2011 is almost over

So this is the time to look back on this year and think forward to the next year.

What was good this year????
Our daughters wedding,
Oh we did meet up with friends and family,
We did travel in our old Winnebago,

During the last 3 months we have had vacations to places new and old with friends new and old,
and that has been great.

Let's hope for more time this next year, when we can relax and enjoy our life.

Do you know this family??

I think I do, and we parked next to them at the store today where I took this picture.

Tuesday 12/27/2011

I put the new/used purge solenoid on the wagon today, after checking that it really opened when power was applied.  So the big question....I still have the check engine light on.  The wire from the ecu is good from the solenoid to the big connector by the battery, but I still have to check the wire from the connector to the ecu. 

Monday 12/26/2011

The day after Christmas and all is quiet here.  Our gifts have all been opened and it is just my wife and I at home.

I did do some shopping today for the wagon.  Found a used Purge Solenoid at the local wrecking yard.  I think it is not to old since the part number was the newer one and it was not even bolted back in the original spot under the intake manifold.
After checking it out the piston inside seems to be stuck, but the resistance of the solenoid is close to the correct value and I paid my $5.00.  Tomorrow I should have time to check it out and install it.

Saturday 12/24/2011

So here it is, Christmas eve, and everything is fine except the CEL on the Subaru.  The PSV (purge solenoid valve) is still not right.  I have tried the resistor trick to fool the computer but so far no fooling the ECM.  I tried a 35 ohm, a 46 ohm, a 100, 200 and even a few others but no fooling and the CEL comes right on when the engine is started. 
When I first started playing with this PSV I checked it's resistance and it had the 35 ohm it should have, and the CEL did not come on with the engine cold.  It would even not come on every start when warm.  Now my next step is to take a trip to the wecking yard to see what I find.  Others have gone this route and only found bad ones so this next week I will give it a try.

All I want for Christmas is no Check Engine Light
no Check Engine Light
no Check Engine Light
All I want for Christmas is no Check Engine Light
and I could wish you Merry Christmas...........................................................................

Wednesday 12/21/2011

Took a day trip to the Coast today.  It's about 60 miles to Lincoln City, OR and even though the valley where we live has been foggy and cloudy, the Coast was sunny.  The blue sky made everything look better even if it was cold.

My wife and daughter.

The only thing about today was I didn't get a chance to drive the Subaru wagon.  I really wonder if the Purge Solenoid repair is going to work everytime it starts up.  

Tuesday 12/20/2011

Working on the Wagon I might have fixed a couple of things. 
First was a small oil leak.  A common place to leak was the oil filler tube on the engine where a cheap and easy, my kind of work,  o-ring.   Two easy to get to bolts and a o-ring seems to have fixed that.
Then the only code causing the CEL (check engine light) to come on was a code of 35.  It was the purge solenoid.  After reading several articles on this and trying all the "cheap" fixes I decided to take it apart and see what was inside.  Take a look

I was told they don't come apart but that never stopped me before.  I will have to get back to you on if this fixes it or not.  Only time will tell.