My 2000 OB SW is sick

[89xt]

I bought a used OB sw that had an engine noise (lower t-belt pulley held in by the belt-still running). I put in a t-belt kit and car started and ran in the driveway. Sold car to a friend and as it sat in driveway idling, an engine noise developed-popped left cover and noise corresponded to a defective tensioner. No big deal, did the t-belt job again-like I had nothing better to do. Registered and insured car in RI and got check engine light (code P0101 and P0103) and found spark plug tubes full of oil. After a major battle (both lower rear 10mm bolt heads were rusted and would not recieve a socket or wrench--sawzall, chisel, suffering and swearing were all involved) the covers, gaskets, tube seals and oem plugs and wires were installed. Drove car to work (45 miles) and car set check engine light again for P0101/03. Cleared code while driving and got 5 of 7 monitors to set. I worked at a dealer and I went to get its state inspection-reqiured within 1 week of registration. It set the check engine light WHILE hooked up and being inspected. It failed!!!. Drove it home (45 miles) in a  snow storm and while accelerating, I noticed the automatic transmission seemed to be downshifting at strange times from 4th to 3rd and back to 4th. I accelerated to 60 mph and the tach dropped to 0, like the car was shut off, and at this time the check engine light and AT temp llight lit alternately. I mean one came on and when the other came on the first went out. As the car lost speed, remember the tach dropped to 0, when the car was down to about 40 mph, i feathered the gas pedal and the tach revived to about 2,000 rpm's and the car accelerated (check engine and AT temp light out now) again to about 60 mph and did it again. I played this "game" 3 times and it did the same thing every time. So, I nursed it home at around 45 mph and was happy to get home. The next day I went out to started the car and the low fuel light was on, so I went 2 miles to the gas station and put $20.00 worth of gas in. Low fuel light was out. After the snow stopped I went to move the car and it started, low fuel light on, and the car died out after 20 seconds and would not restart. I suspected the fuel pump and after installing a used one from another car, the car started and ran, and the low fuel light was out. i thought maybe this had been the problem all along, the pump, but the car ran and thrwe the check engine light again with P0101/03 codes. I brought it to a shop because the weather was wicked cold (single digit temps) and they are Subaru specialists. However, the storm of the century hit, and my car was buried and nothing was done. I went over and dug the car out for them, and realized the battery was dead, so I installed a new battery so the car would turn over without a jump box. I figured that would help the shop to get a look at it. By the way, after putting in the battery, I tried starting the car and it wouldn;t start. I drove it over there!. So, today, after a month of the shop doing nothing, and not calling as they said they would, I went over and tried a cam sensor. Unfortunately, I didn't try and start it before doing the job, but after installing the cam sensor, the car started and ran and check engine light was on for a knock sensor code and the low fuel light was on. I cleared the code, restarted the car and the low fuel light was off but the knock sensor code returned. I cleared it again and the light came right back on, but there were no codes, and after erasib=ng the code, the light remained on, but the scanner said there was no malfunctions present-no codes. i shut it off, restarted and the check engine light was off. So, figuring that the car might be fixed I decided to drive it home. Guess what, check engine light was on (knock sensor) and the AT temp light was flashing about 5 minutes into a 10 minute drive. I got it home and put it a knock sensor and  tried a crank sensor. As you can see, I am a parts swapper. An educated parts swapper, but a parts swapper nonetheless. So, the car runs about the same as it did when it failed the state inspection-runs rough and if you bring the tach up to 4,000 the tach will cut out, the check engine light will flash as well as a quick blink of the AT temp light. Back off the throttle, and it goes back to idle (rough) and no lights are on. Hey, I think the knock sensor problem was fixed, but that's a hollow victory. Any ideas?

PS-At one time there were codes P1518 and P1112-but I don't remember when. It was early in the saga

[ShawnW]

Forgive me, I am a little tired.

Next time please make some paragraphs and break it up a little bit.  Big paragraphs make for a fatigue in reading it.

 

I don't see a year specified.   Just OB Wagon mentioned.  

 

Most of these codes aren't model year specific but it does help in troubleshooting.  

 

With a belt situation like that I suspect bent valves.  Its hard not to.  It doesn't take much to make a strange misfire and the codes you mentioned occur on the same bank or "side" of the engine so I really think that could be the problem.  Its going to make a noise or be hard to keep from pinging in that condition as well and therefore going to trip knock sensor and other strange codes.  Its going to be hard to start.  Its going to be difficult to keep running if its dumping raw fuel into the cat or not making a complete combustion cycle.  

