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Subaru Legacy/Outback

18990929495230

Comments

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    On the Mercedes IIRC when you open the door, it rolls down the window 1" and re-closes it when you close the door. Probably for the same reason.

    -mike
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    So, Mike, you have a standard protocol for what you do when you get pulled over? Is this something that happens daily, or just once a week? :-)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    In 10 years of driving I've been pulled over 31x

    28x got out w/o a moving violation
    3x got a mover but for far less than I had actually been pulled for and those 3 were out of state.

    So yes, I do have protocol, it helps to have protocol for being pulled over especially cause I drive like 40-50K miles/year.

    -mike
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    That's a great record, and you clearly are doing something right. In 45 years of driving I've been stopped 7 or 8 times, and the fine stuck more often than not.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I had my Forester tinted for $170. That included 7 windows, with 35% SolarGard film. Metalllic may cost more.

    Ask to see a couple of installs. Looks for bubbles, neat cuts, edges peeling, stuff like that. A good install is the key.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The keys to getting out of a ticket:

    o No Radar Detector
    o Clean Record on the Police Computer
    o Open both front windows, keep hands on wheel, don't get paperwork or until cop shows up at door, put on interior light
    o Don't make him chase you far
    o Lots of Sir's or Ma'ams
    o PBA card of someone on the force with their shield #, hand it in with your liscence as if it were part of your paperwork

    Basically if you have a clean record and they think this was a one-time occurance, they'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you go. When asked about a PBA/FOP card always indicate that you have a close friend or relative "on the job" that way they know you didn't just contribute money but actually know someone who puts their life on the line like they do.

    -mike
  • goosegoggoosegog Member Posts: 206
    Paisan: "In 10 years of driving I've been pulled over 31x". Wow! I've been driving in the Vancouver BC area for over 20 years and been pulled over just once (and given a ticket for having fog lamps on when it wasn't foggy). I'm not counting drinking/driving road blocks where they pull over everybody. This is the only advantage of having a cash-strapped government that can't afford enough police. I live in a suburb and can go days without seeing a cop car, and you never see one in the commuting rush unless there's an accident. They stay out of the way for the most part.

    I drove in the UK for about 16 years and got pulled over several times, usually on some pretext when they were bored or wanted to check out the car, but once with some justification when I got a ticket for doing 93mph in a Hillman Imp in a 70mph limit on a straight and deserted road at 3 a.m. But I was younger then, drove more at night, and drove attention-getting cars.

    Has anyone had trouble with their OB fog light grills? I take mine off when washing the car and I think some sort of plastic tab behind the light is broken because the grill doesn't seem to lock back in place properly on one of them. This happened when I attempted to put it on upside-down.
  • peterson10peterson10 Member Posts: 116
    This was a nagging problem for me two years ago when I purchased my 2000 OB. After a good deal of experimentation I concluded that the primary source of the noise was the mirror itself. These are BIG mirrors. To complicate things the driver's side mirror is set at a flatter angle (more perpendicular) than the passenger's side; hence it produces more drag and therefore more noise. Try this: before you take your next run on the highway fold back the driver's side mirror. Does the noise virtually disappear? If so, its probably just the mirror doing what mirrors do. I too thought the problem was with the seals (so did my dealer), but my conclusion was (is) that the noise coming from the seal was actually generated by the mirror. Somehow knowing that made it alright: the price you pay for better visibility.

    BTW, I have the premium sound package so I hardly ever hear the noise any more.

    YetAnotherDave
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I've been pulled over only three times that I can remember, and given a ticket once.

    Bob
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    I have a Trooper, I know wrong forum, and have folded the mirrors flat while on the freeway as well. It really seems to change the noise level and wind pressure on the driver side window (haven't tried the passenger side one :). These are my thoughts on mirrors & noise:

    Mirrors, when out, put greater air pressure on the window overall than when they are in from the turbulence they create. This changes the sealing characteristics of the window. The turbulence generated by the mirrors carries noise differently also.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    No power folding? Often on the highway at night I'll power-fold the mirrors on my Trooper to aliviate reflections :)

    -mike
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    yea power folding, love that push button action :), just thought I didn't have to mention it!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    yum yum fun! And if you follow Honda Logic, those power folding mirrors would give you 20hp extra! :)

    -mike
  • mortpeaberrymortpeaberry Member Posts: 69
    If you ever read hot rod catalogs (chevy, honda, any of them) Just with 3 mods you can get over 100% gain in HP.
    Example:
    air filter 40% increase
    muffler tip 30% increase
    Chrome gas door30% increase
    100% EASY!
    some one sent me a link a year ago about how to get that all cool look, including: Blue headlights (plastic wrap), big muffler (painted coffee can), Chrome accents (silver duct tape) and racing stripes (green 6" masking tape)
    These guys had step by step instructions and pictures, and even ACTUAL HP figures.
    steve-v
  • ccampbell4ccampbell4 Member Posts: 60
    I have been looking around on the web for replacement options for the skid plate under the engine compartment. I saw the one mentioned the other day, but what if I want the factory one? Is there a definitive source for better prices?
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day Goosegog

    Silly question but just how steep was the hill to allow the Imp to get to that sort of speed?

