Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

ateixeira

Very easy on the Forester, so I imagine it's very similar for the OBS. Start at the arm rest and work forward, there is nothing to pry. It all screws apart neatly.

IIRC you have to disconnect the AC power and the antennae, but it's easy.

Legacy was harder. You have to pry apart some of the console trim and you need a long screw driver with a magnetic head to access this one far back bolt.

I think bit had pictures? Or Pat? I used advice from both to do it.

-juice

hunter001

Juice, thanks. I will check it out. The OBS comes standard with single disc CD player and I really miss the 6-disc changer in the old WRX.

Later...AH

tuckerdog1

Bought my 02 OBS used. It did not come with the trailer hitch. Never intended to drag anything heavy around, but thought it might be handy for a few sheets of 4x8 plywood from the Depot, etc. So I called the local dealer for a price to get it installed. Was told they don't do that at the dealership. And the service manager advised against towing anything with these cars. Said it could overheat the transmission ( both auto & manual ). Anybody had any bad experience(s) towing?

Thanks,
Tuckerdog

ozman62

But I've heard about a lot of bad dealer experiences. I think you'll find that your owners manual explains if and how much your OBS can tow. Maybe your dealer thought you were talking about a WRX? Is seeing another dealer an option?
HTH, Owen

twrx

Agreed AH that it is nice. A lot of people bad mouth Subie OEM stereos but that head unit is cool. Mine never skips and I like it much better than the one in my wife's Solara. Hers is a JBL but the controls are confusing and there are no numbers to indicate volume on it!

TWRX

Hows the OBS mileage? My WRX has crept up to where I can get the 27 epa estimate on most highway runs.

ateixeira

my Forester tows nicely...

hunter001

The mileage I am getting in the Auto-OBS is better than what I got in my Auto-WRX, but not by much. I get around 23-25mpg with a combination of 60% city 40% hwy kind of driving. Never did an all highway trip yet. I noticed that with AC on, the mileage tends to dip a bit and also the engine does not pull nearly as well.

Another curious thing I noticed is that the mileage is significantly better with premium fuel. The mileage dips to around 21mpg with regular. I get around 325 miles or so with premium fuel and the tank fills upto 13 gallons. With regular, I hardly exceed 275 miles with the tank filling upto 13 gallons. Very noticeable. Also, the power seems smoother with premium. I always fill premium in my OBS nowadays.

Later...AH

cbmorton

Just filled up the OBS (5MT) today. 321 miles on 12.4 gallons (US), or 26 mpg. This tank was about 70/30 city/highway. I'd be surprised if I can't crack 30 mpg when I finally take it on an all-highway trip.

One thing I've noticed is that the fuel gauge seems very conservative. I squeezed that 12.4 gallons (46.8 litres) into the tank with the needle just touching the top of the white bar at 'E', but with it being a 60-litre tank it was still at least 20% full. Seems to have been designed to encourage you to fill up with a wide safety margin. I haven't seen the low fuel light come on yet, but I believe the manual says it comes with about 9 litres left (15% of capacity).

ateixeira

On my Forester the light comes on with 2.3 gallons left, i.e. very conservative. I can still go about 58 miles if I had to.

-juice

cbmorton

2.3 gallons is 8.7 litres, so that sounds right. I probably prefer a conservative light that gives you another 50+ miles/80+ km over one that comes on only when it's time to panic.

lotboy

I drove at least 50km city and highway and my light was on the entire time.There is a good buffer there before refueling.
What is it exactly anyway?I think there is about 2 gallons left when the low fuel light first appears.

DD

b26er

I have a '98 Impreza Coupe w/99k that rides and drives. Dealership(s) say struts leak (front worse than back) and the power steering rack boot leaks. First, PS reservoir shows very little leakage but there is dampness around boot. Second, I have no idea about the struts, I can't see the leak. What's the risk factor here? In general, how long do struts last and where do they usually leak from (I want to see if they are leaking or not). Do PS boots usually blow out or is a slow leak manageable? Thanks!

nippononly

those are original struts, then don't be sore. They have gone a pretty good road. 100K is time for a change usually anyway. They are soft compared to new, and you probably just don't notice it because they have aged so slowly.

The struts in my '97 were worn enough at 115K that it was beginning to affect tire wear.

ateixeira

My Miata has 47k miles and my struts are spent. 100k miles is plenty, they'd need replacement even if they didn't leak.

The front axle carries 55-60% of the weight, so I'm not surprised they wore out first.

