heartless

wheel bearing wouldnt produce a "knocking" sound that is being described... growling, squeaking, or grinding - yes... I would inspect all suspension bushings and mounting points very closely - it is possible there is a worn/torn/damaged bushing that, under the right conditions, is causing the knocking.

def change plugs and wires to start with - NGK on both, or NGK plugs (copper cores) & OEM wires - dont use cheap parts store wires, Subarus dont like them. Would not change coil pak just yet - do plugs and wires, clear codes (after reading) and see what comes back (if anything)

When last timing service is an unknown, most of us here would get it taken care of as soon as possible, just for piece of mind - 2001 is an interference motor, meaning if the belt does break, or jump time, there is very high likelihood of valve damage. It is also recommended to change the idler pulleys, water pump, and possibly the tensioner - the belts generally dont fail all on thier own, there is usually something else that causes excess wear on the belt - something like a failed bearing in an idler puller... just make note of the mileage it is done at, and go XX,XXX miles to the next one.

the fronts dont need to be broken, it is the rear mirrored part that helps to focus the light pattern...not to mention that if the mounting tabs are broken off you are going to have a very hard time adjusting, and getting them to stay... dont know if it is just the lighting in that pic, or what, but the lenses look a little cloudy... could just be the lighting.... New, good quality bulbs will improve light output. and definitely check the sockets, and related wires, as Nipper suggested.

if the surrounds have been broken then they probably arent focusing the light like they should - replace the broken housing(s) with good used ones, get new bulbs (they do dim over time) and you should be able to see a whole lot better.

Simply disconnect them and drive the car. There should be no lasting ill effects. If the CEL comes on, follow the directions to read the code(s) found here Correct whatever problem the code(s) may indicate Just make sure to disconnect the test connectors when done. The 1990 is pretty forgiving and an easy car to work on.

@ Bluedotsnow - Dude - take a chill... there are plenty of others here that have done the EXACT same thing I have - Long before I did it. I didnt come up with this idea - just following what others have done many times over, with no ill effects. (and it is a 20 year old car, I am not gonna get all bent out of shape over this) I dont do a lot of off-roading - it IS my daily driver after all, and I need it to get me to/from work. That is it's primary purpose in life. The biggest reason I did the ghetto lift is because of our winters here - plenty of snow, with blowing & drifting - the extra height makes it a little easier to get through. I live in the boonies, our road is one of the last in the area to get plowed - ya do what ya gotta do to get around out here, and I cant afford to put gas in a pickup truck every couple of days - even with prices coming down. If you dont want to do it this way, that is fine, you do what you feel you need to do... @ Jacks - glad to hear you got your garage back!

if the car isnt rusted out, it is far from a piece of spoob. you have been getting solid advice, try some of it... If you were closer, I would take that piece of "spoob" off your hands in a "heartbeat" over a chevy any day of the week - I happen to know somebody whose daughter is looking for a car after hers was totaled by a drunk driver.

Umm, yeah - actually, I have done it - and it is my daily driver. 1995 Legacy L with 1998 Forester struts & springs (the forester and outback struts are the same length overall, lower spring perch is mounted different) Have had ZERO problems with it and been driving it for a bit over a year now. Tires are wearing fine, rides good, have even done a teeny bit of off-roading with it. the "secret" to being able to get things connected is to drop the sway bar from the frame.

a mouse can squeeze thru some pretty tiny spaces - if they can fit their head thru, they can get the rest of their body thru (skull being the biggest "solid" part of them) a small mouse can fit thru a 1/4 inch hole with no problem. Missing or loose rubber body plugs are prime locations for entry (think firewall area), as is fresh air ducting if it isnt screened (location varies depending on vehicle). gaps in door or window mouldings are also potential entry points, and of course the obvious - rusted thru areas. on the piece of fabric tied on the trap trigger - I have used first aid gauze quite successfully for this purpose - wrapped around 2 or 3 times & tied on with a little dental floss (more durable than thread) - smear just enough peanut butter on that they are attracted to it and HAVE to work at it to get it off - gauranteed to trip the trigger and catch a mouse (or chipmunk, or whatever).

