Please help! Shaking, vibrating while accelerating, idling, etc.

[mysubaruwagon]

I have a 1996 Subaru Legacy Wagon, 2.2, AWD with 136,000 miles. It has had few problems in the past 2.5 years that I've owned it.

It has always idled a little hard with a slight vibration reverberating through the dash but nothing too disconcerting.

However, two weeks ago it started shaking upon acceleration and the Check Engine light popped on. My friend who was in town visiting installed new, aftermarket spark plugs. The wires had been recently replaced and so they were left alone. The car was running much smoother after the plugs were changed out. I drove about 150 miles in cold, Indiana weather when the the Check Engine light came back on and the car started shaking 5x harder upon acceleration and the whole car would vibrate and kind of hiccup while idling.

Being new to the area and not knowing a reliable mechanic and with no close friends living near by, I took my 1996 subi to the local Subaru Dealership.... bad mistake.

I received the typical woman treatment: in between tears, stress, and emotions, I was convinced that the new plugs installed in my car were not 'compatible' with subarus. I then paid $310, which includes 2.5 hours of labor! for new 'Subaru' spark plugs and a new wiring harness.

The car was running much better and smoother than ever before, until five days and about 170 miles later.

It started shaking again upon acceleration and now deccleration, not transitioning smoothly between 2000 and 3000 RPMs and feeling as if the whole car would just shut down and die it was shaking and vibrating so strongly.

I brought it back to the dealer who said it was leaking vacuum. He fixed it for free and I thought the problem would be fixed.

The next day, driving home from work the same problems popped up.

I brought it back to the dealer and now he's telling me I need to replace my timing belt for $439, do a fuel injector service for $199, and a fuel system decarbonization for $199. I refused to have any service done and haven't taken it anywhere else since.

My friend who had done the original spark plug work was back in town and he said it felt like a fuel filter, fuel intake problem.

The car drives but it feels as if it will break down and die at any moment. The whole car shakes 10x worse than ever before now; at acceleration, decceleration, while idling, transitioning between RPM's... I used to be able to shift it into neutral and reduce the shaking but that isn't even helping now.

I don't know what to do. I'm younger, a woman, know nothing about cars, and have no idea where to take my car in.. the perfect victim for dishonest mechanics.

Can you help? Please. Thank you! Beth

[kinyeru]

have you checked the fuel injectors? I had the same problem on a 1990 Legacy, since it kept disturbing me alot I ended up replacing the whole engine. That's going overboard I know. Hope you sort it out..