Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

xwesx

Sounds like it is probably coming from the "weep hole" in the water pump. Eminent failure ahead, so good to nip it now. Regarding the rest of the goo though, you might also have an oil leak either from the valve cover gaskets or from the cam seals. Make SURE to have the shop check those while they are in there. If the cam seals are leaking, get them fixed then as it is very little additional labor and those leaks can progress quickly.

zfk

I have been driving the car 2 weeks, total miles = 600. Have been pleased with the ride until yesterday when a noticeable and annoying rattle started in the rear right side. Obviously this is disappointing as Subaru has a rep for good builds and I plan to take this to the dealer to look at. I experimented with seats down and up, checked headrests, looked in spare wheel well and under the car but everything looks fine. Nothing else is in the back of the car.

I would expect my 91 camry with 189k miles to rattle (and it actually rattles very little) but not a 2 week old 2007 outback. Just venting as who wants to spend 20k+ on new wheels to have them rattle so soon. BTW the car has only been on paved roads and driven very easily.

njjuliano

Have been in the middle of trying to find prelim steps on eliminating the factors that might contribute to the problem (ie: damprid, vaccuum buttons, eclipse cleaner) and still it seems to not alleviate. If I have missed any superficial solutions, please, let me know. I dont think its safe to say that the unit is broken.

Anyone have any ideas on why this unit might suddenly behave this way?

I'm going to go ahead and follow the dismantling the radio thread, and see if its a wiring issue.

rangner

No problem! Hope they get you up and running again soon.

rangner

Wow! 189k and almost no rattles? That is an exceptional car. Sounds like you have 2 statistical outliers the high miles car with little to no rattles and the new 2 week old car with one.

Yeah, most definitely take it back to the dealer and make 'em fix it to your satisfaction

xwesx

I doubt the Camry is a statistical outlier for that year. My family had a 1985 and 1992 Camry, both of which we drove well over 200K miles and neither of which ever had a rattle. They had other problems from time to time, mind you....

The rattle would drive me crazy as well. Heck, my '96 OBW has 214K miles on it now and the only rattle (aside from the suspension when hitting decent bumps) is the in-dash cup holder... and even that drives me up the wall. That one is intermittent though (thankfully) so I have not yet resorted to ripping it out and leaving it upon the highway somewhere. :mad:

ateixeira

My dad had a Camry when he lived in Belize. It caught on fire while he was driving on the highway. Other cars waved frantically for him to stop and get out of the car. He got out in time to watch it burn to a crisp.

Talk about a statistical outlier!

-juice

dandersen2

I have an '06 with 5,000 miles. It has rattled from the rear. Just had it "fixed". We'll see. I would check the center position retractable seat belt shoulder strap. If that little buckle is not secured, it will rattle.

dandersen2

I have an '06 Legacy 2.5i Limited. Since the day I bought it, the elapsed time feature on the trip computer has not worked. I took it in to get it fixed under warranty. They gave it back to me and declared it fixed. It worked as I drove out of the lot, but was not working again by the next day. I also noticed that the function was not working on the loaner car they gave me, an '06 outback 2.5i. Have any of you trouble with this function, or am I just not smart enough to work this part of it?

garandman

What do you mean by not worked? It resets every time you shut the key off. Most other cars have a reset button and continue to count up until reset - this doesn't work that way.

The average MPG is linked to each trip odometer, so resetting the odo will reset average mpg. Some people never rest trip B with the idea that they will accumulate the long-term average mpg but it doesn't have that long a memory...

zman3

I know someone who had their 06 in for the same issue. I am not sure what the fix was. My 06 3.0R did it just this past weekend once and it has been fine since. I will keep my eye on it.

So it does not seem to be that rare.

rangner

I knew they were good but not that good!

I've got 83k on my 2000 outback and it may have just a minor rattle here annd there. I remember riding in my dad's 87 chevy astro van with no interior on the roof or sides--that truck would rattle, vibrate and squeak constantly--it took him 3 transmissions, but he did get 340,000 miles out of it before it was all said and done.

rangner

It might not be absolutely necessary, but I'd rather do it now than have the engine overheat--warp the heads etc. you get the picture in the future.

