do think the poly steering rack bushings will help. Under centrifugal and normal driving forces there will definitely be more resistance to change then when it's sitting.

A TSB can be a recall or just a notice to dealers that if a person comes in with a certain problem, they can follow procedure A or replace part B to fix the problem. Your dealer will have any TSB's on your car, you can just talk to them....or I believe they are on the nation traffic highway safety's site or something like that.....never can get the acronym right.

I'll be checking mine this weekend too

parts guy is correct, it's been superceeded. I wouldn't spend over 65 on this valve from a local dealer. If they want much more over that, order it from one of the online subie dealers http://www.newsubaru.com is who I use.

If the start and engine are turning.......it wouldn't be the contacts.

the cpv will intermittantly go out and then come back on. You'll probably get away with this for several thousand miles. In the long run, you will need to replace it. But it's not a urgent part to replace.

was the thermostat you had in there an OEM thermostat, or was it an aftermarket one you got at a parts store?

First thing you do when diagnosing things, especially when the computer spits out codes is to clear the codes, drive the car and then check the codes again to confirm that the problem still exists, and was not a computer sensor ghost.

I saw those universal joints when I was under the car last weekend. I was wondering about them too. Do they just tighten up....anything special that you need to do?

I think they are pretty much interchangable. You'd want to make sure you get one from a pre-WRX era car. There's a possibility the lines won't hook up in the exact same spot....but that's about as far as I know. Someone on another board put a 97 GT legacy rack in his BF legacy. I could use a new one too.....and supposedly the newer racks have a quicker turning ratio.

You need to open the window or open the door the next time the car does it. If you hear a clicking noise and it's not starting, then there's a 99% chance your problem is the starter solenoid contacts. I would say the job is cake, but it's relatively simple. here's my saga.... http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2447&highlight=starting+problem

Other thing you could try is turning your hood scoop around. with the vents open underneith this would help draw hot air out of the engine bay. I think on some models this can be done relatively easy. Others the hood scoop only goes in one way.

Well.....I've looked at the fsm info for the 2000 legacy....and they just tell how to remove and install the iac valve...... With that car, and the fact everything is electronic, you are going to need to diagnois it from the computer, which means taking it somewhere, or buying the scan tool/software to do it yourself. Right now, I honestly wouldn't waste any more effort and time doing anything else.

I've serious thought about getting the new turbo legacy when it get's to the states, but I will have to look at my current financial & living situation. I may have to put that aquisition off a couple years. We shall see.....

Do not touch the throttle stop screw. That's a big no-no. The TB's are bench flowed to allow a certain amount of air past the throttle plate. Adjusting that screw throws things out of whack. Sure it may reduce your idle, but that's not fixing the problem. That would fixing the symptom, not the cause, and when you do that, you can really mess things up when the actual cause creates more problems, which may or may not be related to the that cause, or because you tried to fix the symptom.

it's not a matter whether I can fix it or not, it's a matter of time and other form of transportation.

No, I doubt TB would be the issue. From personal experience, cleaning the TB caused a high idle. As for the next step.....not sure, you may need to have it professionally diagnosed or get an OBD2 scanner to see if the IAC valve or other sensors are within specs.

I don't think it'll be a separation.....more like an addition This car needs to be retired as a daily driver......too many nit picky things that bug me, and I can't fix them when it's my main source of transportation, and since it's as old as it is.....it'll only get worse.....

30 min should do

yeah, it's just the canister purge solenoid.....nothing to get super excited about. You should replace it eventually.

The IAC on the newer models are integrated into the TB, and are a plunger type device. Carbon can build up on the device and cause it to stick and you can get the high idle. All you really need to do is take it off clean the plunger and the hole up with some cleaner, and put it back on. We did that for my buddy's 99 RS. When cold he would get irratic very high idle problems. It hasn't been cold enough in houston yet to see if it actually fixed the problem though......