Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

nygreg

with Jim on the A2s. Mine wore poorly and became very loud due to cupping. I was meticulous with checking pressure, etc. The only question is possibly how you rotate them. I believe Dunlop (on their website) recommends X rotation. I did front to back. Outside of the cupping/noise I thought they were great performing tires in all weather conditions. Also, they did wear quickly (20K), however that is a tradeoff for good performance.

Greg

bkaiser1

I, too, had a bad experience with the Dunlop A2's on my 2001 Outback. They cupped within the first 10K miles or so and became intolerably loud...and they were nearly worn out completely when I replaced them at 18K miles. Discount Tire replaced them for free with Michelin MXV4's which I felt far surpassed the A2's in all conditions. Incidentally, I checked the tire pressure about once a week and rotated them every 5k miles, which still did not help the A2's.

Brian

squeezedlemon

Larry, thanks for the insight. Anyone else want to weigh in on whether directional tires such as the GY Aquatread 3, Michelin Hydroedge or Nokian WR 2 would wear out prematurely on AWD's? I noticed that the Subaru recommends front to back rotation and not cross rotation in any event.

Any experience out there with Nokian? I have heard great things about their handling in snow and wet but I am concerned that about road noise and ride comfort.

Drive safely out there,

Matt

mrk610

Well dropped the car off at the dealer today . they called about 4 hours later and said that SOA is not paying for head gasket repairs . Instead they are telling the dealers to add a sealer to the coolant ,to stop the leaks .

Patti have you heard anything about this. MY service manager wrote on my service ticket that Subaru technical support and DSR said to add sealer to stop leak .

I feel that I'm getting screwed since so many other people have had this problem and had there head gaskets replaced .

Mike k

nygreg

you might want to bring this to the other thread "Official SOA presence (aka Patti)" for faster response. As far as I know, a sealant is not the fix, only replacement as was done in my case. Did you call 800-SUBARU3 and open a case?

Greg

mrk610

I forgot about Patti having here own forum . I will post it right now . Will calling and getting a case # really do any good .

Mike k

jfl

is a Subaru dealer in Washington state. Their service was great when I ordered from them.

I called for prices and part numbers, then mailed SubaruBucks to cover the cost.

I easily saved 35% versus the local dealer.

Jim

don106

Have no forward or reverse gears, but have all gears when in 4wd, but power only to the rear wheels. 1987 Subaru wagon 4wd automatic. Any ideas? Also, any idea where power window relay is located. Thanks. Don106

lfdal

Mike K - please keep us posted on the heads - I'd hate think the fix is a bottle of stop-leak. I'm convinced that's what the Mercury dealer tried on my heater core and ended up costing me months of trips back and forth to the dealer with intermittent overheating problems until the engine finally got replaced (turns out the sealant sealed some passages it shouldn't have).

What a nightmare.

Larry

bat1161

I finally found out what was causing the CEL on my OBW. The ignition coil was shot, and the fuel injector went. They also found the vacum(?) was leaking a bit, so they are replacing it as well. All work is covered under waranty.
    I do have a question though: what could cause these items to go bad at 53K miles? Should I be concerned about something else going bad, or is this just one of those things? I love the car, and I do use it. There may be times I "push it" a bit, but generally I just drive normal, or as normal as NYC traffic allows:-)

Mark

ateixeira

I've seen a few of those, but not quite a pattern. I wouldn't be too concerned. Now you get an extra year of warranty on those parts, FWIW.

-juice

nygreg

Yes, starting a case with Subaru is definitely something you should do. They will work with the dealer and keep them honest. This has worked for me when my knock sensor went.

Greg

dnunin

Howdy-
 
I've enjoyed reading the post about Subarus. I am currently looking to purchase a 2001 llbean ob wagon. Car has 85k, and is loaded and extra clean. I test drove the car and notice the pulsing in the brakes and by reading your posts, must need new rotors. Dealer is willing to fix. They want $12,000. and won't budge. Can anyone tell me if the 6 cyl engine is reliable??
I have not read much about the 6 cyl. or any other related problems.... HELP ME Decide...
Thanks for your input. Tim

cptplt

I have Nokian NRWs as my winter tire on my 98 Legacy, they are slightly more noisy than the stock RE92 but barely noticeable. As long as your alignment is ok, directional tires shouldn't be a problem. I had Arctic Alpins which are also directional for 3 seasons, now those were noisy they really whine! In fact I took the car in to the dealer as I thought I had a vacuum leak! The newer WR is supposed to be less noisy than the NRW.