As the adage goes an ounce of prevention....

K9Leader

My 2000 OB Ltd. wagon has a water leak in the cargo area on the passenger side. I suspect it is at where the roof rack connects or at the rubber gasket for the wiring from the body to the hatch. Any suggestions which is most likely? The gasket is the easiest to get to so I will try that first. Should I use some sort of sealant under the gasket? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

--K9Leader

xwesx

Since it is a limited, I also have to wonder if the drain system for the moonroof(s) might be clogged. There are multiple reports here of water in the cargo area when the rear drains either separate or clog. I think that would be far more likely than the roof rack, but all are worthy of investigation to isolate the problem.

K9Leader

I've dealt with clogged drainage in sunroofs in other cars before but I had discounted that as a possibility because the water is always at the extreme rear corner, as far away as possible from the sunroof, and not wet in between. However, your comment spurred me to research some more and I did find a thread on USMB about the exact same problem and it was the rear passenger side drain -- tube had come off the connector nipple. Fix was to drop the headliner and reconnect. Unfortunately, that appears to be a lot of trim removal and know-how of connections and fasteners. I may be stuck getting this done at a dealer.

I will test first, though, by sealing the edges of the sunroof with duck/duct tape and dowsing the car. If no leak, then I know it is the sunroof.

It's always something!

--K9Leader

saluki89

I also had occasions where the elapsed time didn't work. My problems went away after following the advice from another poster some time ago: When you're about to start the engine, turn key until you get to the "run" setting. Pause a few seconds before actually starting the car, you will see the tach and speedometer cycle forwards and back. Wait until the speedometer and tach have moved back to the their original positions. Then, go ahead and turn the key to the start position. Pausing and allowing the dash dials to cycle, then starting the car has fixed the issue for me. Give it a try and let us know if it worked.

zman3

In a way that makes sense. That is typically what I do. Maybe the one time I had the issue I did not do that.

Thanks.

krzyss

I believe that was a problem with "fast" start.
It is better to follow your procedure so fuel lines get pressurized too.

Krzys

goosegog

You need one high and one low for the proper horn sound. The two tones combine to make a louder sound. Individually they are puny and two the same won't be much better.

tguettler

I'd like to flush and replace the coolant on my 1999 Legacy L wagon, 2.2 engine. Suggestions?

jpenny

I have a 2000 Outback. In the past year I've had the "Check Engine" light come on and every time I bring it to the dealer, they say everything is okay and they reset the warning light.

Lately, when driving the engine doesn't sound right. There is a heaviness, kind of draggingness when I drive, I guess one can see it runs a bit rough. It's like a grinding. On my way to the dealer 2 weeks ago, I stalled at a stop light. They did the 60,000 mile check and found everything to be okay. On my way home, I stalled out again. This week, the "Check Engine" light came on. Among other things, the manual said, a loose fuel cap could cause the light to come on. In fact, the cap was loose. I tightened it, but the light still keeps coming on. And, the engine still does not feel right to me.

Any ideas?

Thanks--JP

rangner

A check engine light is not something that should be ignored. It seems like the dealer you're going to isn't taking the problem seriously.

I would go to somewhere like autozone and ask them to scan the computer for free and see what codes are given and/or go to a different dealer that will take your problem seriously.

Do you have any remaining powertrain warranty?

jpenny

Thanks for the advice. I will take the car to another place. I don't believe I have any remaining powertrain warranty.

stevenm1

Your symptoms sound like either the knock sensor on your engine is intermittently malfunctioning, or your engine does have a detonation problem. Our 97 and 98 Subarus had exactly the same symptoms. When the knock sensor detects detonation "noise" or knocking, it sends a signal to the engine CPU to retard the timing, and your acceleration performance is greatly affected. Having your engine CPU scanned is what is needed.

xwesx

Well, if the problem was occuring before the 60K mark, then you do have grounds to insist on a warranty repair due to the other shop's inaction on the problem. You might consider getting a code reader, just so you can read the codes prior to taking it to the shop. That way, if "no problem" is the diagnosis by the shop, you can call BS.

njjuliano

I know, I'm having a conversation with myself. But hey, hopefully someone can benefit.