Not sure about the PS system, though.

-juice

tuckerdog1

Let me throw my 2 cents into the milage discussion. 02 OBS with auto. When 1st purchased, I tracked the milage every tank. Was getting 24-26 MPG. I'm pretty close to 50/50 city/hwy. The low end 24 MPG was during a week when I was driving directly into a pretty stiff wind every morning on the way to work. I wondered if removing the roof rack cross bars might help. When I took them off, I began to get a consistant 27 MPG. I can't seem to do any better.

Thanks to Ozman62 & Atexeria for your input on my question some time back about towing with the OBS. I finally decided to get the towbar installed. Should be in next week. I do recommend that anyone that wants to add this, shop around. The prices I was quoted were all over the place. The high end was almost $500, and the low was $195.

Tuckerdog

ateixeira

I think the OE hitch was around $200, but I installed it myself. It did include a plug-n-play harness and a grommet to seal up the hole in the spare tire well.

-juice

winres

Do you have any pictures of what the sunroof looks like posted anywhere? I'm thinking of installing one in my '04 OBS...

ateixeira

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291761427

Pictures 3-6 show the ASC model 750 on our 2002 Legacy L. It's 17"x30".

-juice

subearu

here's some of my F-XT with the slightly larger 840: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4286857491

More info on the moonroof is here: http://www.inalfasunroofs.com/moonroof.html

-Brian

lumbar

Just came up on the 60K service on our '99 OBS and wanted to relate my experience with the timing belt replacement issue.

I read the archives here and there was a pretty clear consensus that this was to be done at 90K (105K with California emissions). However, the documentation I was shown by the mechanic indicated that 2.2L Imprezzas and OBS call for a replacement at 60K --although Cal models still get to go up to to 105K (!). It also appears that 2.5 L engines (in '99, I believe that's only one model) have the recommended replacement at 90K.

Frankly, this distinction does not make a lot of sense to me, but I thought I'd post it for other's comments and in case anyone finds themselves with the same dilemna.

nippononly

had the 2.2, and if it were not a California car, the timing belt would have come due for replacement at 60K. Because I am in California, the interval was 105K on mine. I believe it is true that the federal 2.2 called for a 60K t-belt replacement all the years it was in use, but if you are in doubt, doesn't Subie have maintenance schedules for all its cars on its website? I know it used to. You might have to register as an owner - takes a few minutes and is free.

lumbar

Thanks. That was excellent advice--I did not know the schedules were on SOA's site.

http://www.subaru.com/owners/care/schedules/middle.jsp?pageID=199- 9

It indicates that beginning in '99 the belt is OK for 105K, although prior to that year, it's 60K. At least for a '99, I do not see any indication that the engine size matters. I still think that this is a bit odd, however. Why the change in '99?

paisan

In '99 when a lot of states went to 50-state emissions, it was required to have 105K warranty on the Timing belt like Cali. So starting in '99 a heavier-duty belt went in. Prior to '99 it's a 60K interval.

-mike

cbmorton

I don't have any pictures online, but feel free to e-mail me (address in my profile) and I'd be happy to send you some pictures. I've been getting a lot of use out of the sunroof. No regrets.

eric2003

I have a '97 outback sport with original battery. While it is still working fine, I am thinking of replacing it before too late. Has anyone done it? It should be just take out the old and replace with the new...a few nuts to loosen and tighten. Is there anything else that I should be worry about? thanks

eric

ateixeira

Make sure you get the right size class, so it fits in the basket below.

When you reconnect, connect the red (positive) first, then the negative, and have your keyless fob ready to lock/unlock if the lights blink or if the alarm goes off.

-juice

justin

car has low miles, seems clean. bumpers were painted (city car - lots of dings). looking at this car to sit with my Miata in the driveway/garage at night, and to take me to work and stuff.

car is an automatic. base model, hubcaps, etc.

anything special about this model/year? anything to run away from? repair/maint issues?

thanks.

ateixeira

First year for this generation. Auto tranny is good, it's more robust than the clutch on the manual by far.

I have a Miata as well, and let me say, the Subaru is the PERFECT car to complent the roadster. You always know what to drive, just check the weather.

I say go for it. It might even have some warranty left over. Call 800-SUBARU3 and ask them what they can tell you about that car's history, you'll need the VIN.

