Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

zman3

The click going into reverse -- does that happen when the tranny is cold (ie. first thing in the morning?). It's probably a solenoid in the transmission firing to help circulate the fluid.

Thanks Ken. I only notice it in the AM because I can easily hear the noise in my garage. I have a habit of putting a window down before shifting out of park.

I have never noticed it with the engine warm.

I suspect you are correct. I didn't realize the tranny had such a thing.

Karl

kevin13

Hi all. I cracked my passenger side rear taillight cover on my 2005 Legagy GT sedan. Dealer wanted over $300 to replace this! Anybody do this on their own? If so, how hard was it?
Thanks.
kevin

flyinlow

I don't know about the sedans, but on my 06 Outback wagon it was no trouble to remove the taillight cover. I was messing around looking for the trailer wiring and removed the trim piece and lens cover. If yours is like the wagon, you will remove a couple of fasteners for a plastic trim piece, then a couple more for the lens cover itself. The bulbs/wires will come out of the cover easily. I think it would be a 15 minute job.

orangelebaron

I emailed Subaru to ask if I could use the column from the 2007 Outback (I would purchase the part from the parts dept) which is supposed to have a Telescoping Steering Column for my 2005 and they said this was just a rumour and it is only for the Japanese market.
They sounded annoyed in the email that I could ever suggest that a car as expensive as the Outback Limited should have such a feature regardless that even Hyundais are now getting it! OK they didn't say that... but that's how I feel.

Are you listening Subaru!!!??? :mad:

smiller

My dealer is Five Star Subaru. I know I have a 4 speed and it really needs one more!
I've had too many problems with my car.
I can hear it click every time I start and stop.
My brakes will grind every morning backing out of my dry garage, the dealer says it's normal. It's funny that when the dealer knows I'm not happy they don't send a satisfaction survey in the mail. My 1999 Outback never had these noises.

garandman

My brakes will grind every morning backing out of my dry garage, the dealer says it's normal. It's funny that when the dealer knows I'm not happy they don't send a satisfaction survey in the mail.

Depending on where you live and how ofter you drive that could be normal. Most disc brakes develop a light coat of surface rust when wet, and will grin on first application. Then it goes away.

saedave

It's funny that when the dealer knows I'm not happy they don't send a satisfaction survey in the mail.

That reminds me of when the VW dealer failed to tighten a battery connection after service on my W8 Passat and it had to be towed back to the dealer. Surprise....no satisfaction survey.

krzyss

"My brakes will grind every morning backing out of my dry garage"

If Subaru has diagnostics done similarly to VW it may be ABS self test. My Passat does this all the time. If it does not do this (I suspect debris from the road in winter blocked ABS sensors) my Passat turns on ABS warning light.

I do not feel or hear the same sensation in my 05 Legacy GT but my ears are trained by VW ;-)

Krzys

jeffmc

2007 Outbacks are already on sale here. Maybe you mean the 2008 Outback, which is on sale now as a 2007 in Japan? We're probably still nearly a year away from seeing that vehicle here, so the part would have to come from someone in Japan, I'd think, rather than through your dealer.

mikeorb

2007 Outbacks in the USA? Wagon? I have not seen any in Dallas. Where are you locatted? The Website still refers to 2006.

zman3

I haven't checked the dealer lot to see if they are actually on the ground yet or not, but my dealer in suburban Minneapolis shows something like 4 2007 Outback wagons in stock.

smiller

I don't think it's the ABS self test. The dealer told me it was just surface rust getting cleaned off the rotors, but it scrapes every morning even if the car and roads have been dry for days. My 1999 Outback made the noise only after I had washed it the night before and let it sit overnight.
I think when Subaru tried to go "upscale" with the 2005 models they also cut corners, too bad, but at least it has side curtain airbags and good crash test ratings which is the biggest reason why I bought it.

steveb10

Does anybody have a Baldwin, WIX or NAPA Gold part number for an oil filter for the 2006 Outback 2.5i ?

jeffmc

I'm in the Seattle area. My dealer shows five '07 Outback 2.5i models in stock on their website. '07 Legacy wagons, too. If they aren't in Dallas yet, it's gotta be any day now.

luck11

Well the clicking in my front end turned out not to be the brakes.....I need a new steering rack. It's on order.

