Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

slickdog

Thanks guys, I'll just change the plugs and leave it alone for now. There wasn't any oil mess until I pulled the boot, so it won't annoy me once the plug change is finished anyway. Sometimes I see a bit of coolant on the block when I change oil, so the engine may be needing head gasket job someday, and it would probably make more sense to wait and mess with the valve cover gasket then.

xwesx

Sounds like it might be your front or center differential... Not a good thing....

marc_outback

Three weeks ago I noticed that the coolant level in the reservoir, cold, was below MIN. The radiator was full. I filled the reservoir up with coolant from the Subaru dealer to halfway between MIN and MAX. After 1000 miles it is below MIN again. I usually drive the car about 300 miles per trip, the temperature gauge did not display any abnormality, it stays at halfway. Should I be worried about this apparent loss of coolant?

ebony5

I recently had new spark plugs installed in my '96 OBW. It seems that the gas milage had decreased substantially. I had expected it to improve and the opposite has happened. I am only on my first tank of gas since having the work done and will continue to monitor the situation. Is this normal?

jfl

If the battery was disconnected for any length of time, the computer memory would have cleared and the car will have to relearn your driving style. It should be back to normal in a tank or two.

Jim

geneob

I can come up with a few possible culprits. 1. Plug wires might not be on completely/correctly. 2. 1 or more plugs might not be tight. 3. These plug wires seem a little to fragile for my liking so its possible that one of the plug wires has gone bad from when they replaced the plugs.

tonyratnose

We snapped the passenger side mirror off our 97 legacy outback. Looking for a replacement. What years mirrors fit this car? I see some from other years but don't know if they will work. Thanks, Tony

rhansen25

Hi,

I blew the head gasket on my outback and had it repaired under a recall warranty (~100k Miles). I was very happy. The only issue now is my check engine light keeps going on and off and the dealer says I now need cylinder work $$$$. I also noticed I seem to be low on coolant as the temp runs high once in a while. Do I really need the cylinder work or is it a problem with the new gasket?

ateixeira

Not sure, but use Google image search.

Type in "1998 Outback" and look for a pic that shows the mirrors. Same for 1999. 2000 was the next generation.

You can probably also look back at 1995 and 1996 models.

Good luck.

paisan

95->99 Legacies all use the same mirrors.

-mike

staticgal

I just bought a 2004 Subaru Outback Wagon (38,000 miles) and noticed the same thing. Did you ever resolve your problem? It would be helpful to know before I bring it back to the dealer to see what the problem is. My sound actually occurred when I was doing about 55-60. It happened twice in about 15 minutes. At first I thought it was the radio but it still occurred after I shut the radio off.

atarget

external HG leak ? check back of block/head connection on driver's side, right against firewall; get a flashlite and start car cold - if you notice coolant weeping/dripping with tiny bubbles, see your subaru dealer ( if car is still on warranty); if car is not on warranty anymore, trade it for a non-subaru vehicle.........

atarget

was an original HG leak internal or external ? ( originally it was assumed '00 and newer H4 2.5 engines have only external leak - now it looks that the external leak often spreads into fire rings and becomes internal...). If it was diagnosed as external by the shop who did repair, they may start playing blame game with you, saying that you overheated engine and warped heads, and that warranty repair only covers gasket itself, and you will have to do head machining on your dime, then also pay for all the labor of tearing engine apart again and then puting it back together. HG only costs $ 50. I would say, trade your subbie for something more reliable. Next thing to go after heads will be probably your transmission ( is it automatic ?)......... I drove '00 Outback Ltd for over 2 years and I'm happy I got rid of that POS.
best regards.
atatarget

jmoose

I just took our 2001 Outback in for its 90,000 mile service. When I brought it to the dealer yesterday, they said the major service would cost $550. OK, it is what it is. There were a few other items I wanted them to look at (converter heat shield rattling, valve(s) tapping), so I expected the final bill to be somewhat more. Mid-day today, I got a call from the dealer saying they recommended several other items: a $130 "Engine Flush" (gets sludge out of oil pan, apparently), a $150 fuel injector service, "A/C Tuneup" ($239) and front and rear differential service ($198). I declined the last two and took the first two.