-juice

tuckerdog1

Having one of those problems that I fear will only happen when I'm with the car & not when it'at the dealer for possible repair. I have an '02 OBS. Earlier this week, took a multi hour drive in 95+ degree heat. The air conditioner worked fine at first. But about 45 min into the trip, an odd problem began. The air flow through the dash vents got very very weak. The little air coming through did feel cool, but it was not near enough to cool the interior of the car. Increaseing the fan speed did nothing. I could hear the fan blowing harder, but no change in airflow through the vents. I changed the vent control position to every option, but nothing changed. Later that day, when I had finished my business & prepared to return home ( dreading the hot ride ), The AC worked great, and has done so ever since. I still have an appointment with the dealer next week to have it looked at. I don't want to have to deal with it again on another hot drive. I suspect there is something wrong with the vent selector, as the fan & compressor seemed to be working okay. The dealer said they'd not heard of this problem before, but are happy to take a look. Has anyone out there had a similar problem? If so, what was the fix?

Thanks,
Tuckerdog

ateixeira

That'll be a tough one to troubleshoot.

Out of curiosity, do you have the optional air filtration system? If so check that the filters are not clogged and that they are in the right place.

-juice

brattobaja

Hi Gang,

As a previous owner of 6 Brats and a GL sedan, I know older Subie's well, but have been away from them for a long time now...

The DW just totalled our '00 MPV and we have zeroed in on the '05 Impreza as a replacement.

One quick question that I haven't been able to clearly answer on Subaru's web site:

What are the differences between the 2.5RS wagon, and the OBS for 2005? The OBS has the lower cladding of course, but the 2.5RS appears to have been upgraded with seats, steering wheel, and stereo from the WRX, while the OBS gets the first two, but the stereo is a carryover.

Otherwise, is there a suspension difference, or anything else with the OBS? The OBS is $800 more, and I'm trying to justify exactly why.

Thanks!
~Mike

crashton6

The only difference that I see are a slightly higher ride hight, a set of roof rack cross bars & a somewhat homely two tone paint job. Not $800 worth of a difference there. I like the RS sport wagon better, but I do like the ride hight of the OBS.

Chuck

rsholland

Mike

The Outback Sport gets roof rack cross bars, an outside temp gauge (the OBS and STi are the only Imprezas to get this feature), rubber cargo mat, rear bumper step pad, different wheels, 2-tone paint, slightly raised HD suspension, different seat trim. The new-for-'05 Outback Sport SE also gets some other goodies such as 6-disk CD changer, a couple of unique colors, and a few other items that escape me at the moment.

Bob

ateixeira

Thanks, Bob the Encyclopedia. ;-)

-juice

damish003

Mike-

I went through the same debate a bit when I got my '04 Outback Sport. After a year of ownership, I'll share my opinions.

Roof rack - Haven't used it.

Rear bumper pad - Love it. As a golfer, I'm always putting a foot up on the bumper to change shoes. I'd mark the bumper up badly without it.

Rubber cargo mat - A necessity in my book. It's great for keeping things from sliding around, like groceries.

Outside temp gauge - I kind of like it, especially in the winter.

Two-tone paint - I like the look, but to each his own.

Raised HD suspension - If you off-road at all, you'll appreciate it. It's not an SUV or truck, and really isn't meant for serious off-roading, but it IS designed to go where other cars can't, or shouldn't. I've taken it on some rough trails to get to good fishing spots, and I've appreciated the added capability of the OBS.

I'm not sure if the differences are worth $800, considering you can get most of those as options for the RS, but since my dealer had a better selection of Outback Sports as opposed to RS's, I was able to find a vehicle in the color I wanted right on the lot. And in truth, I like the look of the OBS much more than the RS.

Hope this helps. I'm sure you'll enjoy either way.

-Dan-

ateixeira

Really? I use my Forester's roof rack all the time. In the past two weeks I've carried my lawn mower and then a baby stroller up there. Before that, a double dresser, 5 sheets of plywood, 2 sections of 6'x8' fencing, you name it.

The cross bars help secure all that stuff in place. I don't think the RS wagon even has tie-down holes, the Outback Sport does.

I don't have a temp guage but my wife does - I think it's a neat feature that's I'd like to have on my next car.

-juice

brattobaja

Wow...thanks a million to everyone for the insights...that helps a ton.

I'm leaning towards the OBS, primarily because of my location (outside of Reno, NV) and at 5,200 feet in the mountains, we'll use it to deal with snow in the winter, plus take a fair share of dirt roads to get to out-fo-the-way fishing/camping spots. I like the idea of the covered rear bumper and cargo mat for the same reasons.

