heartless

directions for pulling codes for an OBDI car: http://legacycentral.org/library/literature/codes.htm Complete timing belt kits for this car are cheap (under $200) and include: belt, all idler pulleys, water pump, oil seals, and there are kits that can be had that also include the tensioner if that is needed as well. about 80% of the cost in having a shop do the job is labor. While it isnt "hard" to do, it can be a bit time consuming for a 1st timer - even then, a few hours of time spent getting to know your car is well worth it. a basic metric socket set - from minimum of 10mm to at least 22mm, a couple of screwdrivers (one flat, one philips), a decent pliers, and some way of compressing the tensioner (a large C-clamp will work) is all that is really needed to do the job. Biggest thing to working outdoors is to be out of the wind - I am only a couple of hours west of you (about 45 mins west of Wausau), been pretty chilly here, too, but stay out of the wind and it isnt that bad. I, too, have done the work out in the cold & snow, dead of winter - not fun, but still completely doable.

any EJ22 that will crank but not start, I would check the timing belt first thing. have seen many sold cheaply because they suddenly wont start - cause: broken timing belt.

year and model would be very helpful, but in general, the plastic trim panel on the inside of the hatch will need to be removed to gain access.

Kroil is good, PB Blaster is good, Sea Foam Deep Creep is good, even Liquid Wrench is better than WD-40... But when all else fails, that Freeze-off is the shiznitz! price has come way down from when we bought our first can of the stuff, too - we paid close to $20 for a can, it is now more like $6-7 bucks a can, depending on where you get it.

Plus 100 to what grossgary has said - do NOT get in a hurry with rusty fasteners. Having a good quality penetrating oil is also essential (WD-40 is NOT it, however) also, pick up a can of this stuff http://crcindustries.com/auto/?s=05002 - when used as directed it really does work! Living in northern Wisconsin, rusty fasteners are a way of life, i wouldnt recommend something that I havent used and had success with.

1. Take a deep breath, and let it go slowly. 2. go here: http://legacycentral.org/library/literature/codes.htm follow the directions for retrieiving any stored codes - even if the CEL isnt on right now, it may still have something stored. 3. If you do get some codes out of it, post them here so we can help you make sense of them.

again - Google is your friend...and from what I can tell, there are a lot of people complaining about the almost nonexistant adjustments on that particular system, altho it appears some have actually made a little headway with it. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=change+equalizer+settings+in+2011+Outback

Please edit your post to remove your phone number! You should never, ever post things like that in a public forum! If you want to send me that in a private message, that would be great. or at least modify it so it doesnt look like a phone number...

Google is your friend...

I can try to get those for you this weekend if the weather will cooperate just a little. they keep talking white stuff around here... So not ready for winter.

90-94 Legacys did not have an OBDII scanner connector. 95 was the first year for that. I think there was a hookup for the Subaur Select monitor on the earlier models, but that is pretty much a dealer thing - not something that the chain parts stores are going to be able to do. Nope, the OP is gonna have to get the codes to flash thru the CEL if they want to know what they are, which is why I provided the link to the instructions on how to do it. That link saved me time, and headaches, when I had my 1990.

Bushwick - the car is a 92 - OBDI - codes need to be read the old fashioned way...link to "how to" directions has been provided...

From 1997 FSM found here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/ Legacy Outback > 1997 > Service Manual > DIAGNOSTICS SECTION > ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS II SYSTEM > MSA5TCD97L3912.pdf (second to last) DTC P0102 — MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR CIRCUIT LOW INPUT — DTC DETECTING CONDITION: Immediately at fault recognition TROUBLE SYMPTOM: Erroneous idling Engine stalls. Poor driving performance So, definitely a MAF problem. do a little digging in that link to find more info on diagnostics and possible solutions to the problem.

follow the directions in the link and find out what code (or codes) are. The CEL is on for a reason, find out what that reason is. we can all play "guess the problem" for days, but the code(s) will give you a definite direction to work on resolving the problem.

