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Comments
I am looking at a few used Subaru wagons.
OPTION 1 is single local owner 2002 Subaru Outback with just under 110,000 miles. It is being sold through a local dealership. What I've found using the VIN looks good. Asking just over $10k. From the standpoint of price it sounds good yet will this car last? What issues are known about this model?
OPTION 2 is a 2004 Subaru Outback listed as a "Certified Pre-Owned" with 68,000 miles yet it is $5k more than option 1 above. Is it worth the extra money for the "Certified" warranty? I'm a Grad student so keeping my monthly as low as possible is priority one.
Thanks.
ecycled
Salt Lake City, UT
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
TB
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
Since it's almost impossible IMO/IME to run a modern car for $0.12 per mile, I'd say the lower mileage car is a better deal (as long as any major service that would be needed around 60-70k is already done).
Jon
In addition to the transaxle bolts and the two engine mounts, you need to remove the five nuts that attach the torque converter to the flex plate. There is a small rubber access cover on the upper, left (if looking at it) side of the engine block. Pop that off and rotate the engine one bolt at a time. Once that is done, just make sure the diagonal support that links the top of the transaxle to the car's firewall is removed, support the transaxle with a floor jack, and remove the engine. Like Mike said, wiggle the studs on the engine loose from the transaxle (they are about 3/8" long) as you are slowly lifting. Once the engine mount studs pop free from the cross member, it will be out.
Yes, make sure that radiator is out of there. I also needed to remove the carbon filter on mine, which was located on the inside of the frame rail, right next to the radiator. It did not look like it would be in the way, but sure enough it was.
Actually, I see you posted on 1/20.... I should be asking how it went!
Yes it's automatic. Torque converter bolts are out and TC spins freely with engine rotation. Firewall brace is removed.
I removed the 5 engine to transaxle bolts. I've only gotten 1 of the 2 nuts on the bottom removed. They're between the engine and the half-shafts. Very little access space, let alone maneuvering room for a ratchet.
And to top it off, the place I "bought" my used engine from has not communicated at all other than to let me know they received my payment. Supposed to be a 48K motor, but now I'm worried about what I'll actually get and when. Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!
Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully more progress tonight.
TB
Sorry, I forgot that detail.
Good luck with it. I hope you are not going it alone, as that certainly makes the pull and install phases much more difficult.
Wacky weather this week. We had 12" of snow at the end of last week and over the weekend, with temps an amazingly warm 20-30 ABOVE zero! Then, bone-chilling winds as the temp dropped. Now it is -20F, but thankfully no wind.
All the best to you,
-Wes-
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
Totally off topic now, but despite the cramped quarters in the Subaru engine bay, pulling the 2.5L from it is a cake walk compared to wrestling the engine out of my '69 Econoline van. That one has to come out through the passenger side door.
The second time was the easiest.
The two times I pulled the Outback's 2.5L, I made sure to schedule a friend's help just for the extraction and insertion. The rest of the work was easy enough for one to do.
thanks,
joe.
40 miles is not that far, though.
I am about to change to synthetic gear lube (Schaeffer Supreme 293 gear lube) in my car. Did the rear diff easy; 1/2 inch drive to remove both drain and fill plugs. The transmission drain, though, is a plug on the bottom of the gear case with what appears to be a huge Torx (6-spline) drive. Anyone know what size Torx this is, and why Subaru chose to use that rather than a conventional square drive? I don't want to go buy the tool and then find I messed with something Subaru didn't want me to touch.
Thanks in advance.
Stanton
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
JB
I'll look for a T-70.
THanks again.
Alland
Has anyone changed the air filter that can explain why this is required, and what happens if you don't disconnect the battery.
Thanks
Nigel
It feels like the flywheel / trans shaft is loose in the front of the tranny. I can pull it out a bit, but I haven't tried to completely remove it. Is that normal?
Anything else I should check, inspect, or replace while I have total access?
Thanks again,
TB
It seems a valve broke, then broke other valves, then broke the piston, then broke the cylinder wall. But what broke the valve? Hmmmmmm...
TB
NGK pre-gaps their plugs. The last digit(s) after the dash is the gap in tenths of a mm.
So -11 equals 1.1 mm or 0.044".