Now if it could only pull a small tent-trailer.... :-)

tuckerdog1

I bought the car used, so didn't order the options. But the 1st owner did put several goodies on it. how do I tell if I have the air filtration system?

The dealer, as suspected, could not duplicate the problem. They said they went in the dash & everything checked out okay. And the problem has not occurred again...yet...And that's a concern I expressed to the dealer. I'm about 6,000 miles from going out of warranty. And if it's going to happen again, it'll likely be when I hit 6,001 miles.
He told me something I was unaware of. That if the problem was documented under warranty, but not corrected, I'm covered on that problem for another 12 months.

Thanks,
Fred

rsholland

While standard on the OBS, the rear bumper pad, rubber cargo mat and roof rack cross bars are options on all Impreza wagons.

Bob

ateixeira

Check under the glove compartment. If you don't have it, there will be smooth plastic at the bottom of the HVAC thingy there.

That peice breaks off when you install the filtration system, so if you *do* have it you'll see a metal cover with two screws holding it in place, and a rubber gasket to seal it.

If you can't figure it out lemme know and I'll e-mail you a picture from when I installed mine.

Fred: good to hear about the 12 month coverage. It's like a free extended warranty on that part.

-juice

damish003

Yeah Juice, I've never used the roof rack. Strange, but true. Everything I've needed to move has fit fine in the car. Of course, it's just me and the wife. If I had kids and a nanny to tote around also, I'd probably have gotten some use out of the rack.

Then again, I never have any rope in the car to tie-down items anyway, so I make do getting things in back. Lazy a**, I am. <g>

-Dan-

tuckerdog1

I looked, but there was not an obvious plate. But on the other hand, there didn't look like anything that could be broken off to add a filter. I'm probably just looking in the wrong place.

And "Yea" I was real pleased about the 12 month extension on that specific problem.

Thanks again,
Fred

ateixeira

e-mail, that is.

First pic shows the cut-out, my knife is cutting it. The 2nd pic shows the filter I'm sliding in, then the cover that holds it up and seals it.

-juice

twrx

My WRX wagon did not have the cargo tray or step pad. Unless you want a major scratched bumper then get it.
It's pretty cheap at one of the online parts places and is installed with double stick tape that it has on its underside.

TWRX

ateixeira

My wife's Legacy lacks the protection, so I should at least get some of that bumper tape, textured black stuff on one side and the other side sticky.

-juice

ozman62

OBS can pull a small trailer, I'll let Bob chime in with specific towing capacities, braked and unbraked ;-)
Owen

tuckerdog1

The owner's manual for my '02 OBS says 1,000 lbs without trailer brakes. Up to 2,000 lbs with brakes. This is the same for both MT & AT. But it does add for the AT that if you will be going up a continous uphill grade for 5 miles or longer with an outside temp of 104 degrees F, the AT was limited to 1,000 lbs. When I had my towbar installed, I check the dealer ( almost $500 ) and a local hitches is all we do place ( $250 ). Guess where I went. The hitch place did a good job. I watched while they did it, and I think most out there could do it yourselves and save about 50%. One possible caution. They used a generic converter for the lights. I read the instructions on it & it cautioned that for some applications, this generic unit might damage the electrical system of the car. And to check to be sure you're using the correct unit for your make & model car. Well, I did check, and the same maker makes one "special" for the SUBARU. The generic cost about $11 and the "special" SUBARU version was almost $40. But that's still cheap when compared to some electrical grief. So be careful about the converter.

Fred

rsholland

This is the same for both MT & AT.

Yes.

Bob

derekgdw

Just curious . . .

At about 50k miles on my '02 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport I had to have a ball joint replaced (I believe on the front left side) because of a loud popping and clunking noise.

Anyway I was hoping to find out if this is something to be expected at 50k miles or what? I'm figuring this is due to the wreck I was in with it at the beginning of 2002. I'm still finding bugs in the car every so often. (A loose sway bar, a loose hub nut which caused it to involuntarily brake to the left . . . etc) but I figured I'd ask and hopefully find someone who could make an edumacated guess before I wrote it off as being due to the accident. :-)

dcm61

Derek,

It sounds like it was related to the accident. I've never heard of anyone replacing ball joints on Subarus especially at 50k miles.

FYI - I've had 4 Subarus (91k, 52k, 128k, & 35k).

DaveM