1 Lucky Texan

as you have observed while driving it, it appears to require several minutes of operational heat before it begins having problems so, air-into-cyl test probably wouldn't show anything with cool engine.

pull the plugs and compare - if a cylinder has that much coolant going through it, that plug should look a lot different.

see timberwolf's posts here; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/110-gen-2-2000-2004/45780-gen-2-h6-fuel-pump-o-ring-failure-ethanol.html#post433651

what about adopting the Aussie system, bypass the underhood filter with some tubing, then install the intank filter?

I have no solid feeling about what's wrong. Given the time the car sat with low or no fuel in the tank, I'd say it's possible there's some buildup of varnish or something keeping the fuel level gadgets from working right. Have you confirmed fuel gets through the fuel filter? And maybe something is gumming up the IACV?(seems like it shoiuld run with the pedal off idle????) I'd also suggest there could be an electrical ground problem - seems unlikely, but it might explain the weird gauge behavior. odd

nah, it's a separate 'sump' for that fluid. The dipstick is on the other side from the a/t stick, a little lower and little further back.

diff/MT gear oil stinks - maybe a front diff seal is dripping/blowing onto the exhaust. does your car have a cabin air filter behind the glove box? Maybe it's stinking.

If you get your nose next to that spot on the hose - is that the smell? I dunno, it just doesn't seem like that could be the problem. possible I suppose. Our 03 OBW had to have the a/c discharge and intake hoses replace back in , uh, 06 i think, anyway, just barely in warranty. The dealer said the hoses were leaking. I assume he meant the hose itself or they would have replaced the o-rings I guess.

rad cap?

windshield washer leaking/spraying from a cracked hose underhood?

I have some very general advice; the year range you are considering is generally filled with reliable cars. Yes, there are some specific quirks and known problems, but nothing unmanageable. A car brand's reliability becomes less and less important with age. The individual vehicle's past maintenance and present condition are most important and it will pay most people in the long run to take their time to find a good vehicle and have it checked out by the best authority available. If you will have the entire family plus 'gear' in the car, frequently fighting highway traffic - consider searching for a 6 cylinder Outback. someone here may be able to recommend a mechanic's shop that would inspect any car you were interested in near Detroit. you might like to visit www.cars101.com to get an idea of different model's standard equipment and accessories thru the years.

http://www.cars101.com

Used about 1/3 can of seafoam to try to clear up a possible TGV sticking problem. Kinda worried about how they got stuck. They are upstream from the injectors so, I guess only oil from the PCV system or the turbo could build up on them?

Today I used the vacuum line on the BPV to introduce about 1/3 can of seafoam into my idling car. I stalled it twice. Restarted and kept 'sipping' the solvent. At the ned, i was able to make it stumble, then it revved up a little at which point I plunged the small line I was using fully into the SF and stalled the car. Now, I'm going to let it sit for a while. I'll start it and drive a round a little later. threw the remaining 2/3 can into the wife's Outback. Um, I suppose, if the entire episode I experienced WAS/IS due to sticking TG valves, the causative substance must be oil since the injectors are below/downstream from them. That seems to only leave oil as the suspect substance, from where?, the PCV or turbo? Is rust a possibility?

sometimes a car might pick up road debris (tar or a plastic bag, etc.) on the exhaust. Check at the front diff for leaks. Gear oils smell funky even when they aren't being cooked-off.

Citroen U55 Cityrama Currus: Parisian spaceship from the 1950s! When we are considering which bus design could be called "the strangest ever built in history", then this hyperfuturistic double-decker bus certainly comes right on top. People at the time wondered if this thing came from outer space, escaped from a Flash Gordon movie, or was some sort of a mirage... but in reality this was a very comfortable tour bus built by Citroen on U55 truck chassis for a Paris tour operator Groupe Cityrama. The fantastic shape was designed by the French coachbuilder Currus - and unleashed upon excited visitors to Paris in 1950:

dang! You'd think i woulda realized that after looking at TGV deleted intake risers and stuff.

I guess you've already eliminated a torn CV boot slinging grease onto the exhaust? Other fluids dripping on the exhaust?

check engine light on? any codes? .

good time to change the cabin air filter.

what if the Forry were equipped with Traxx;

me likey! or a Hummer

even if 'typical' publishing is a bust, easy enough to upload to Amazon or other e-reader sites. Then just get the word out and hope for buzz and downloads. Heck, if it features a Subaru, there are 3-4 Forums of people that might download it! may I suggest a small donation to the website? hope it's a very successful book - let us know when it's available.

might be able to block one front wheel with the donut spare and the other front wheel with the scissor jack. Might be able to purposely reverse partially down the ditch on the opposite side of the road, then stretch the cable across to attach to the stuck vehicle - basically using gravity and an odd but favorable angle to reduce the chance the Forry would slide. guess the scenario might also incude the Forry being equipped with all terrain tires since it appears to be using a rural dirt/gravel road. Perhaps the Forry is on this or similar roads all the time and is prepared to use this winch in these conditions? Not unreasonable to not even need the winch - just a tow strap. still, fun idea!

OK, I admit I may have been a little overly excited. I cleared the codes after limping in to work this morning. When i started the car to leave, no CEL and it drove normally! So, this tells me that the motors eithe rwork or are intermittent, and also that 'perhaps' the valves were stuck due to some gummy reidue that was stickier thos morning at 84 degrees than this afternoon at - maybe - 100degs under the hood. Kinda surprised but also happy the code hasn't returned. so, I purchased a can of Seafoam and put it in during a fill-up. Then, I drove a few miles before parking it as usual. My hope is, enough deposits may be cleaned by the additive such that I won't need to do the 'fog the neighborhood for mosquitoes' trick. I may not have been very focused/calm about this and was evidently premature to be in any panic over it. - got 2-3 personal 'dramas' going on right now and really don't need car trouble.