Tirerack rates the Turanza LT highly on their tests and their customer surveys, the new Hydroedge may be a little better on their tests.The bridgestone is a lot cheaper too. I will be getting the LT for my wife's minivan this year but mainly because I want something with a higher max pressure than 35 as thats the minivans recommended pressure. Seems keeping the tires at its design max pressure leaves little safety margin! The Michelin Pilot XGT H4 is a very good tire for Legacies. Had that for 2 seasons (till my very bad alignment wore them to the steel on one edge!).

nygreg

is a lot of money for a brake job.
You are correct - you probably need new rotors. The H6 appears to be very reliable. I don't recall any issues with it. Since the car has 85K on the odo you might want to check out the service required at 90K (which is a big one) and possibly get the dealer to perform this before you purchase the car (I am assuming you are buying from a dealer).

Greg

c_hunter

The one in my LL Bean has been bulletproof for 35,000 miles so far. I don't think we've seen any issues reported here either. I really think it's a gem of an engine.

Let's hope Subaru fixes the brakes for the new 05 design....

Craig

ateixeira

H6 is very reliable. Probably it's the engine that is complained about the least here at Edmunds, FWIW.

Rotors aren't that expensive, but the dealer should sell the car with new rotors. Offer $12,300 with new ones installed.

-juice

emmanuelchoke

And ordered from 1stsubaru. Thanks for the replies.
     I've replaced struts and wheel bearings on other cars but never a Subaru. Strut replacement looks typical(don't try it unless you know what you're getting into, can be dangerous). I bought new springs and strut mounts since they're relatively inexpensive and at 87K miles it can't hurt. The wheel bearings look more involved, they're between the hub and steering knuckle which are pressed together. Separating them is not too difficult but getting the proper clearances when assembling them is critical. Anyone have any caveats or wisdom in this area?

ateixeira

paisan will tell you one of the bolts is always super-tight. They've had to use a torch to get some of them out.

-juice

lfdal

Yoy might want to look at endwrench.com - they've some info on there about a new procdure to use when replacing Subaru bearings. I can't remember if its model specific or across the product line.

Larry

otis123

My LLBean has been flawless for 53K miles - except for the front rotor problem which was fixed and hasn't come back...

"Old School" Ralph

emmanuelchoke

All replies noted and appreciated.
     When trying to determine when to replace struts on a vehicle, this has worked for me. Drive the car on a washboard road, about 15-25 mph,and if you hear a rapid knocking from the front or rear suspension, this could be from loose or worn struts or strut mounts. It's not an echoing, rattling noise, but more of a solid tapping, the frequency matching the road imperfections.
      There could be other causes, but this is a good indicator of the struts condition. My .02.

mhinkson2

I have a 03 LLBean OB and wrote back in Nov 03 about warped brakes and wind noise. C (Craig) Hunter was good enough to respond with a fix for the wind noise and provided photographs on how to fix the problem. I have told the dealer numerous times what they needed to do, but to no avail they keep changing the rubber gusset along the door. I kept telling them that was not the problem. Well today the dealer informed me that the Subaru rep came in and told them of a service bulletin out that would fix it. It's the same thing Craig suggested. I told them that it was to bad that Subaru owners could figure out the problem and provide the fix alot faster than Subaru. So hopefully we can all get rid of the noise now. My most recent problem, which has everyone stumped is that it seems after a long driving trip (normally 2 days of driving about 500 miles) I have let the car set in the driveway (just didn't need to go anywhere) for 1-2 days without starting it up. Then after a couple of days I have gone out to use the car and it's completely dead and will not turn over. Battery is fine. This has happened twice. The first time I had to have it towed to the dealers who said it was flooded. It wouldn't even turn over before I tried stepping on the gas. The second time happened over xmas vacation. I called the dealer and he said to put the gas pedal all the way to the floor to cut off the fuel injector. After 4 times doing this with a 20 minute wait in between each try it finally started. The technician thinks maybe a vapor lock and one of my relatives thinks its an electronic problem and I should dump the car. Any ideas?

c_hunter

Here's the reliable way to start the Bean every time:

Turn the key to on, wait for the fuel pump to pressurize the system (you'll hear a whir/hum from the back of the car for a few seconds). Then, turn the key to start.