Cheers.

taddison

NAPA Gold oil filter for the 2.5L non-turbo is FIL 1334.
Their low-cost "ProSelect" version is SFI 21334.
Their mid-cost "Nascar" version is NFI 91334.

sullyak

Has anyone added the armrest extension as an option? I find that I miss having a rest for my right arm. I saw one on the subaru parts mall and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with it. Specifically, does it really go up and out enough to be used as an arm rest.

Thanks

jeffmc

Yes, it does. I don't have one on my Legacy, but a loaner car I drove had it. If I remember correctly, I could rest my elbow on the end of the armrest extension and still grasp the steering wheel. Head down to your dealership and check one out in person to see if it works for you. They're common enough that they should have some on vehicles in stock.

bluesubarugt

wondering how you solved this 05 legacy wagon? I have the same problem.

orangelebaron

I just don't understand why they just can't upgrade the car now.
It really makes no sense to me.

jeffmc

Well, one positive way to look at it is that any minor problems get discovered and worked out by the time the cars go on sale in North America. I don't really know why they stagger the releases like that, though. I can see why they'd launch in Japan first, since it's their home market, but an entire year seems like a long wait for the rest of us.

Anyone here know why Subaru always waits a year to sell next-gen Legacy in the US? Too costly to change two assembly plants in the same year?

saedave

Crash tests are expensive! A change to a telescoping column would necessitate a new test AFAIK. Only a group of changes (new model year) makes that worthwhile.

itsed

I would forget about the rickety US armrest extension and mail order the much nicer JDM or European part. It costs about the same and you get the benefit of an added storage area in the center console. Its also much sturdier.

zman3

I know a lot of people are unhappy with the US armrest extension. I actually like mine since it can fold down and out of the way. I did not like the fact that the European part could not be lowered.

The storage was not that important to me.

To each their own.

Karl

sullyak

Thanks for your advise. Where can I get the JDM version?
Thanks,
Sullyak

kens

Try avoturboworld.com.

Ken

larrycrowell

I have a 2005 OBXT which came with Bridgestone RE92A 225/55-17 tires. At 25K they are worn out -- not very impressive. I'm looking for advice on replacement tires. I'm not into high performance, drive moderately aggressivly, and never over 80 MPH. Here's some specs:

1. Significantly better mileage than the RE92As
2. Under $100 would be nice
3. Excellent wet traction (rains a lot here)
4. Snow here is rarely an issue
5. Non-directional (so I can cross-rotate)
6. Perhaps I could use an H-rated tire
7. Noise is not an issue (usually have audio cranked)

luck11

I replaced my re92s (which still had 85% tread) on my 05 OBXTL with Falcon Ziex 512's. The RE's were simply terrible.

The Falcon's are relatively inexpensive all-season, but rated high for traction on dry and on wet. I have seperate set of winters. Only time will tell about the wear. BUT, they are uni-directional. So far, I am very happy with the tire.

Cheers.

chaki

I am also interested in the JDM version but I cannot find the armrest in the mentioned website. Where should I look?
Thanks.
Chaki

zman3

Look under the Legacy section under Subaru. Do a search on "console". I think the results will be the parts you are looking for.

Karl

ateixeira

I got a set of those same Falken on my Miata. Liked them so much that I now have a set on my Forester and on my wife's Legacy!

Shop vulcantire.com, great pricing.

-juice

samiam_68

Yokohama AVID H4S or V4S - one of top rated tires. Not very expensive. Long tread life. Directional, though. Why would you want to cross-rotate?

luck11

Doh! Horrendous spelling on my part. Thanks Juice....they are Falken, not Falcon. Geez.....

itsed

I replaced my RE-92s with Bridgestone Turanza LS-V's. I got them on sale at a buy three get one free deal. Very satisfied with them. Took them once in the snow over Donner pass and had no problems, and great wet traction.

kens

It sounds like an all-season tire would suit you best, but there are two criteria that don't match: price and H-rated.

Even if you don't plan on driving over 80mph, you probably should stay with at least the same sidewall rating as the OE tires. The speed rating is also a measure of sidewall stiffness that has an impact on handling.

That said, it is hard to find any Z-rated or higher tire at the $100 range in your size from a name brand tire. My favorite budget-minded tire is the Dunlop SP5000 but I don't think it's available in the size and speed rating.

Have you tried searching on Tire Rack?