So I went ahead and dismantled the console to remove the radio. I was hoping that the unit had some sort of face plate and not be one piece. But it looks like it is one piece and that if any wiring was at fault, it would have to be inside.

http://njjuliano.smugmug.com/photos/96542962-L.jpg

It'll have to wait till tomorrow, since it is a bit darker now.

It looks like just a few more screws and the whole cage should come out. If you have any advice, or words of wisdom on what to look out for, please dont hesitate to chime in.

Has anyone actually changed this particular unit in their car? Anything comparable that you can suggest that can utilize the 11 speakers that the Mc was using?

Thanks.

jbbwv

I have a 05 OBW, 2.5i, 4EAT that is coming up on the 30k service. I notice that the Trans. fluid nor the Diff. lub is changed on any of the major service points (30, 30, 90 or 120). Would it be worth the extra Subaru Bucks to have them changed at 30k? I live in WV and the hills on the secondary roads (plus living on top of a ridge w/gravel roads) make for a lot of down/up shifting.

TIA!! JB :confuse:

ateixeira

I'm familiar with that dash, but not the Mac stereo, sorry.

-juice

jbrscot

Subaru's are very tricky...especially when you don't know anything about them. You have to use the vent on the opposite side of the radiator! I took my '99 Legact 2.5GT to Firestone a year back to get the radiator hoses replaced. Very routine...or so I thought. They didn't know about the vent, neither did I. You need to open it in order to make sure you fill it back up properly. The flat 4 engine is difficult to fill...As a result of not knowing about the vent, my car needed the head gaskets replaced as there was air in the system and it overheated and blew a gasket.

jfl

I now change them at 45k or 60k. Many dealers define everything as "severe conditions" and charge for the additional service.

The other thought is to change it now and do the next change at 90k. Then you remove any crud and fine metal particles from break-in.

Jim

rangner

Lately I've been suspecting that my head gaskets might be leaking a little.

The coolant in the overflow reservoir is getting kind of an amber look to it. It seems like the level has been going down as well just a little--although that may have to do with the cooler weather lately.

Temp gauge is ok and never got close to overheating. I've been looking at the coolant for an oily film on top, but don't see anything.

I was thinking it could be the coolant conditioner changing the color to a light amber color. Has anybody else experienced this?

Eric

bigbill756

Had it most of the morning Friday. Replaced the water pump, and gave it the once over. No oil leaks. Was probably the coolant puddle being on the floor of our garage on top of the old oil left behind by the 85 we have. He told us we did good with this car. Our cruise didn't work since we bought it last spring, and he fixed that for free. Did an oil change and it's as good as new again. 166 thousand miles on this car and it purrs like a kitten.

ateixeira

I think they use Stop Leak, but I'm not sure what color it is. The stores sell them in different forms, solids or liquids. The liquid form is a dark green or blue, IIRC. I just saw them last night while browsing the car parts at Wal Mart.

-juice

rangner

IIRC, it was red with little floaty things in it. I bought a bottle at the dealer and put it in myself when I changed the coolant about 6k miles ago. I'll try to take a picture and upload it this weekend when I change the oil.

Eric

jfl

Eric is correct. The conditioner starts as an opaque rusty brown color.

Jim

joeaie

My 06 is doing the same after 2k miles, I called the dealer and they suggested I bring it in. Not ready for that aggravation, yet.

I did notice that the rattle did start as the weather changed from hot to autumn 50-60's degrees.

So if you do happen onto the cure please post.

zman3

My 06 OB had a rattle in the rear during the winter last year. As the temps rose it went away. I never did take it to the dealer since I found a work around. I will probably take it in this year if it still does it now that winter is approaching. Mine would rattle near the rear tail lights. I put large soft sponges on the tail light housing and shut the lift gate with the sponges still there. The rattle was gone. I think some people have had the rear latch tightened in order to get rid of the noise, but I think it only mostly fixed the problem. It would still occasionally rattle.

Try the sponges and see if the sound goes away. If it does, at least you know where the issue is.