^^ this (order fixed, note about nest added) altho - seat covers do nothing for structural foam that has been shredded....

sequence and torque specs can be found here you want to open MSA5TCD96L5965 (about middle of the list)

running stock suspension there is no way that size tire is going to fit. Best he could do with stock suspension would be 205/45R17 which is an almost exact diameter match to the stock tire/wheel combo - might possibly be able to squeeze a 215/45 on, but there could be rubbing issues there... play with possible tire sizes here. it is possible to get more clearance with a minimum of fuss by swapping in Outback struts/springs - no need to add any spacer blocks unless you are looking for even more ground clearance. The lower spring perch on the outback struts sits higher than the stockers, allowing for a larger tire to be fitted. and just an added thought, if you see snow during the winter months, wide tires are not the best idea....

grab MAF and a coil pak. My 95 had some misfiring issues that turned out to be the coil pak arcing externally - there is a short video of it around here somewhere...symptoms were similar to what you are describing... on the vacuum lines - if they are hard (cant easily squeeze them) they should be replaced. they may look ok, but more than likely arent sealing on their fittings very well anymore

excellent explanation, papajam! thank you

worth a shot to try the other rad cap... also check to make sure the overflow tube isnt plugged up at all

you could start verifyng things by checking wiring diagrams for you car, found here. (number 45 says something about parking brake...) Good luck - sounds like a pretty ambitious project.

if you need to replace the tranny, try car-part.com you should be able to source a good used tranny for a couple hundred bucks - labor for the install is the expensive part if not doing it yourself. also, as a side note: if you do replace the tranny, reseal the oil separator plate on the back of the motor with anarobic or ultra grey while it is accessible before installing the replacement. 92 should have the good cast alloy plate, not the plastic one, so it is simply a reseal, no need to replace it.

That kind of depends on what you are looking for. maintenance parts/supplies: there are some great online resources; rockauto.com, subarugenuineparts.com, and a few others... major components: car-part.com is great source for used parts, including wheels, motors, trannies, and other "obsolete" items (stuff you arent gonna find new).... And, there is a buy/sell/trade section here at the USMB for sourcing things from other members as well.

it is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing when the engine is not running. I beleive the ecu has something to do with providing the fuel pump signals to keep running once the engine is running

I think that perhaps he was asking "is there [enough] fuel in the tank for the pump to actually be pumping?"

what grossgary said - pull the back seat, cut and make your new connections where they wiill be out of the weather. Have done this on an older Suby (89 GL) cant imagine the Legacy would be all that different to do it on. If at all possible, take a section of the old line, with one of the threaded fittings, with you when you go to get replacement parts, that way they can match things up at the parts store so you have the correct fittings you dont have to match the bends in the hardline exactly either, get them close and make sure they wont be getting rubbed anywhere and you are good to go. If you are concerned about rubbing, put a length of rubber tubing over the line in the area you are concerned about.

Welcome aboard! Very nice looking 1st gen wagon you have there! Body panel interchange will be primarily 93-94 - you may be able to use some 90-92 stuff, but there were some minor changes made - such as the side marker on your front fender behind the wheel well - earlier versions did not have that.

yes, the earlier 2.5s had headgasket issues, but they can be fixed and made to be fairly reliable if done using the right parts. Or, there is always the option of replacing with the much more reliable 2.2... Do a search of the forums here and you will find a wealth of headgasket information.

it is possible the test connectors are still taped up in the harness under the dash. Look for a larger lump in the tape. (you did remove the lower dash panel, right?) They should be between the steering column and door frame. There is a pair of single wire green connectors, and a pair of single wire black connectors in the same area. For excellent help using the connectors once you find them, try here. It is also possible that your car may have jumped time. Easy to verify without pulling everything apart. remove the 2 outer timing covers, turn the crank bolt by hand with a large ratchet & 22MM socket to line up one of the cam timing marks - if the other cam mark is not in proper alignment, it has jumped time.