Using this approach, my Bean starts right up every time. Before I did this, there would be an ocassional hiccup or hard start. I have seen the same exact behavior in other fuel injected cars. So, it's a habit for me.

Craig

ateixeira

Defeinitely let the fuel pump prime, it'll just run smoother.

-juice

otis123

A couple weeks ago while leaving work at around 10 degrees F I backed my LLBean out of my parking spot, pressing the brake pedal.....no brakes...pedal had force, but no braking. By the time I finished backing out of my spot the brakes finally kicked in...almost like they melted. Lucky there was no one behind me and the engine wasn't surging.

Would this be water in the brake line? I have never changed the fluid in 53K miles. I had the rotor and pad problem (only problem to date) and figured I got (some) new fluid when they did that work...Did I guess wrong?

Thanks,

Ralph

paisan

You are supposed to flush the brakes every 30K miles. Chances are there is water in the brake lines as they are hydroscopic which means they absorb moisture. Get them flush (not bled) ASAP. I bet the resivoir looks like chocolate pudding too. If you were racing, you would probably boil the water out and end up with no brakes also.

If you are around NY/NJ/PA/CT let me know and I can help you do em.

-mike

eb12

I took my Legacy in for oil change and check on wind noise and now it is worse than before.

What should I tell the service writer next time I am in for this?

Thanks
Eric

fibber2

We need more info to help you with the wind noise. Is it door or window seals related? Have you pushed/pulled/prodded to help isolate the spot? Maybe roof rack? Do you have crossbars installed and is the rounded/pointy edges pointed in the right direction? We would like to guide you, but request for help is too vague for us to offer anything meaningful.

Steve

senturi

My wife drives a 2002 Base OB. So far the car runs fine. Are there any issues with the 2002 Base OB; i.e. head gasket or other reported concerns?

Thanks
Senturi

fibber2

As you have probably read, some of us have experienced head gasket problems. I shouldn't take much of a search to find specifics. Same with brake rotor issues. Other than that, the cars have been pretty bulletproof.

Make sure that you have address the recalls:
Parking Pawl in the auto tranny,
Rear subframe rust (salt belt cars only??)
Master cylinder cold sticking (limited date codes)

Steve

senturi

Thanks Steve for the update. I will review all current recall items.

Senturi

otis123

What's parking pawl and master cylinder cold sticking?

When the car wants to lunge forward when pulling into a spot....and when the brakes don't work immediately - couple second delay - in very cold temperatures?

I may have both,

Thanks,

Ralph

jfl

I don't know about the cold master cylinder, but the parking pawl is something attached to the automatic transmission lever (or surrounding area) to reduce the likelyhood of the tranny slipping out of "park" and into reverse.

Jim
(who has a 5MT and doesn't need this "lawsuit prevention" recall.)

fibber2

I did see your post this morning about lack of braking when cold, but I didn't comment, because I don't think the recall applies (but you never know).

Some time ago ('99 maybe?) there was a situation in which some master cylinders suffered internal valve problem in subfreezing temps. I recently saw a recall for some '02 Legacy/OB for a cold master cyl issue as well. But I believe that it was not a problem of no brake pressure, but one of no release of brake pressure when the foot is lifted. So you can apply them, but not modulate them.

Maybe somebody else has more data?

Steve

gearhead4

jfl et al,

I think you may be confusing the parking pawl with the shift linkage interlock.
The parking pawl is a mechanism internal to all automatic transmissions that prevents the vehicle from rolling by locking the output shaft(s).
The shift linkage interlock is a mechanism found on most newer AT equipped automobiles which prevents the gearshift from leaving the Park position unless the brake pedal is depressed.