When I went back to the dealer to pick up the car, I asked who "recommended" these service items, since the Subaru manual didn't seem to call them out (they weren't included in the standard 90K service) and she said the dealer did, and showed me a pre-printed list of stuff they recommend.

I said that if this was her recommendation, she should have asked me about it when I brought my car in for service, not waited until mid day and, frankly, making it seem like they had discovered a problem in need of repair, rather than offering to perform additional preventive maintenance.

My question (be honest, I know y'all will be!) is was I ripped off for the two items I chose and/or should I have performed at least the differential work? No outward signs that the AC is working other than perfectly and the differentials aren't making funny noises :-). I'm a little careful with this car, since the head gasket was replaced twice...fortunately under warranty.

This smells like the dealer trying to pad his bill at my expense to me.

Thanks!

ateixeira

If the A/C works fine I would not touch it. Just make sure you use the A/C once in a while to circulate the refrigerant and lube the seals.

Rear diff - change the fluid yourself, it's soooo easy. Remove the top plug first, then the bottom one. My Forester just needed a 1/2" drive. Oil drains out.

Replace the bottom plug first. Then pump in 1 quart of 75w90 gear oil, about $4. A hand held oil pump will cost you about $7 if you need that.

When done, replace the top plug, voila, done.

$11 and about 20 minutes of work. Ramps are best but you can jack the rear diff, just use a couple of jack stands.

I see no reason to pay $198, GOOD GOD that is overpriced.

Drive it over and I'll do the whole thing for 1/4 that price.

Mr_Shiftright

Well you weren't "ripped off" if they actually did what they said they would do, so that's not the issue. As to what is necessary, probably, were I in your shoes I would have only done the last item, the differential oil changes. There was apparently nothing to suggest sludge in your engine or clogged fuel injectors or an AC problem, so those seem unnecessary to me. I would have declined them if they were my car...in fact, I have declined them at the Toyota dealer.

marc_outback

Which dealer was it?

jmoose

Dealer was Curry Ford/Subaru, Yorktown Heights NY.

jmoose

Thanks for the info and "DIY Tutorial"!

Much appreciated.

ateixeira

You're welcome.

Careful, gear oil stinks! Wear gloves. Your wife will not come near you for days!

bennywayne

Just bought a used 2005 Outback (2.5 XT) and noticed the same thing happening today: Check Engine light steady with a flashing cruise control indicator lamp. Apparently code reads cylinder 4 misfire. Mileage: 35,100. What ended up happening with your rig? Thankfully we're still under warranty. Any thoughts?

girlcarbuilder

Oh lord, sorry to say, you got hosed! Get a repair manual from Chiltons or Haynes and learn to do this stuff yourself. Even if you do not turn the wrench, reading it will give you a good idea when someone is trying to hose you. Like some of the other guys have said much of this is way too easy to do in your own spare time. As for a/c. Get a refrigeration thermoter and keep it in the air vent. In the morning it should blow at the coldest about 45 degrees. Found one of those thermoters recently of all places, Wal-Mart. Appliance parts houses and refrigeration supply house have them. As long as this temp happens, you are in good shape.

Engine flush? What? I guess whoever has been changing the oil has been using crappy oil and oil filters. Stay away from Penzoil, Quaker State and Fram! I prefer WIX/NAPA filters myself. Make sure the filter has a check valve in it or your valves will be tapping. If it has been the dealer doing the oil changes.... Run away from them very fast! They just told you in so many words their work is crappy. I have pulled oil pans from cars with 200K miles clean as a whistle and decent oil used in them with a WIX filter changed every 10 K miles. Oh, will I hear about this one from the guys!

Take it from a woman who plays dumb and hangs them out to dry!

lilengineerboy

Make sure the filter has a check valve in it or your valves will be tapping.

The filter is mounted upside down under the engine. It is naturally filled with oil. There is no check valve.

mikef7

I have a 1996 legacy outback and about 5 times now it has not started. The engine turns over but it seems there is no spark or fuel. It happens only under one condition; if I start it up cold (relative since i live in Houston)and drive it about 1-2 miles and turn it off to go into a store for something quick, it won't start. If I wait about 10 minutes, it starts right up. If I drive longer I do not have the problem. Anyone dealt with this before?

xwesx

Yep, dealt with that for much of the 140000 miles I owned my '96 Outback. Like you said - it is predictable, though it was infuriating for the first couple of months until I had the routine worked out.