the springs themselves have little to do with it - it is the lower spring perch on the strut that will determine the max tire size. and yes, from what i have heard, and seen, the Outback struts have just a little more clearance than the forester struts do.

for normal everyday driving it is not necessary - the TCU will detect slipping and transfer power appropriately all on it's own. Having good winter tires will do more for good traction in everyday situations than this mod will. if you off-road a lot, or rallycross, then yeah, it might be a worthwhile endeavor... In post #12 of the above link... (bold, color & underline by me to bring attention to specific comments made) I currently drive a 95 Legacy L with the 4EAT and it does great in the winter, but I run good snow tires as well. I also had a 1990 Legacy LS wagon that was also a 4EAT (was my first AWD) that amazed me the first winter I had it everytime the weather got really crappy. Just when I would start to doubt I was gonna make it, the car would plow right thru whatever it was that caused me doubt. I dont doubt the Subaru AWD capabilities anymore.

they can be difficult to break free, but 1/2" drive breaker bar, possibly a bit of cheater pipe, and some oomph will break them loose

the mark pointed to is the one that should be used - and it should be straight up, as should the marks on the cam sprockets.

yes, definitely shop around! my 95 was damaged by an idiot last winter - new bumper cover - painted to match, new headlight housing, a few other odds & ends, and everything installed (labor) was just over $900 at a very reputable shop - and they supplied everything needed for the repairs.

most new replacement body panels will be in primer only - to be painted to match the vehicle either by the dealer's body shop, or a body shop of the owner's choosing. if you want one that is already painted, try finding a used one from a rearend wreck www.car-part.com can help you find what you are looking for. unless you have the equipment & experience painting, metallic paint can be a real challenge to get right.

I'm not that worried about it - the brakes work just fine as they are. True, I dont have working ABS, but there are times when ABS is a bigger pain than it is worth... I dont have to worry about inspections where I live, so not real concerned about fixing the problem.

Uh, yeah - big step down after having an AWD Subaru! LOL My first was an 89 GL wagon, FWD, 5 speed that I drove for 8 years - ugly as sin (her name was Brumhilda), but super reliable - paid $150 for that car, and yes, it needed work for that price - but when I finally dragged it off to the scrap yard, I got more out of it than I paid for it! Still miss that old car sometimes - lots of good times in it.

you could swap over to manual, but it would be a fair amount of work to do so - pedals, clutch linkage & related items, some wiring, tranny, shifter linkage, console trim, and rear diff as I think they are a different final ratio than the automatics... I believe the 95 automatic has 4.11 gearing - there should be a tag on the diff that tells you - may be dirty and need wiping off to read it a testament to how durable these cars are! like the old timex watches - take a lickin and keep on tickin! LOL

you need to find out what the codes are - complete instructions found here: http://legacycentral.org/library/literature/codes.htm if it is the IACV it can be cleaned - a search here should turn up some more info about that. hard starting is very often related to the coolant temp sensor for the ECU - fairly cheap part, not terribly difficult to change, but a little awkward due to location.

what is the general overall condition of the car - aside from the tranny problem? if it is generally in good shape, minimal rusting in non-critical areas, then yes, it is worth fixing. use car-part.com to find either a used torque converter, or whole tranny, to replace yours - just make sure the final drive ratio matches the rearend, if you go whole tranny Reseal the separator plate with ultra grey while the motor and tranny are separated (if you have a plastic plate, replace it with a metal one - there are replacements out there) bought a 95 Legacy a year ago with a bad tranny - no reverse, thrashed suspension, and 206,000 miles - granted we only paid $300 for the car - but put a different tranny in, did a forester strut swap and have been driving it for a year now with pretty much no issues (aside from a bad coil pack causing a random misfire and a starter that died - both items replaced with used) if the engine runs well, and you keep up with the maintenance on it, and the body is in decent shape, there is little reason to worry about it. So it has 300K - go for 400! there are some out there that have done it.