    Reminds me that I had a Golf GTi MkII and was overtaken down a steep hill near Brighton (England) by a Relianty Robin 3 wheeler. Scared me as I was doing over 90mph and this thing was chronically unstable as it went by. One of those occassions when you back off hard and wait for the accident to happen in front of you.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    When I was in England, few years back, I remember seeing several of those 3-wheeled Reliants. I also remember trying to keep up with some guy in an old WW II-era Citroen on some windy road. That thing looked like it was on the verge of tipping over on every corner, but this guy never missed a beat...

    Anybody who loves cars has to make it to the UK. It's a gold mine of 4-wheeled, 3-wheeled and 2-wheeled contraptions.

    Bob
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I agree that the mirror is the prime source of noise on the driver's side. Two interesting facts: 1) the noise was worse after I washed and waxed my mirrors, indicating flow in that region is laminar (smooth). This means that adding surface roughness or even just having dirty mirrors should reduce the noise (it reduces the flow separation behind the mirror, like dimples on a golf ball. 2) the noise seemed to go down after I installed a hood deflector. This either means the deflector noise is drowning out the mirror noise (doubtful, since the defelctor seems pretty quiet) or the defelctor altered the flow around the mirrors in a beneficial way.

    Since I work in the area of aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, I had planned to experiment with various "fixes" to reduce the noise. But the hood deflector seemed to take care of the problem. Or maybe it's just that my mirrors are getting dirty!!

    Regarding the door seals -- if the glass is not sitting up against the seals properly, have the dealer adjust the glass position. It should be pretty obvious if the glass is not aligned properly.

    I have been pretty happy ordering parts from Liberty Subaru in NJ (www.newsubaru.com).

    BTW, just got back from a ski trip, and the LL Bean rocked. Awesome ski car. I saw a ton of Subarus on the mountain, and even an "official" Subaru of America Outback with some cool graphics on it. Wish I had my camera along to snap a picture.

    Craig
  • bkaiser1bkaiser1 Member Posts: 464
    You mentioned that you take the grills off your OB when you wash the car -- do they just pull off? I tried to pull mine off the other day, but they feel so fragile I didn't want to shatter them. I wasn't motivated to try for long because it was about 10 degrees F so I went back inside. Just curious...I'd like to remove them for good.
    Regards,
    Brian K
  • ffsteveffsteve Member Posts: 243
    Twist the grills about 30 degrees one way or the other (probably CCW) and they fall right out!

    I think it is described in the manual somewhere too.

    Steve
  • winkiebarkwinkiebark Member Posts: 6
    I have a method for avoiding traffic tickets too. I drive at or below the speed limit, give myself plenty of defensive room, and am courteous to other drivers. When conditions make it necessary, I slow down. I have had no tickets since 1989 and have not caused anyone to wreck around me.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    How nice winkiebark! Just make sure to stay in the right lane on the highway! :) Obviously you live in some kind of wonderland, cause here in the Northeast driving at or below the speed limit is DEFINITELY dangerous to other drivers!

    -mike
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    Had a 2CV when I was in the UK in the 70s, got stopped by the cops one night who said I was going over 95mph on the motorway, when I went to court the magistrate said there was no way on earth that thing could do 90 under any circumstances! Only got fined for doing 80!
  • herbrussherbruss Member Posts: 24
    Try not to do stupid things. Use school of minnows theory. If you are just like all the other minnows its hard to pick you out.
    If you do get picked then be polite, calm, respectful and keep attitude in spare tire well. Like Paisan said turn interiors on and keep hands on wheel, do as told. I watched a 62 in a 55 warning escalate into several tickets because "What the #$%@ do you want" is not an accepted greeting in our society
    28 years, 1,000,000 plus miles, all 50 states, 2 tickets (year 1, same stop), stopped 5 times normally, once felony style. They were looking for someone else, drawn weapons do make you more polite. ;-}
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Rather than post it again, see the story I wrote last night in "Meet The Members". I think you will have a good laugh at my expense!!!

    Steve
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    That makes sense. My dad worked for a guy who had another strategy. The boss once took the wrong turn down a cloverleaf exit. Rather than driving around three cloverleafs to get back the right way he tried backing up the wrong way. Of course a trooper was waiting for him with a flashing gumball and a ticket book when he got to the top.