 

You indicate the oil on the spark plug wires so I know its a SOHC 2.5.  That is also going to mean you can do a compression and leak down test rather easily on that engine.  I would start there.  Make sure you don't have what I suspect and then troubleshoot from there.  Stop wasting money and time with what you have been nice enough to say in "parts swapping".  That just gets frustrating and expensive quickly.  You can get lucky.   You can use a code scanner to solve some problems but you can't do a full engine analysis with it.  And at the end of the day no scanner will tell you that the engine is knocking or has a burnt or bent valve.  Only you can fully diagnose that.

 

I wish you luck and don't hesitate to stick around and ask follow up questions we are here to help not pick on you.  Not trying to do that at all just telling you what you already know and might not want to hear.

[89xt]

Forgive me, I am a little tired.

 

Next time please make some paragraphs and break it up a little bit.  Big paragraphs make for a fatigue in reading it.

 

I don't see a year specified.   Just OB Wagon mentioned.  

 

Most of these codes aren't model year specific but it does help in troubleshooting.  

 

With a belt situation like that I suspect bent valves.  Its hard not to.  It doesn't take much to make a strange misfire and the codes you mentioned occur on the same bank or "side" of the engine so I really think that could be the problem.  Its going to make a noise or be hard to keep from pinging in that condition as well and therefore going to trip knock sensor and other strange codes.  Its going to be hard to start.  Its going to be difficult to keep running if its dumping raw fuel into the cat or not making a complete combustion cycle.  

 

You indicate the oil on the spark plug wires so I know its a SOHC 2.5.  That is also going to mean you can do a compression and leak down test rather easily on that engine.  I would start there.  Make sure you don't have what I suspect and then troubleshoot from there.  Stop wasting money and time with what you have been nice enough to say in "parts swapping".  That just gets frustrating and expensive quickly.  You can get lucky.   You can use a code scanner to solve some problems but you can't do a full engine analysis with it.  And at the end of the day no scanner will tell you that the engine is knocking or has a burnt or bent valve.  Only you can fully diagnose that.

 

I wish you luck and don't hesitate to stick around and ask follow up questions we are here to help not pick on you.  Not trying to do that at all just telling you what you already know and might not want to hear.

[1 Lucky Texan]

 

Forgive me, I am a little tired.

 

Next time please make some paragraphs and break it up a little bit.  Big paragraphs make for a fatigue in reading it.

 

I don't see a year specified.   Just OB Wagon mentioned.  

 

Most of these codes aren't model year specific but it does help in troubleshooting.  

 

With a belt situation like that I suspect bent valves.  Its hard not to.  It doesn't take much to make a strange misfire and the codes you mentioned occur on the same bank or "side" of the engine so I really think that could be the problem.  Its going to make a noise or be hard to keep from pinging in that condition as well and therefore going to trip knock sensor and other strange codes.  Its going to be hard to start.  Its going to be difficult to keep running if its dumping raw fuel into the cat or not making a complete combustion cycle.  

 

You indicate the oil on the spark plug wires so I know its a SOHC 2.5.  That is also going to mean you can do a compression and leak down test rather easily on that engine.  I would start there.  Make sure you don't have what I suspect and then troubleshoot from there.  Stop wasting money and time with what you have been nice enough to say in "parts swapping".  That just gets frustrating and expensive quickly.  You can get lucky.   You can use a code scanner to solve some problems but you can't do a full engine analysis with it.  And at the end of the day no scanner will tell you that the engine is knocking or has a burnt or bent valve.  Only you can fully diagnose that.

 

I wish you luck and don't hesitate to stick around and ask follow up questions we are here to help not pick on you.  Not trying to do that at all just telling you what you already know and might not want to hear.

 

 

your reply to this didn't come thru

[ivans imports]

yesterday i fixed a 02 outback had misfire on #3 cly the plug was tracked down the side and was new plug the boot had a track and the shop transferd the problem to the new plug by reuseing a bad wire. They had spent a ton of money on diagnostics because the shop did not whant to look at the plugs they had just changed. Anyway one used plug and one used wire and ran perfect had many unrealated codes but the ecu was just gessing what was wrong so plugs wires and valvecover gasket set and should be happy happy

[Fairtax4me]

Timing belt is off a tooth.

[89xt]

Fairtax4me-You sound so sure I got to think you've had this happen to you. I did do the belt, and it looked good. Marks were spot on, but you definitely got me thinking. I'll pull it apart again and triple check. Thanks a lot. ED A