azsubaru

clutch chatter could be a little oil or grease on the clutch plate, or it could just be old and dried out. Either way, it's irritating but not that serious in the short term.

Neither of these two problems is going to leave you stranded anytime soon. You should do the CV joints yourself, but maybe consider having the clutch done after you've saved up the bucks. Relax - Subaru's are as dependable as anything out there, and the people on this board can help you with just about anything.

Since the CEL is on, you need to look at the ECU (the computer that runs things) to see what it thinks is wrong. It's up under the dash, and if you pry down on the lower dash section just under the steering wheel and peer through the space you made, you should see the little LED flashing. It'll flash a certain number of long flashes, and then a number of shorter ones. This gives you the code. For instance, 3 longs followed by 4 shorts is a code 34. There are several threads here that tell you how to interpret all of the possible codes. I had a similar problem, fixed it with both a new TPS and an EGR solenoid.

A new TPS fixed the same problem for me, too. I took the old one apart to see if they're fixable. The bottom line is that I don't think you could really fix a worn TPS, but if you have an idle switch problem you might be able to clean the contacts with a burnishing tool. If I ever get a good camera I'll post pictures. You could try blowing some electronic cleaner into it just in case it's dirty and not worn.

Sounds like it's definitely reception, and most likely a loose connection. The antenna connector could be loose where it plugs into the back of the radio. You can pop the radio out pretty easily to check, just a phillips screwdriver shoud do it. Mine has a connection hidden just up under the dash, on the tunnel to the right of the accelerator pedal. It's right at the edge of the carpet. If you have that one, You should be able to see it and check the connection without taking anything apart.

Does jiggling or moving the volume control help? If so, it could be dirty and you can spray electronic cleaner in there to (hopefully) clean it out.

My Loyale did a very similar thing - it was water in the distributor. After a good washing, it ran fine for 5 or 10 minutes after I started it up, then got steadily worse until it wouldn't start at all. I did it twice before I figured it out. The first time, it took almost 3 days of drying out before it would stay running. I believe the water caused a problem with the crank angle sensor - fogging, maybe? Now I make sure no water gets near the disty, although it could probably be resealed to keep the water out.

I rented an O2 tool set from Autozone to get mine out (91 Loyale). Don't remember the cost, but you get it all back when you return the tool. Drop the exhaust from the engine first (4 bolts), and pull it down so you can get to the sensor. It's very easy to strip the threads so using liquid wrench and jiggling it back forth a lot is a good idea. So is a lot of patience during the removal.

What nipper said. Do you actually feel anything, or just hear the thump? If you don't feel anything, then the odds are pretty good that you're still ok driving it (but nothing is 100% for sure). If you can feel symptoms, then you need to get it diagnosed as soon as you can. Intermitant problems are often hard to find, much less fix. It sounds like you may need some help to at least diagnose the problem, then decide whether you can do the work yourself. Find a mechanically inclined friend or take it to a mechanic who knows Subarus. The diagnosis shouldn't cost too much.

I had that thumping sound last winter, and it turned out to be the CV joint. It was intermittant, but got more frequent as time went one. The cage that holds the bearings in had broken, and the bearings were falling out one by one. The boot was still good, so I didn't find out what it was until enough bearings fell out, and then there was nothing left to drive the wheels. Had to get a tow.

Another radiator vote. The faster you go, the hotter it gets, coast and it cools down - been there. But you may as well put the water pump and hose in first, just in case. You probably need to do it, anyhow.

Have already cleared the codes, didn't help. The resistance reads 37 Ohms. I packed my manuals away for a move, but would bet that 37 Ohms indicates that it's ok, so Cougar, you may have something there. Dropping 12 volts across the reisistors, so the circuit's complete. I just stuck the resistors into the connector, so I'm going to put them in a little better and see what happens, maybe they're losing contact sometimes. (update) No luck. Soldered resisters to a spare plug, cleared codes and confirmed the 5 flashes. Drove about 5 minutes and code 34 is back. Next step - check the wiring back to the ECU.

I tried the resistor idea last night. Radio Shack didn't have a 68 Ohm, so I got a couple 50 Ohm and a couple 10 Ohm. This should let me try a lot of different combinations. So far, I only had time to try one combo. To try and get rid of the 34 code, I stuck in a 50 and 2 10's in series for 70 Ohms. Code 34 is still there, even after clearing, but the car runs smoother. I had two spots where there was a lot of hesitation during acceleration that have almost disappeared, and the idle isn't as rough as it was. Will try some more combos over the weekend.

Just want to see where this thread goes. I have the same sound. Figured it was a burned valve, but it doesn't suck the dollar bill in at the tailpipe. Darn near everything havingto do with fuel or spark has been cleaned, rebuilt or replaced in the past couple years. Hope someone has an answer.

Don't think this would cause your problem, but, let's see, there is a little short tiny one just behind the throttle body, and another one just to the driver's side of the thermostat housing, don't remember any others at the moment.

Get a used TPS. Try this board or a local junkyard, a new one costs about $300.00.

Same for my 91 Loyale. Major hesitation, much worse when cold. I changed out the O2 sensor, plugs, wires, coil, etc., and each item semmed to help at least a little. But when I changed the TPS, the problem went away entirely. You can check TPS resistance across terminals B and C with an Ohmmeter, and if the resistance doesn't change smoothly over the entire range of movement, the TPS will have to be replaced. There isn't really anything you can do to fix them, although you could try blowing some electronic cleaner into it.

Shouldnt need to pull the crank cover, just the radiator, fan and the timing belt covers. Consider changing the timing belts while you're down there.

I'd like to try that - does it require a big high wattage resistor, or just a little regular one that you pick up at the electronics store?

Assuming it's the same as my Loyale - open the hood. stand on the passenger side. look behind the engine, and running down the side of the transmission you'll see a wire that runs down to below everything, ending at the O2 sensor at the exhaust Y/cat. Don't remember the test, but if you don't know how old it is, it probably needs replaced. Inexpensive preventive maintenance.

91 Loyale Wagon Dark Red (well, faded red now)

These chemicals can also erode your hoses while they're in there working on the rust. If you use this stuff, any older hoses on your car may start leaking after a month or two. Hope you don't need it. I don't think it will help if your system is clogged with corosion. Radiator removal is pretty easy, but you can try flushing it from the bottom first. If it is clogged, you can get a new one from radiator.com for $130.00. I just went through this with mine. After all new hoses and a new radiator, it finally cooled down again.

You can use a hose nozzle with pressure on it. Start with only a little pressure, or it may blow back all over you and the engine compartment. Then increase the pressure if you can. If the heater is blocked, you can do the loop-back that 1985glwagon suggested, then go for a drive to determine if that's the only problem before continuing. If the heater's blocked, there's a good chance the radiator is clogged up, too.

Noise coming from both sides? If so, take out the pads on one side and spin the tire, just to make sure it's really the pads. If the noise goes away, then it really is most likely the pads, and you might check to see if the metal "wear" tab that sticks out from one of the pads is hitting the rotor. Otherwise, I'm lost - take em back and get a different brand.