    This man was married to a woman who, as they used to say, "had a mouth on her." She lit into her husband with a stream of blistering criticism punctuated by foul language--the "f word" and the "a word" and all the others. The trooper had already written his ticket, but he was stunned by what he was hearing from the passenger's seat. The trooper tore up the ticket, saying, "You poor jerk, you got a lot more punishment from her than you'd get from this."

    That became their standard ticket protocol, not that this lady needed any encouragement to launch into a tirade when her husband screwed up again. I'm not sure this would still work, but it did in a less cynical age.
  • ochsskochssk Member Posts: 52
    I have a couple questions on care of our new Bean. I assume the car has a clearcoat. Should I wait to give it it's first wax job. If so how long? and what kind of wax would people recommend.

    What should I use on the leather seats and how often should a treatment be applied. We live in Arizona and the car will be parked outside most of the week. We are planning to tint the windows next month.

    Thanks!

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If I were the cop I'd write her a ticket too, for disturbing the peace! ;-)

    Steve: the paint is cured at the factory, so wax away. Check out the thread under Subaru Crew, we have a whole OCD club going regarding car care.

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    If you are going to be parked outside most of the time especially in Arizona, I would suggest you treat the leather 3 times a year with any good leather conditioner.

    The best to apply conditioner, is to pour a small amount on the seat then spread with your bare hands, ( great for the hands as well)then after about ten minutes wipe it all over well with a cloth.

    Enjoy your new Bean.

    cheers Pat.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I just waxed my 2 month old Bean with Klasse a few weeks ago, and it was a great experience. Easy to put on and take off, and looks great. More info at www.klassedirect.com.

    Craig
  • dzndzn Member Posts: 11
    Does anyone remember where on this message board is the posting (with picture references) for adjusting windows. I am attempting to reduce the wind noise and remember seeing that post some time back.
  • paulsgtpaulsgt Member Posts: 30
    Hi folks,
    Our Bean is just about 6-months old and just turned over 13,000 miles. My wife called the dealer because the CEL was on (not gas cap related). She also complained of a bad smell when she drives the car like burning oil or something. Dealer says there were loose coolant hose clamps (causing the smell) and they have to take the computer and send it back to Subaru for re-programming(!?!?!?) The Bean will be laid-up for 3-days to a week. This may explain the poor fuel economy of this car(?) So far we have not been able to achieve the numbers that are talked about on this list. She gets average of 19 to 20mpg (mostly freeway driving, 35 mile one-way open freeway trip to work). Last fall we were able to get close to 25mpg on a long road trip (Mpls. to KC). Still, not quite the numbers I would expect. I'll post once the Bean is back from the dealer with re-programming.

    Paul in MN.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let us know how the "fix" goes. A new/reprogrammed ECU ought to help fuel economy, but the engine's still a bit green so it would have improved anyway.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    from a 6 cylinder heavy car is pretty darn good IMHO. The ecu re-program should help but maybe 1-2mpg max.

    -mike
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    That was me.


    http://homepage.mac.com/craig_hunter/window/


    The pictures are from the rear door on the driver's side, but I imagine it would apply to the other doors. Let me know if you have any questions. There are basic adjustments for side to side position, and "stops" that control the vertical limits for up and down. If you took pictures of your glass, I could compare it to my car and see if it is off and by how much.


    Craig

  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    Brian -

    The fog lamp shields are removed by rotating counter-clockwise (the previous 30 degree estimate is good) - reverse the procedure to reinstall. Note the "TOP" embossed on the uppermost "crossbar." My hunch is that they're easy to break, so take it easy (perhaps not a good idea to do in sub-zero WX).

    I've been driving since 1964, and have received one ticket (in 1968, for doing 65 in a 55 - Route 309 in PA - by a very polite state trooper who was attracted to my flaming red/orange Fiat 124 Sport Coupe for some reason(?!)). Multiple cross-country treks as I moved around in the Air Force - I'd guess I've driven around 1.5 million miles by tallying up cars and mileage. Always noted on long trips that the same car(s) would go flying by a couple of times in the same day - unsure if speed-induced higher fuel consumption or smaller bladder kept making them stop. Generally speaking, speeding didn't seem to make much sense on any level (although I fully agree with the "minnow" theory - especially in urban areas like Seattle).

    Funniest ticket I heard of (related by my mom) - in the 60s, she and my dad were headed downtown Philly for dinner and apparently he was regaling her with some story. A cop who'd been following them for some time (in normal city traffic) finally pulled them over and threatened to give my dad a ticket for talking too much - and not paying enough attention to driving. Long before cell phones!

    Ken in Seattle (sunshine, finally)
  • goosegoggoosegog Member Posts: 206
    Fog light grilles; grip them at the edges and twist anti-clockwise to remove; they dont turn far. There is a top and bottom (marked on the grille) and they are flimsy. There are 4 little clips moulded into them but it is difficult to see exactly what they clip onto, there seem to be 4 white tabs in the right places around the lamp and mine are all there, but the grille is still loose on one side as if one of the clips/tabs isnt connecting.