Jim
What I don't understand is why such a substantial amount of water is able to get in through a brand-new sunroof; presumably the seals are pristine and couldn't be in better condition.
The dealership is telling me that the sunroof is designed to let some amount of water through, and that the difference between the steel and the glass means the seal is never perfect. To me, this sounds like a big load of crap.
I can understand small amounts of water getting through, since a sunroof means the roof has been compromised, by definition. But *that* much water is flowing through my car every time it rains? That seems like a pretty foolish way to design a car.
Wondering if anyone knows anything about sunroofs, and if I'm just ignorant of sunroof science and the dealership is correct on this. I don't want to be unfair or unreasonable with them, but I also don't want this to happen for a third time.
Many thanks.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
Also, they ground off the left and right case serial numbers, as well as the number stamped into the top center of the block. Is this typical of buying a used engine? Or is the salvage yard trying to hide something or prevent me from getting the background info about this engine?
Have I been had? :lemon: ?
TB
I've seen rusted bolts on the front of the timing covers on newer engines so I wouldn't necessarily say it's a bad thing.
Overall I'd say it looks shady. Did you buy via CC? You may want to look into what protection they can provide. I had to do this with a transmission that never shipped to me in a timely fashion.
-mike
I would call them, ask for a photo of the car it came from with the odometer showing.
Decided to trouble shoot to no avail: Visually checked compressor on/off , did not engage. Checked connector, OK but no voltage. Fuse was good. Checked relay in main box (under hood) and it had 12vdc to it, but did not seem to have any 12vdc to any other contacts when dash control is turned on. I would check the relay but don't know what the polarity is on the energizing circuit.
Anybody have any ideas/same problem and fix? Paisan? juice?
The only thought I had was some blown fuses still appear OK, but aren't. So I would change it. A fuse is just a few pennies.
So I'd check the refrigerant to see if you have a leak.
The left side exhaust and right side intake timing pulleys are both cracked, it has a brand new timing belt, but it appears out of time (marks on pulleys not lining up when #1 at TDC of compression stroke).
And the compression check (by hand, since it's still on the pallet) shows 40 - 50 PSI max on all 4 cylinders. Haynes manual says it should have 137 - 176 PSI.
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: ???
Where are the drains in the sunroof, and where do the hoses exit the vehicle?
This is on an 01 Legacy GT wagon with dual sunroofs.
Dave........
jjc
Allo!!.. is that the engine with the pictures??
The pictures are of the engine being replaced. The problems I described are of the "used" engine I bought to replace the blown one.
TB
Thanks,
Andy
I got my car back from Colonial Subaru in Danbury today with the problem fixed...here was the issue and the fix (and, btw, it was covered absolutely by my warranty!!!):
R&R tranny, disassemble and found reverse brake worn to metal and reverse piston O rings worn out, metal was all through tranny. Replaced reverse brake, O rings and valve body.
Sadly, my stupid tire pressure light is still blinking all the time, even with new tires and the dealer recalibrating the sensors...will have it disconnected and go the old fashioned way of looking at the tires and checking them
Thanks for all your help!
Jeannine
I've just gotten a new '08 Outback 3.0R and cannot figure out how to adjust the fog lights. The local dealer said they are not adjustable but this just doesn't make sense. Right now they are aimed so low that they are useless.
Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks,
JC
I have an 05 Outback...my fog lights are not adjustable. I've never owned or heard of any car that had 'adjustable foglights.'
The beams from fog lights are usually just below the headlights. Their purpose is to help illuminate the road in foggy conditions (not what's ahead of you).
Paul
I know the fog lights are to illuminate the road and not what is ahead of me, however, my fogs are aimed so low they are illuminating the road two inches in front of my bumper and cannot be seen unless you get out of the car!
The fogs in my '98 Outback are superb, bring up the edge of the road perfectly in the fog.
Our dealer has said they have had a number of complaints so I wonder if Subaru messed up on this design?
Also, our former Subaru mechanic (who won a number of awards in Subaru's competitions) said that fogs on earlier Subaru's are adjustable (maybe not easily, but that they can be adjusted).
Does anyone else have an opinion on this point? All ideas welcome!
JC
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host