Karl

joeaie

thanks Karl, I was working my way to the tail light assembly. I will give it a try. thanks again!

Did not know if others had the same sensitivity to rattles as I. I think my son (16) thinks I'm nuts. He says I on a mission.

zman3

They literally make me irrational and crazy. I hate them, almost more than mechanical issues.

Karl

famof3kids

Don't blame you, I can stand rattles either. My 2003 wagon is still rattle free. However, below 15 degrees, there are various trim rattles. Seems the more it drops below 15, the more rattles. Thankfully that don't happen often in Va. I'd take it back and let the dealer find it. Could be simple.


Mark
2003 Legacy Wagon Spec.Edt.

zfk

The rattle was in the rear hatch, the dealer tightened it down and the rattle has diminished for the most part except on rough roads. I can live with it since it sounds like a fairly common issue. Not really the constant complainer type, and it likely has more to do with the crap roads (potholed/frostheaved) all over Maine.

The reality is quality of everything seems to decline with each passing year. Im in IT and every new batch of computers I order the components seem a little flimsier, more plasticy/fragile, etc.

Overall I am pleased with the Outback 07 ride. There are some things which are annoying (the clutch footrest is cheap plastic and creaks--cmon Subaru either put in a rubber one or get rid of it all together) and the doors could have been hung a bit better (makes a cracking noise when opening) but Im just being a perfectionist.

But the ride is smooth, I like the layout and the 4 cylinder has plenty of pep to it. out of 10 stars I would give it a 8.5.

zfk

Well, 8.5 is probably a little harsh compared to other brands. Lets up that to a 9 out of 10 on overall car satisfaction (30 minute edit function expired!).

I would give the dealer a rare 10 for quickly fixing the problem and being very polite/professional especially in following up post-repair.

tupin

What dealer in Maine are you with? I just bought a Tribeca from Evergreen Subaru in Auburn and they seemed quite good....definitely had the best pricing.

jhindmarsh

Looking for a bit of advice-
I own a 1999 legacy brighton wagon with only 65k mi that has begun to make some dreaded engine knocking noise (4-cyl 2.2L phase 2 engine). It's a pinging/knocking noise that gets worse at higher rpms, but sometimes it just happens.

I've had the car for one year and still owe about $7k on it. Taken it to a dealer (ran some diagnostics and suggested "replace the engine" or accept a $300 trade-in), a local repair shop (over their head) and finally our local independant subie AAA all-star repair shop.

The indy subie dealer looked under the hood and walked me through his sage diagnosis- likely a failing bearing and to replace the short block...upwards of $4500 worth of work.

Should I-
a) invest $4500 in the car and hopefully have it for another 150k+ miles? everything else on the car is in great shape.

b) try to sell for for around $5k as-is?

I really wasn't planning on having this car forever so option a seems less appealing right now...

thanks.

aaykay

I would go with Option b). Investing $4500 in a 7 yr old car with 150k+ miles is something I would not do. At such high miles, the car has got the potential to turn into a money pit...the engine may just be the start. YMMV.

garandman

Option B isn't an option. You are probably looking at $1-2,000 as-is. Replace the engine and keep it a while.

kat95

I have a 2006 2.5I (non-turbo) automatic. From the first day
of ownership, I have noticed that there is a hesitation. You
really notice it when you are stopped on a hill waiting for
the traffic signal,I let off the brake and give it gas not flooring it and there is a hesitation like it wants to stall. It will even do it on a flat surface when stopped and
again give it gas,same thing but not all the time. The service manager drove the vehicle, while I was present and
said it's fine, the famous I couldn't duplicate the problem.
They wouldn't even take it in to check the diagnostics. My husband sat in the passanger seat and I drove and he noticed the problem when we were on a hill. I'm frustrated and hope that the car doesn't stall while I'm on the highway. Anyone experiencing similar issues? Thank you so much.

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stevenm1

You can also look for a used engine at a wrecking yard. Depending on mileage, they can cost from $800-$2000. It won't have a warranty, but is a much cheaper option. With only 65K miles, the car has a lot of miles left in it. I have a 1998 Legacy Brighton wagon with the same size engine; it has 194K miles and is running fine.