1 Lucky Texan

Sometimes I can do a little auto work myself(much less now than in the past), sometimes I want to take a vehicle to the dealer (it's nice every 2-3 years in case there are some tsbs or recalls I missed - less likely nowadays with the internet though), sometimes I get a coupla' 6 packs for a buddy or trade some jewelry I made, or help him with a fence or something and sometimes I go to the Vietnamese mechanic who charges $53 an hour instead of $72. It all depends. And remember, the more cars you have the more likely at any one time you'll need to be fixing a car. Especially if you buy some elses 'headache'(which may use oil too.). If you intend to get rid of the Subie, consider parting it out - probably some folks here on the boards would be customers! good luck

Don't just inspect the fuel line and injectors. The carbon canister and purge valve (and it's tubing) can sometimes be cracked or malfunctioning, causing gas vapor to get out. Um - did I miss what the model is and year/mileage on the car? Might help folks pin this down a little.

If I looked at a '96 Impreza AT and drove around in tight circles (after confirming no mixed tire sizes) what would the AT sound/feel like if it were bad? Is a '96 gonna have R134a coolant? 2.2l engine?(I understand the plugs will be in the middle of the valve covers if DOHC but are the plugs on the top side of the SOHC?) In the future, could a MT be swapped into this car? DR MT? Are there lift kits for this vehicle? (i'm thinking - make that dreaming - rallycross) It would mostly be a daily driver but might get some upgrades slowly along the way.

I assume all other electrical items are OK when this happens? If not it could be an alternator, ground or other more general issue.

If I end up being sucked into the Subaru universe completely, in addition to our new acquisition ('03 OBW H6) I might shop for a replacement for my '96 Dodge Avenger that I hate even though it was a huge leap forward from my '81 Civic wagon with no air and no radio.(My Mom gave it to me after she stopped driving). So, assume I'd like to get R-134a and avoid the 2.5l 'death gasket' engine. I assume we're talking about a '96 or thereabouts? Which vehicles have the 2.2l? can you tell from the VIN? What were the models called? Which ones would be good daily drivers but might lend themselves to offroad fun? Do Subes have cartridges or do you have to buy whole struts? Should I expect to find worn out struts/steering gear? Wagon prefered but sedan OK. What to watch for avoid? Common problem areas, rust areas. I have done light/medium engine/chassis work in the past but nowadays find it painful to crawl around under vehicles much so some kinda' reply like; 'don't worry about XYZ cause you can just put it up on jacks and change that yourself' replies will be met with a groan! All advice appreciated - mainly I need Subaru specific education!

If you have a leak under pressure, as opposed to - say - a bad pan gasket, it may drip out only when the engine has run awhile. You didn't mention anything about your car but an older vehicle could have a bad pressure sending unit or a clogged PCV valve/hose which might cause leaking while the engine is running. If you let the vehicle idel for a while would you get consistent drips in one spot? Carl 1 Lucky Texan

If you otherwise like (and trust) the car - $1500 is like - what - 4 payments on a new car? And sometimes even they need to go to the shop for a few days(under warranty, but still, you're making payments on something you can't drive). Sorry it wasn't just the rad cap. At one time, maybe that was the problem and you ran a littel dry or had air in the system? good luck Carl 1 Lucky Texan

If California requires a front plate, see if they'll let you find/make some arms or something to mount it on instead of just screwing into the plasic bumper like they did my OBW here in Texas! Still p*sses me off when I see other cars with nice plastic bosses or brackets for the front. If you're getting a wagon go ahead and get the deflector on the back - it will get dusty. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

The cap should only allow fluid to go into the overflow tank under pressure. But the little 'button' in the center of the cap should alllow flow back from the OT easily. That's why something has to be pretty bad to collapse a hose. Also, if a Subie ever needs a lot of fluid put back in it, it's a good idea to park on a severe incline/ramps (nose up) and run the engine to normal op. temp. and monitor the amount of coolant going in closely. Then double check the rad. and overflow 2-3 times after that. Others may have more details but I've read here that it's sometimes tricky to get all the air out. good luck! Carl 1 Lucky Texan

PLEASE stop a second and consider that the rad cap should allow suction back from the overflow tank. It may be bad(or the overflow hose is clogged) and would be just about the easiest DIY fix in the world! Of course, this doesn't mean there aren't other problems, and I suppose it depends on which hose is collapsed but at least consider it before going to the shop. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

I know they claim the H6 3.0 is a 'new' design but, since 3.0 is 50% more than a 2.0 H4, its reasonable to expect they would've borrowed at least SOME of the geometry/design approach used in that or a similar sized engine. Maybe that gives it a little better chance at avoiding the head gasket problem that seems to be plagueing the 2.5 . Still, there may be so few out there it's too soon to say much. So far, I like mine, though I think the AT and the cruise control behave crudely, compared to other cars I've had. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

I admit its been a while since I read about the quality issue but Consumer reports could find no difference in the quality of Hondas built in Japan versus the US (don't know if you have a choice anymore but some time ago they were sold in parallel). Also, at one time Toyota's most efficient engine plant was in the US. I really think engineering is as big and maybe bigger issue in the differences between 'American' and 'Japanese' cars than the ethnicity of the assemblers. Unions (or lack of) may be a factor too. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

I'm generally pleased with my '03 OBW H6 AT. do a seasrch for 'OBW Trip Report' and read my post. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Does your car have an antenna in a glass window? I think I read where those may have a remote amplifier of some type and could perhaps have failed/lost a ground or something. Or does your sound system have a remote amp that has lost a ground? Even though your radio is off, try pulling the fuse too. just guessing Carl 1 Lucky Texan

You may need to reset the ECU since you're rerporting a significant change in behavior now. The computer may have 'learned' an incorrect setting. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Perhaps the A/C system is overfilled or a sensor is bad? Carl 1 Lucky Texan

What if the plug itself were broken/cracked? Or the plug wire bad? A friend had an old Dodge Laser/whatever that would crack plugs in one certain cylender regularly - wierd. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Maybe some problem with the rad cap coupled with a split in the overflow hose? Hard to say. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Yes, the other day my 03 OBW went off in the driveway. I attributed the incident to a neighbor's cat jumping on it. I could be wrong. Maybe you trapped a stry cat or other critter in the garage? Look for paw prints. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Wonder why the coolant had been changed 3 times in the last year? Was 'special' care taken to 'burp' the system when refilling? Are there 'cool' areas in the radiator? Carl 1 Lucky Texan

The 'traditional' car computer reset procedure is to disconnect the battery for 15-30 miunutes. I think someone said there is a fuse you can pull that does the same thing. Reconnect and use the car for a few 'start cycles' without using the A/C, the cruise control, and try not to depress the accelerator while starting. These last 2 have been reported as causing problems. Might be worth a try - just a guess really. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Todd C didn't mention confirming proper operation of the fan. Is there any correlation between idling/stopping and the temp creeping up? If so, the fan may nnot be working and you're only getting enough air through the radiatoor while moving. just a thought Carl 1 Lucky Texan

I wish a list could be compiled as to which engines are NI and which ones are benders. This question always comes up. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Just a guess here but I think several of your problems could be caused by bad grounds/cold solder joints. Some pulling/pushing/twisting on some cables under the dash and elsewhwere may help locate a trouble area. hopefully others will have more specific info. Carl 1 Lucky Texan

just a wag but I wonder if this might be one of those problems that are cured by turning off the A/C, then resetting the ECU, driving for a while with the A/C still off before turning it on? Like the ECU learned a bad habit? I've read it works for some weird tranny problems. Carl 1 Lucky Texan