Oddly, I do not recall any problems with it after August of 2004 when I had some work performed on it. The most notable fixes were the camshaft, crankshaft, and knock sensors being replaced. I am not sure if any of those were the actual culprits (hard to imagine those as being block temperature sensitive), but it never happened after that.

paisan

At 90k you should have your diffys emptied and filled, heck IIRC it's required at either 60k or 90k on all subies.

We routinely perform 30k/60k/90k services at my shop in NNJ and generally follow the book. Most dealers don't.

I would have gone for the diffys and skipped the engine flush and fuel injector flush.

Also I'll bet you that they did not do the all important brake flush which most dealers never do in their 30k/60k/90k services.

We generally will do the diffys at 30k if the car is driven hard, if not we wait for 60k or 90k to do the diffys.

Oh an pricing for 30k/60k/90k at our place runs about $300-400 depending on what gets done.

-mike

bajasos

is there a easy fix for a check engine light? i cant get this car even looked at until the check engine light is off

seattlegirl

When I heard the price for the 60K from the local dealers in Atlanta, I figured it included the timing belt. When I found out it didn't, it sounds like the biggest ripoff! $900 for a 60K service? Any suggestions from the Subaru nation?

paisan

depends on what was getting done for $900 but yeah that seems a bit high.

What year is your car and is it Turbo or non-turbo?

-mike

ateixeira

Yeah, get a Chase Subaru credit card! I've spent I think $400 already and have $1100 saved up for an 09 Forester.

In fact for 3 years in a row we've bumped the upper limit ($500/year I think) so we use another card to earn free gas right now. In October we'll go back to using the Subaru card.

The cool thing is you can use it for ANYTHING, parts, service, a new car, even CPO used cars!

gexdragon

Dear A. Teixeira,
I saw your Aug 21 email about your 98 Subaru alarm problem after changing battery. I am just now facing the same problem and wonder how you solved it.
A. Pereira (Washington, DC)
a6p7guard-car@yahoo.com

gexdragon

Question: How does one disarm the alarm with the key (without the remote button)?
Background: I disconnected the battery wires to clean the poles. Then, as I tred to put the wires back, the alarm went on. I've tried to disarm it by unlocking doors and also turning the switch on and off repeatedly. But none of that has worked so far.
Any advice?

xwesx

There should be a reset button up under the dash along the driver side (behind and up from the hood release lever, along the side).

ateixeira

I didn't have a "problem" per se, in fact I didn't even have the alarm.

The lights just blink on and off when you reconnect the battery, and hitting lock/unlock a few times on the remote keyless entry fob stops it.

Not sure how it works on models with the alarm since mine did not have one.

gexdragon

...couldn't find/reset "button" but it worked based on Subaru Garage advice as follows:
1. turn ignition key to run position,
2. plug the red covered battery wire (neg?, right facing front) back on.
That did it.

dliboiron

http://www.performance-air-filters.com/performance/brands.php?makeid=31&year=199- 7&modelid=502&partid=20859

Comments?

peterb7

I reside in Australia. My Outback has done 135,500 kms. I have a leak in the feft head gasket...about 1 litre every 4 weeks...$2,500 to replace both head gaskets. I have found internet sites that say Subaru America will extend an owner's warranty to include head gasket problems if you agree to use a 'coolant conditioner' that not only prevents head gasket failure but will stop leaks in an existing failed head gasket. Subaru Australia have told me they have no knowledge of this product and that American model Subarus are different to Australian Subarus (specs., fuel, etc.) I found that this is a common problem with my model, which Subaru Australia tell me that it is my bad luck. I also found out that the head gasket replacement is not always successful and can even lead to further head problems and that you should replace both head gaskets at the same time and you should replace the water pump while you are there as well as the timing belt that I have had replaced at 100,000 kms. It has been suggested to me by another mechanic to put an additive sealer in with the coolant and to monitor the leak to see if it seals the gasket. RACQ in Australia did not disagree with this additive option, while Subaru said it was putting a band aid on the problem and may void any warranty claims. RACQ said that Commodores have 2 tablets added to their coolant when the coolant is replaced due to maintenance. RACQ believe that these tablets not only (as claimed by GMH) lubricate the water pump seals but also seal any potential leaking cracks or head gaskets. Can anyone tell me 1.where to purchase some coolant conditioner? 2.Should Subaru replace my head gaskets as a 'call back' Manufacturer's fault? 3.Has anyone had success with any type of additive that seals heads?