    As for Reliants (Mr Beans car) they had a fiberglass body and about a 850 cc engine I think. Quite a good power/weight ratio, but definitely a laughing stock. It is surprisingly difficult to roll a 3-wheeler; the body is always very light and the engine is usually between the two driven wheels; as the car tips it goes towards the single wheel, and the weight of the engine is away from the direction of tip (if you see what I mean). So it is sort of self-righting. To a degree.

    When I was in college in England in the 60s my friend had an AC. Most people here probably only know the Cobra, but AC made all kinds of junk. This thing was a tiny two seat 3-wheeler with a single cylinder, two stroke, 500cc motorbike engine in the back, driving the two rear wheels with a rubber band arrangement on a tapered cylinder (a la DAF and Subaru Justy I think), meaning no gears, the engine rpm was more or less constant. He was a big fellow and drove it like a madman trailing blue smoke and with his elbow stuck out the fold-up window; it would roll so much the aluminum body would scrape along the ground. In the wet the belt would slip on the cylinder; it would lose traction and start to slow down, but then the friction of the slipping belt would dry it and it would grip again, so wed go along in a series of surges with the engine banging away like the clappers the whole time.

    I also had a friend who collected pre-war cars. At one time he had a giant Auburn(sp?) about 30 ft long. But the one I remember best was the Citroen light 15, as mentioned by Bob. I went with him to pick one up. We traveled in an identical car, and were to tow the new acquisition back as it was not running or licenced. So I sat in the towed Citroen while he drove the other one from Southend back to London, about 50 miles. The towing device was a rope and the technique for the towee is to keep your foot hovering over the brake pedal in order to keep the rope taught, avoiding sudden lurches which could break it, and to avoid rear-ending the towing vehicle, which of course is supposed to brake gently. So about halfway back he seemed to forget I was 5 ft behind him (no mirror). The Light 15 was front wheel drive and handled very nicely. But not when it being towed. He kept increasing speed and zipping around roundabouts and curves while I desperately tried to keep mine on the road. I had no means of attracting his attention (no battery therefore no horn). Eventually the rope broke and I went sailing off onto the grass at a roundabout.

    Cars are so boring now.

    Can somone tell me how to post a picture right into the post rather than a link?
  • bkaiser1bkaiser1 Member Posts: 464
    Thanks, all, for the help with the foglight grills...I'll pull them off tonite. I appreciate the input!
    Brian
  • sibbaldsibbald Member Posts: 106
    Those were good hints you listed except for the PBA card of a police officer. IMHO you had better have some picture I.D. (sometimes called an universal drivers licence) that will match that card. Name droppers are in the same category at people with radar detectors.

    Oh, how many times the speeding tolerance was dropped when a radar detector was observed in a passing car. ;-)

    Things police offices wish they could say:

    "The answer to this question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or dog?"

    "So, you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"

    "Yes sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"

    "Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

    "Life's tough, it's tougher if you're stupid."

    "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."

    Cheers,

    Tom
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    Didn't you pull me over once a few years back, sibbald? Do you remember a short bearded guy who insisted Mickey Mouse was a bat? :-)
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    LOL.

    Ross
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Took mine off tonight. Kind of like the look. I will leave them off a few days and decide.

    Craig
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Mine has my uncle's shield # on it :)

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    mike-
    How does one get into the FOP?

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's a waste of money to join the FOP just for the card, cause it doesn't do you much good w/o knowing/being an actual officer. FOP is basically a police officer's group, not sure what it does but I think basically promotes police, and what not to the general public, and provides support groups for family members?

    -mike
  • 99gs99gs Member Posts: 109
    What year did the Limited Slip Dif first appear on a Subaru and which model? Jack
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Craig: are the fogs just exposed? Are you gonna cover them with any of that plastic coating stuff?

    Also, did you notice if the lights are any brighter without the grilles blocking them?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well I know they had LSDs available on the XTs so that is back as far as 85 or 86. Probably even before that too.

    -mike
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Yeah, the fogs are exposed. But I don't think the grilles would have provided a whole lot of protection anyway, at least against common road hazards. Maybe if you were driving through the jungle. Then again, the grilles are attached to the fogs, so a good swipe would likely damage the fogs anyway.

    I was thinking about getting some of the protective film, but it's really expensive. I will check into it though.

    I do think the light projection on the ground was a little more uniform/brighter, but it may be in my head. The way the light spreads out from those beams, the grilles should have very little effect. I can always do an un-scientific test, however . . . .

    Craig
  • 99gs99gs Member Posts: 109
    I'm looking at used Outbacks and Legacy's from '96 through '99. Just wondering if any of those had LSD. Thanks. Jack
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