1 Lucky Texan

did the car drive thru very high water? That can suck-in water in t to diff thru the vent and mix with the gear oil but, it would be really high water.

not sure what your goals are are, but, consider lighter-weight rims. it's a win-win because; you get to 'personalize' the car with rims YOU choose, AND, having lighter rims means less rotating, unsprung mass, so, it frees up a little horsepower. finding the weight of the present rims might be a little trick but, probably some guys over at NASIOC know.

I'm sure you're checking fluid levels while idling right? did you or previous owner have the front apart? from what I've read, it's easy to crack the pump pulling the parts together in that last 1/4" gap or so. other than those comments, I have no business being in this thread lol! hope you get it sorted-out.

swap the coils with the other bank. that should tell you if any are bad if the codes change to the other side. what was the source of the fuel pump you installed? a used one could possibly still have a bad cap/o-ring

I'd take 10 and and maybe a 12mm box end/open end for the battery - and probably a small adjustable end-wrench in case the terminal had ever been replaced with after market. It helps that the adjustable wrench has a little beef to it, you may need to tap the terminal sideways bac&forth to loosen it. maybe take a wire brush or some coarse sand paper to clean terminals?

is there a tooth count for this engine? I had a situation with a different engine where everything, including toohcounts, was dead-on, but the LS cam was just a little 'tight'. like, almost exactly 1/2 tooth. Any change I could have made would have altered the toothcount AND missed the marks on the belt. I called it good enough.

don't just replace the cat conv because the words happen to be in a DTC's description. Codes do not often point precisely to a bad part, just a system that is outside allowed thresholds. get the actual codes read at a parts store and post them here. Even better, if the parts store scanner can get freezeframe data (fuel trims ,etc.) post that info too. normal for a check engine light to be accompanied by other systems the ECU disables like cruise, and traction control, etc.

the other smell, if not sweet-ish/toasted marshmallows , could be grease from a torn inner cv joint on the exhaust. also, I think your car could have a cabin filter, if they get wet with condensation they can stink. Washer fluid can also stink.

maybe tar? what does it feel like - what's it's composition? I'd start with a cleaning but.....????

u-joints still move in 2wd but, aren't loaded the same so.....? maybe a bushing or trans mount issue? seems like it would thunk , not tink lol!

fluid changes do seem to help those trans that may have had long-interval service, such that gummy deposits interfere with valve operation and new fluid 'cleans' or dissolves stuff.

mike - I think the caliper mount bracket flexes as the rotor is only getting pushed-on by the inner pad. Or it could twist I guess if only one slide pin is hung-up?

is there a MC switch in that circuit too? something that triggers the light if one hydraulic circuit's pressure is different from the other?

#3 gets my vote.

It does - might work for warts and actinic keratoses too!

OK, got it. sorry but, we get people across the entire range of mechanical ability. Kinda wondering if disconnecting the battery for while and forcing a reset could help. any signs the car has had the engine or trans out? It's easy to crack the trans oil pump marrying them back together. I THINK throttle position sensor problems can cause weird shifting problems but, I'm at the limit of my ability to help further I think.

If it hasn't been done, that car needs timing belt/roller service. Yeah, it's early in mileage, but the book says 105 MONTHS if that comes first.

I'd say you could easily keep more in the o'flow, just not near the top since you could push coolant out when it expands - maybe keep a 3-4" margin at the top? pyro - what year and model car do you have?

there might be 2 or more different final drive ratios - hopefully someone will be able to run down the matching models for you.

others here have vastly more practical experience than me, I just read what they say. But, if you really are tackling the HGs again, do search and ask here about it. There's some good ways to DIY the heads' surfaces, might be some suggestions for a higher quality gaskets, etc. I think you have an SOHC engine so, probably can't use the turbo gaskets - but I'm not sure. Subaru does want people to use another bottle after any drain/fill. Pretty sure there's an RS specific forum too - those guys might be helpful.

we get cranky here occasionally too - not as often as nasioc though!

quite likely to be external HG seepage. but you need to confirm the source of the leak - suppose it's a crossover pipe or hose with a crack/pinhole? I suppose a shop could pressure test the system if you can't find the source of the leak. But, many people have good luck with the conditioner stuff. Just follow the isntructions - DO NOT dump it in the overflow bottle!. if your rad cap is original, you might consider a new one. I'd only get Stant or OEM - some people say OEM only.

You could try to use the Subaru Coolant Conditioner to slow down a coolant leak. cheap from a dealer. using a DIY car wash to clean the underside of the engine might help to confirm the location of the leak.

did it smell like toasted marshmallows? that's coolant.

as long as you keep it topped off enough that the radiator doesn't suck air in from a dry overflow bottle, you can let it drip coolant forever I think. if it ever severely overheats, you could have compromised bearing surfaces too. and I also 'guess' there could be a cumulative effect from the 'conditioner' use so, as said above, (assuming you keep-up with the loss) have at it. not an ideal mode to run in, and it offends our sense of order to not repair it correctly - but most of us have been financially challenged in the past and had to do risky stuff.