1 Lucky Texan

let us know OK? I've never changed one and am having a hard time imagining how it fits. It probably uses the wires for ground so, the teflon may not be the issue - as far as electrical connection anyway. aluminum is a great conductor. and while it does create a layer of oxide on exposure to air (sapphire actually!), that layer is quite thin and typically won't insulate terribly well. .

pair? hope you mean 'set'. take a look at Kumho ECSTA ASX. I like them a lot.

weird indeed. I'd be tempted to say bad ground connection, but....how could that happen? is one of the wires ground and it's open inside the insulation? Or, if it grounds through the block, was it installed with teflon tape?

the description seems more wheel-bearing like, except should soun bad even going forward. maybe a diff problem. If it occurs at slow speed, perhaps have a buddy follow along in an empty parking lot and at least see if the noise is left-right-central and fornt-back. you could probably even do some (slow and safe OK?) maneuvering with the hood up (or off?) to see if the noise is central to the rear of the engine. Or from the strut mounts. maybe pull the drain plug on the diff and look for chunks on the magnet. Make sure neither of the stub axles have pulled part-way out of the diff.

Did anyone else work on this car? maybe when the P0420 code was occuring? Did the P1518 and other codes show up immediately after someone else worked on the car? The reason I ask is, sometimes if the green test connector is left together, you the P1518 code with several others. But I THINK there would be 6-7-8 codes total. anyone?

Yeah, when it comes to aftermarket, many items are offered in 2-3-4 'levels'/price-points. I learned the hardway decades ago that asking for the cheapest V-belt just meanst I'd be back in 10-15K miles for another. Now, obviously, if a place doesn't offer a really cheap item, folks will leave and find some store that has a cheaper part. There's a kinda 'race to the bottom'. I try to ask around, like you're doing. I also figure, for DIY repairs, I'm saving on labor so, I spend a little xtra on fluids/parts. But, for folks who have tiny budgets, and for folks who will be selling a car in a week or two - there are cheap parts that barely work. I was just trying to explain to a guy at work who has just pulled out the 2nd bad clutch that he should ask what other quality/price points are available for him - no point in trying a 3rd one of the cheapest they have if 2 have already failed. I'm sure when they hear him ask for a part for a 92 paseo, they figure he is either gonna dump it soon, or he is just poor(he isn't). I bet most counter guys with any experience have a good feeling for what's crap and what's OK.

someone with a lot of experience will probably be along with advice about aftermarket brands, but, you could give your local dealer a chance to match online dealer prices (like subarugenuineparts.com) I've some luck doing that (matched SPT spring prices, 'almost' matched SS brakeline price) or, just order OEM on-line.

I used to have an SRL-311 'Fairlady' (sold as 2000 here) wish I had been able to keep it. sigh

ivan is too busy fixing cars to bother with either punctuation or capitalization

if it whines , probably sucking in air. Not an uncommon problem. leaks could be lines/hoses. yeah, we need details.

P1518.... does she have 6 lbs of; charms, pepper spray, cute cast cat faces, plastic Totoro or Hello kitty dolls and similar on her key ring? maybe it's stressing the ignition switch. And have her show you how she puts the gas cap back on. make sure she makes it click several times. But, doubtful the gas cap is an issue.

on some soobs, you can let most of the air out and put the floor down over a FS spare. but then you have to carry a 12v air pump.

????????

may need to reseal the back of the oil pump but, I had a car with a leaking oil sender once, and the cheap replacement I put in started lighting the light after a few weeks so - measuring the pressure would be good in case the sending unit is bad.

http://boxeer.com/ee20_parts

good post I wonder if valve lash needed adjusting, you could get fuel/gasses in to the oil through worn guides/seal as well.

I dunno, maybe give that PCV another shot. good luck

sounds like thing are good overall. Wondering if you could go to a 10W-40. maybe a little less blow-by if that was the issue with the oil analysis. Might still be a good idea to check the oil pressure. There are a few documented cases of cracked oil pickup tubes. Do 05s have that screen on the turbo oil supply banjo bolt? probably not pertinent - just wondering. wonder why cleaning the MAF has such a weird, long-lasting effect? Do you run 93 AKI? some folks have found bad knock sensors. fuel trims sound really good but where's the timing set ? anyway, just throwing out some oddball ideas. You've got all the obvious stuff covered it seems.

maybe a little OT but, how would I choose a color at CoverCraft or someplace to closely match the interior of our 03 OBW? Starting to develop a tear on the pass side seat and it's bugging my wife. Might re-do both front seats only, so is there name of the beige color or a code? Is it in the vin or ????

have you checked the oil pressure? maybe you're just not lubing the rings well. Maybe a compression and leak-down test is in order. have you replaced the PCV valve and inspected the hoses? How does it run? Some folks have slipped a single tooth on their timing and had the car be 'almost' right. maybe you could get the long and short term fuel trims. I see them in FreezeFrame data on my scanner when the car throws a code. Engine temp sensor can make it run rich often without throwing a code. (at least, on older soobs - not sure on an 05. Pretty sure it's one sensor now. In with the coolant gauge sender. Older soobs had 2 different sensors) anyway hope you get it sorted out.

wait, does this car have a clutch or 'neutral' safety switch of some kind? could that cut the ignition?

Yeah, I doubt every car has the problem, but who knows how many have slightly low pressure or are pumping oil with 'aspirated' gas in it from the sump? Or how many wrecked engines just got replaced or went to the junkyard with un-examined cracked pick-up tubes. (I hope mine doesn't have a crack - how do I know?, but if I EVER have an opportunity or need to take the pan off, I'm installing a killer B or similar pick-up)

intake valve(s) open when it shouldn't be?

is it possible a vapor/vacuum line to the canister/tank purge system was pinched or knocked loose? You might use an OBDII scanner to see if any codes are pending.

AFAIK, rear sensor just tests cat conv efficiency. Front O2 is used to adjust A/F ratio. Might be interesting to see what the long and short term fuel trims are set at. My scanner will only read that if I have a CEL on though - maybe someone here knows a way to retrieve that info. what's the mileage/condition of the car? Any other work done during the clutch work? Or right before? crank angle sensor could be intermittent, knock sensor, some similarity to a bad engine temp sensor and those often won't set a CEL.