1 Lucky Texan

about 3 times now I have noticed an odd thing leaving for work in the morning. The right side headlight does not come on (drl) when I release the handbrake. One day, it stayed off for my entire 11 miles trip, another day it had a delay of about 1 or 2 seconds, then came on. This morning, it came on when I revved to leave my driveway (I have to reverse up an incline). This morning I was also able to confirm that the high beams work OK when this is happening. Also, the symptom persists if I use the stalk to switch on the low beams. When the light is off - no manipulation of handbrake or switches would make it illuminate. The problem 'seems' to be getting more common but - I have only seen it happen 3-4 times. I think i recently read that the 2 'sides' of the system may have different relays? maybe I could swap them?

I have read plenty of posts about bad knock sensors - in none of them was there a report of no-start as a symptom. scan the ECU for pending codes - maybe there's a clue?

non-VDC should, might look like this;

do tight circles in a dry-paved, parking lot, then use the FWD fuse and test again. seems like torque bind. (maybe a wire or harness was pinched?) EDIT, ugh, slow typing but yeah, sounds like the tran's pump is OK. no change to the tires? all the same?

how do you know the car only "skipped a tooth" - what did you find int eh TB system when you replaced stuff? broken belt or bad idler bearing? $15 (even $10) knock sensors have been fine for many people from what I read. pull a plug and see if it's wet with fuel - holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking is the 'clear flood' maneuver for fuel injected cars. (longshot)maybe have someone crank-over the engine while you hold a strip of paper at the tail pipe. If it 'sucks in' - could be a bent valve. Leakdown test would be better.

you can get an 8 oz bottle for less than $6 - free shipping - from ebay. I haven't bothered looking for any small packets or partial bottles but - the above is an incredible deal.

on many cars - the ABS is the most sensitive system to low voltage - make sure battery and charging systems are all good - including cables and ground connections.

2 most likely points of failure would be; A. you dented the pan and broke something inside the trans - very easy to do. , B. you failed to COMPLETELY seat the torque conv. and when you used the bolts to mate it up in the last 1/4 inch or so, the pump was damaged.

I recall some Foresters having an easily knocked-loose connector in the back - maybe it's something simple - fingers crossed. also, the green diagnostic connectors might help determine if the solenoids are clicking?

^^^ +1 i have fixed 2 Subaru power steering issues with o-rings only on one, o-rings and some fresh fluid on another and I don't want my grossgarys to slow down posting at all. I need as many grossgary posts as i can get!

they(or maybe just one on a 96?)may come on if the a/c is on - make sure it's off and try again?

yeah, overdue on timing belt. major damage and $$$$ if it slips/breaks. Use that for a bargaining point - call around and get a dealer and a independent shop price for that service. you want all new rollers, new tensioner and belt of course. maybe waterpump and seals but many folks wait for the second belt change for those. make certain tires are all the same model, drive the car in tight circles on dry pavement - jerking/binding is a red flag. scan the ECU for pending codes. you might ask for a shop recommendation near you in a new thread - consider paying for a pre-purchase inspection. any 15 year old car is gonna be a risky pirchase.

move hood prop to the hole at the pass side strut tower. hood will be nearly vertical.

hmmmm....maybe check ebay for a smaller or partial bottle? wonder if you can recover any from the old part? also, there may be refrigerant cans with oil included - when you re-charge, maybe use one or 2 of those? (I have no idea how much oil might be in those cans, just seems like I have seen them for sale) EDIT; yeah, this one has 2 oz of oil, and 2 of refrig. ;https://www.amazon.com/FJC-9144-PAG-Oil-Charge/dp/B0049MICUU/ref=sr_1_8?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1466005511&sr=1-8&keywords=r134a+with+oil

live data may show what's happening as it warms-up. you may need to find a way to log data - RomRaider or FreeSSM and laptop, maybe an app on a smartphone and an elm327 BT adapter? look around here; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/65-parts-accessories-performance/39426-freessm-complete-access-your-ecm-tcu.html

check sites like www.fredbeansparts.com and www.subarugenuineparts.com - might have some on the shelf still? Wonder if lines from a different model can be made to work? put a WTB in the classifieds - maybe someone visiting a junkyard in the southwest could pull some off a wreck for you? should be fairly low-rust.

I empathize with you, although I seem to be getting lazier as I age, I get so much help from the forum and I have no problem learning new skills or buying new tools, so, I DIY a lot. But, if there were 2 paychecks coming in and I had better things to do with my time, I might lean towards using a specialist/expert for some jobs. Plenty of people pay mechanics to fix their cars.

depending on the model car - systems could 18-26 ozs, there should be a sticker under the hood or on the rail by the radiator with the capacity listed.

details on car. slipped timing might lead to poor/hard start and overheating, pull a timing cover and confirm timing? if coolant got on old wires - might be a hard start due to arcing....?

good info here; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/99-do-yourself-illustrated-guides/43428-diy-c-air-conditioning-leak-refrigerant-repair-5-less-15-minutes-less.html?highlight=diy+a%2Fc

codes rarely pinpoint a bad part - just systems out of limits. post codes here, catch-up on all maintenance, clear the ECU, monitor which/how quickly codes return.

do the waterpump and all rollers with the timing belt, consider swapping the crank and cam seals and maybe checking the oil pump backing plate screws. good time to put in an OEM-type thermostat too

that is technically too much tread wear difference (assuming they are the same model tires, if mixed brands, that's a definite problem!) if the car is automatic, have the guy use the FWD fuse under the hood and report if the symptom is the same. If the problem is gone - quite likely to be the tire issue, if not, could be an problem internal to the trans.

maybe I'm confused - if you assure there's fluid in the reservoir and bleed one corner at a time - do you ever get rid of all air observed at each corner? Are you saying you do, and the pedal still goes to the floor? or, can you never get the air out at even one corner? there are people that claim, on older cars, using full travel of the pedal to bleed can compromise the MC seals (from corrosion or pitting???) wonder if a gravity bleed or one of those power-pump (w'ever, can't remember right now) might work?

I have bought a gauge set, and 'rented' a pump from a parts store - but, for the hassle/money, i think maybe having a good a/c tech take care of it might be just as good. If you are gonna maintain 2-3 older cars and like DIY, get a gauge set but rent a pump. If you are responsible for even more vehicles, maybe get a cheap pump from harbor freight?