Ken

larrycrowell

An attempt to get the most uniform wear pattern by doing both a front-back and left-right rotation. Fronts go straight to rear and rears cross to front (or something like that). Directional tires preclude this.

rob_m

Is it advisable to cross-rotate radial tires? I thought this could lead to tire belt problems.

I am seriously considering a set of Yokohama Avid V4S tires for my wife's Outback. Tire rack gives them extremely good ratings. FWIW, I have a set of Yoko AVS on my Mustang GT, and the wet traction is awesome. Rob M.

kens

Not cross rotating radial tires is an outdated practice. Early radial tires did have a tendency for problems to happen with the belt when doing this, but I believe it's not an issue anymore.

My guess is that Subaru recommends a front-to-back since it's the most conservative of all rotation patterns. It will handle even directional tires as well. However, the rotation pattern should also be dictateed by tire wear. A performance alignment specialty shop I sometimes use does this and it can make a huge difference in treadlife.

Ken

bruce3

I bought the Falkien 512s about a year ago. They wear very well and are much better in snow. Handling may not be quite as good.

larrycrowell

Correct. When radials first appeared many years ago the recommendation was to not cross-rotate; I can't remember whether the problem was real or imaginary. In any event the problem long ago disappeared. Since then it has become "urban myth". Your theory about Subaru's rotation makes sense -- then the owner doesn't have to worry about tire directionality. My opinion is that cross-rotation does make a big difference. Hence my desire for non-directional tires.

garandman

The problem was real. It was caused by steel mesh radial belts that took a set. As most if not all modern tires have some sort of composite belt it's not generally an issue.

The directional Michelin HydroEdge we put on our 97 OB still have over 6/32nd tread after 63,000 miles, so we haven't found front-back rotation to be a problem.

djetta

I'll be picking up my car this week and I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what to check for before driving off the lot. When I pick up the car I will be driving approx. 200 miles. I know to check for paint problems, exterior and interior condition. Is there anything else under the hood, fluid levels, etc that I should look for. Thanks! :shades:

larrycrowell

tire pressures (#1 offender - get a good gauge)
spare tire pressure
wheel locks (if applicable)
engine oil
auto trans fluid (if applicable)
coolant
lights, turn signals, brake lights

subarufan1

i just brought home my brand new 2006 legacy gt wagon and there is some kinda greenish/yellowish residue that almost looks like paint or something thats splashed on all the brake calipers, anyone have an idea what that is? the brakes work great so i dont know what it is :confuse:

ateixeira

Anti-squeel compound?

The stuff I use is bright red, but it comes in many colors.

-juice

subarufan1

its brand new from factory so i dont know?? i hope it doesnt squeel brand new :mad:

xwesx

No, the anti-squeal compound is standard, used to cushion the metal-on-metal contact of the brake piston to the pad backing. But, if applied carelessly, perhaps it could get on the outside of the caliper. Your description of "splatter" leads me to believe it is not that. Tough to say, really, but if you keep an eye on it to make sure it does not get worse, then mention it the next time you have it at the dealer and have them give you an opinion, too.

kmclean

For those of you considering opting for the auto-dimming mirror (with compass readout), be aware that the manufacturer (MagnaDon, formerly Donnelly Electronics) has been producing auto-dimming mirrors that fail prematurely due to internal leakage of the gel matrix that produces the auto-dimming effect.

Anyone having such a mirror installed should antipate its failure after several years of typical use. MagnaDon now claims that its new mirrors utilize a solid (non-leaking) matrix that addresses the previous defect. Choose to believe or not at your own risk. A replacement will cost you approximately $200.

dbike1

The first thing you should do is take it to the dealer and check the allignment. 25000 miles is abnormal wear and there is probably something wrong. Give them an opportunity to make things right.

I noticed the rear tires on my 05 VDC were wearing poorly at 10000 miles but did not take it to the dealer until 15000, by which time the tire pressure warning light was coming on sporatically. They found that the allignment was way out of whack and replaced the tires (all four) at no cost.

My first reaction had been that the tires were inferior, as most OEM tire are. I almost went out on my own and had the tires replaced, but thankfully I did not do that as it would not have solved the problem.

These 17" tires are very expensive, perhaps somewhat less so now that all Outbacks have them (ie they are more pervasive).

DB

bat1161

While the mirror may develop a leak as stated (I know it did on my 2000 OB), it is a part that was covered under warranty (although it may have been the extended). I think the benefits of the mirror out weigh any possible problem.

Mark