The most common problem with the parking pawl occurs when the transmission selector can't be moved from Park because of a load placed on the the drivetrain (such as when parking on a hill).
The easier way to prevent this problem is by firmly engaging the parking brake before placing the gearshift selector into Park.

-Jim W (gearhead4)

dawes1

I own a 2000 Outback with automatic transmission, I would like to tow a BMW Z3 on a trailer dolly back to NY from Florida (1150 miles). The Z3 weighs 3000 lbs. & outback book limits towing to 2000 lbs.. A mechanic friend says I would be ok if a transmission cooler is installed. Would appreciate imput from anyone on this issue.

c_hunter

Don't quote me on this, but I think the bigger concern would be braking. 3000 lb is a lot to tow, almost as much as the car weighs. That would seriously overpower the brakes in any emergency situations.

I guess I'd also wonder if the H4 would have enough guts to pull 3000 lbs.

If most of the mileage is on the highway (where the torque converter locks up) transmission fluid cooling is less of a critical issue, but installing a cooler is a good idea.

Craig

paisan

You could never tow that.

3000lbs + 500lbs for the dolly. No brakes will kill you as well. I dolly towed a saab behind my Trooper and I vowed I'd never do it again, cause the braking was bad. And I have big 12" brakes on the trooper and pads that are way bigger than an outback. Do the right thing and either drive it up or ship it or rent something to tow it on a flatbed.

-mike

rsholland

You're asking for trouble.

Bob

krobinson42

97 Outback with approx.89K has had some trouble starting in the morning the past few weeks when it is cold. The key will turn, all the lights will come on but the engine does not turn and you can hear it click. It has happened a few times, twice on really cold mornings (25F +/-) and once on a regular morning (35F +/-).
Had the battery checked-all good. Took it in for it's 90K service-everything seemed to be good.
Any ideas?

stever

Did you clean the terminals?

My buddy had similar symptoms last week and by the time I drove over to jump start him, he had cleaned the battery terminals and everything is hunky-dory now.

Steve, Host

dcm61

If it's not dirty (or loose) terminals, it could be the starter dying. My '96 started acting up at around 126 or 127k miles. Some days I had to try 5 or more times to get it to crank. Traded it in before I pursued a starter replacement.

Hopefully it's just dirty terminals. Good Luck.

DaveM

fibber2

but also check the other end of the wires - where the + cable attaches to the starter solenoid, and where the - cable attaches to the engine block. They can become loose or oxidize as well....

Steve

stever

Good stuff - never occured to me to check the other end of the battery cables.

Watch it be a bad starter after all these good tips :-(

Steve, Host

dawes1

thanks for the advise, I will drive the Z3 to NY instead of towing, did not think about the effect on braking. thanks again.

nygreg

next time it doesn't start, give the starter a few taps with a hammer. Your brushes could be hanging up and the tapping will release them. If this works, you need a new starter.

Greg

c_hunter

Next time anything doesn't work, give it a tap with a hammer! If that fails, whale on it!

Craig

rob_m

I had the exact same problem as otis123 with my 03 OBW with 9k miles. Twice in under 5 minutes I was unable to stop the car. Was about 20 degrees. No problems the prior 4 days in sub-zero temperatures. Dealer could not find anything wrong and advised to bring back when it happens again. SOA agreed with dealer.

Any advice out there?

blackbean

Hi All,
Everyone else who owns a Bean may already know this, but I was overjoyed when I discovered it yesterday. I am tall (6'2") and have always really disliked the way the big auto-dimming/compass rear-view mirror on the Bean creates a huge blind-spot in the right center of the winshield. Well, lo-and-behold, Subaru engineers put a double ball-joint/socket adjustment on the mirror so you can adjust height as well as angle. I guess the height balljoint was frozen all this time, but I found I could position the mirror all the way to the top of the windshield near the roof and then angle for proper rear-view.

My wife thinks I am an idiot for getting so excited over a little thing like this, but it makes all the difference in the world to me. On most cars, the mirror is fixed at the windshield and only has one ball-joint for angle adjustment. Anyway, if anyone hasn't found this - hope you find it half as exciting as I did!! :-)
Cheers,
Matt