shrinermonkey

Stuff like this is junk and is the automotive equivilant of snake oil. Stay away!

Don't you think that if it worked as advertised the vehicle manufacturer would have used something similar already?

peterb7

I don't think you understood that Subaru America are using this "conditioner" product and won't extend a warranty without the vehicle owner agreeing to using this product.
It has been confirmed to me by a third mechanic that GMH do use tablets "additive" mixed with the coolant to lubricate, neutralise components in the water which could cause corrosion and sealing capabilities. Is snake oil an aphrodisiac?

shrinermonkey

I was not replying to the coolant conditioner post... I was replying to the post about the device that supposedly improves gas mileage.

grumpy13

I've been dealing with the HG issue for some time now (and posted here several times). Almost a year ago I was told I've had HCs in the coolant, but I have never experienced any overheating - until this weekend. Knowing the sad story of so many I decided to finally have the HGs replaced and I dropped it at the shop yesterday.

But after two days of looking it over the shop owner says that it is more likely to be a cracked cylinder sleeve than a blown HG. HCs are only 35ppm (steady for a year) in the coolant. Instead of a $1,700 HG repair, he suggested simply using a sealer to fix the cracked cylinder. It’s hard to argue with a guy who recommends spending far, far less than anticipated.

I'll admit, I'm not nearly convinced it'll work - and he was clear that he can't guarantee that it'll work. But considering the limited life left on the vehicle (99 with 125K miles) it seems worth a shot to try first. Has anyone had a similar experience, or am I completely deluded?

doug22

:confuse: I am looking into purchasing a 96-99 AWD Legacy for my daughter to drive in MN but have heard about very expensive Head gasket problems. Are these issues found on all the engines or just the 2.5L models? Is there any way I can tell if the HGs have been replaced? Any other things to look for when shopping for these cars?

andre1313

I got an offer to lease a 2007 outback 2.5i wagon for $309.00 for 42 months, nothing down.
Is that a good deal? The warranty period seems to be only 36 months. What about repairs in the 4th year?
Is there any more reason to buy a 2007 or a 2008 when leasing?
I am used to Audi and BMW's no expense for service for the 48 months I leased them. How much per month is the free service worth? In other words, how much more per month should I reserve for service for the 42 months.
Lastly, with the end of year coming in a couple of weeks, would Audi or BMW offer anything close to the 310 I got on the Subaru Outback?

subearu

From http://www.subaru.com/owners/warranty/index.jsp?from=topNav

New Car Limited Warranty
BASIC COVERAGE is 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Subject to the exclusions listed in this warranty, it covers the entire car.

Seat Belt Lifetime Limited Warranty
SEAT BELT COVERAGE lasts for the useful life of the vehicle and includes seat belts and related components which fail to function properly during normal use. This warranty does not apply to cosmetic appearance, such as color fading, when the seat belts function properly. Coverage also excludes any electrical related components or body anchor points.

Wear Item Limited Warranty
Wear item coverage is 3 year or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Items covered are brake pad/shoe linings, clutch linings, and wiper blades.

Powertrain Limited Warranty
POWERTRAIN COVERAGE for all models is 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Subject to the exclusions listed in this warranty, it covers the major powertrain components listed below.

Powertrain Coverage Components
Engine
Engine block and all internal parts
Cylinder heads and valve trains
Oil pump, oil pan
Timing belts or gears and cover
Water pump
Flywheel
Intake and exhaust manifolds
Oil seals and gaskets

Transaxle and Differential
Transaxle case and internal parts
Torque converter
Electronic transmission control unit
Seals and gaskets
Axle shafts & constant velocity joints [except boots]*
Propeller shaft
Wheel bearings
*Axle shaft and/or CVJ damage due to broken, torn, split or damaged boots, allowing the intrusion of road abrasive material, is not coverable under warranty.

Maintenance Plan info here: http://www.subaru.com/owners/addedsecurity/index.jsp?id=ADDED_SECURITY_SUBARU_PL- ANS#ques0

-Brian

Mr_Shiftright

There's better deals than that...what your deal SEEMS to be is that they are increasing your monthly payments and term of lease to make up for not having you put money down.

See this link for current Subaru lease deals that seem better than yours might be:

Subaru Lease Deals

Visiting Host

khallock

I bought my 2005 Outback LLBean edition in late August 2004. In the summer of 2006 we were on a long drive to Boston on a hot day and my husband was sitting on the passenger side and he noticed dripping on his foot. (This actually may have happened in 2005 also, I just cant remember now.) We had the A/C running. I'm not sure if this is the 1st time it happened or not, Because I drive in the car alot my myself and I dont notice what is going on over on the passenger side floor. So I brought it to Subaru, who said "There is no problem, its not wet now". So a few weeks later he notices it again and we bring it in. They see that the floor is soaked and they said that there was debris in the A/C drain and they blew it out. OK, fine. This year in 2007 I bring the car in AGAIN with the same problem and they blow out the A/C drain again to get rid of any debris. That was in the end of June. In late July we notice it AGAIN, while running the A/C on a long drive to Boston on a very hot day.

So I call Subaru again on 7/31 and tell them I have brought the car in 3-4 times for this issue and its still not fixed. The guy sayd that they stand by their work and to bring it in again and they will get to the bottom of it. So I bring it back on 8/3 and wait 3 hours while they take apart the dash. When they are done they tell me that the A/C drain was blocked by wiring and that was causing the water to come up into the car rather than empty outside. He assures me that it should be all set now.

On 8/16 we notice it again! Argh. I am so pissed and feel like I have given Subaru ample time to fix this issue. My husband wants to fill out lemon paperwork on the car. The VT law says that you have to have reported the problem 2x during the initial warranty, and we have reported at least 3 times, maybe even 4.

Has anyone seen had a problem like this before?

xwesx

Doug, the problem is with the 2.5L engine, not 2.2L, though it is not impossible for a gasket on a 2.2 to fail. Unless the car has a service record, there would be no easy way to tell if the gasket(s) was replaced.

Other problems I have heard about or experienced include: 1. transmission (hesitation to go forward when first placed in gear); 2. leaky valve cover gaskets and camshaft seals; and 3. a propensity for cabin electrical to go awry such as door locks (no auto unlock for non-driver door) and dash lighting.

I might be forgetting something, but none of these things (other than transmission) would send me running from the car. I would deduct them from the price, though!

plim77

I have a 2005 Outback and a 2006 Legacy. Have never seen water dripping before. It also sounds like an uncommon problem- unique to your car.

I would take the car to a different dealership. I bet each time you took the car in, you probably got the same tech. The same tech probably did the same job, each and every time. Make sure you explain to the new dealership your problems with the old one.

If a new dealership is not possible, then I would ask to speak to the service manager. You can also call Subaru of America. Perhaps they would put some pressure on the dealership to fix the problem. No dealership likes SOA calling them.

You also may want to get all-weather mats, if you don't already have them. Then at least the water will puddle up and not get absorbed into the carpet.

khallock

Plim77 - Thanks. Taking it to another dealership isnt really going to work because that would mean me driving at least an hour to get to one. I have the all-weather mats and they dont do anything for this problem. The water starts dripping way further up under the dashboard and by the time it gets to the floor, its underneath the all-weather mats.

I think we are going to try filling out the lemon paperwork to see if that puts a fire under anyones [non-permissible content removed], and then call SOA, or maybe I should do it vice versa, but i feel like I have given them enough chances as it is...if I could get a refund or a new car out of the deal that would be sweet.

xwesx

Yes, and deserved at this point as well. No A/C drain leak should ever cause the headaches is has caused for you. :lemon: