Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

rob_m · March 2004

I had heard that the airbags in the earlier model outbacks were touchy due to the size of the front bumper cover, and the location of the sensors. I know someone who set hers off pulling into a parking lot and bumping a snowbank. I hope your husband is ok. Rob M.

K9Leader · March 2004

2000 OBW Ltd. (H4) with AT - overall average of the past year's driving is 19.7 MPG, mostly around town but some long highway. Best was 25.7. Typical around town is in the mid-17 to low-19 range and highway is in the mid-24 to mid-25 range.

This is a fairly heavy car -- 3600 lbs, IIRC. The AWD adds some weight, but amazingly little for what it does and compared to "real" 4WD -- it's about 150 lbs, IIRC. It is not the most fuel efficient commuter car available, but a better choice than all the gargantuan SUVs out there.

The reality is that until the perceived costs (not just dollars, but all the costs) become greater than our collective willingness to pay those costs for the benefits we perceive we are getting, fuel mileage in general is not going to improve. While I would like to see the federal CAFE standards increase, I know that the laws of Economics (and human nature) make it unlikely. If gasoline does hit $3/gallon this summer, all my neighbors with Suburbans, Expeditions, Durangos and Hummers better not complain within my earshot.

--K9Leader

blackbean · March 2004

2002 LL Bean - I average 24 MPG in mixed driving.

The best I have gotten was 27 MPG on a long trip, no roof racks, summer tires, no rain, no wind etc... and CC set on 68 mph.

jay_24 · March 2004

I average about 27 in the summer and 23 in the winter. 21mpg was the worst and 28.5 the best.
Longer warm-up time a winter blend gas seem to hurt the mpg a fair amount. I'm not one to let the car warm up much at all. 30sec. or so and I'm moving. 1 mile of city streets (25-30mph) and then interstate... Seems I can almost watch the gas gauge go down when the engine is cold.

-jay

ateixeira · March 2004

Keep in mind some Armada owners are reporting 8 mpg. A friend's Navigator averages 9 mpg. Even Edmunds' long-term Tribute got something like 14-16mpg.

Those numbers aren't necessarily bad.

-juice

fibber2 · March 2004

'02 OBW auto w/21k miles. I record the odo reading on each gas receipt (OCD Engineer type...). I run a pretty consistent 23 mpg in mostly hilly rural / suburban driving. Not wonderful, but about what I expected when I bought this car. AWD and weight are going to cost you something.

But lets face facts. Even if fuel prices were to double, the financial break even point in selling a car and buying a more fuel efficient one is way out there due to a big hit in depreciation. Sell a 2 year old car and buy a new one and you are out $5k or more. That would buy a lot of gasoline.... A gas shortage might be another situation. In 1979 I parked my Mercury Montego and bought a Ford Fiesta just as a matter of survival.

Steve

mwatc · March 2004

I posted this same message else where sorry to the repeat readers.

I just bought a used 03 legacy SE ( the same one with leather interior I asked about earlier for 17,000$ maybe coulda gotten a better deal but was tired of hagling and well the wife really liked it so what the hell )

any how what can I do to maximize my usage? synthetic OIL?? the car has now approx 9000 mi. also what is the break in period I keep reading about? finally any tips from owners so i can keep it as long as possible. I want to drive her until she won't go any further.

rob_m · March 2004

Basically, follow the recommended maintenance routines. Regular washing helps. I have had no major problems with the current and prior Subarus that I have owned.

Someone else can chime in with synthetic oil I have never used, or considered until recently.

stever · March 2004

Why bother? It's not an F-18.

I love the oil wars :-)

Engine Oil - A slippery subject Part 2

Synthetic motor oil

I don't dump my oil out every 3,000 miles either but follow the factory recommendation for normal service. And I drive them forever. Or try too :-)

Steve, Host

ebony5 · March 2004

I had the rear brakes repaired 2000 miles ago and the front 200(pads replaced&rotors machined). Last week the brake light went on-I took it to Subaru last Tuesday where the work was done and they said the gasket was not sealed properly activating the sensor in the brake fluid reservoir, though the brake fluid level was O.K. I went away on Wednesday(not by car) returning yesterday,today the brake light went off again and upon checking the fluid level I noticed it was about 3/4 down. I went and added brake fluid and will monitor the fluid level, but I am wondering what it could be now and how much it may cost, whether the original diagnosis was correct etc. I am due to leave again on business later in the week and somehow will have to find the time to take my '96 OBW in again, but I am getting skeptical about them finding the problem. It seems to me that if my rear brake pads needed to be replaced 1800 miles before the front than the situation in the front should have been noticed the first time around. Now I fear they are just looking for the first obvious cause and not looking beyond that. What could be causing such a pronounced fluid loss?

ateixeira · March 2004

Congrats, Matt. It's already broken in. If you want to go with synthetic go ahead now.

The system should be sealed air tight. Does the pedal feel spongy?

I'd let them look at it again, you can't take chances with your brakes. Any leak and you'd potentially lose all stopping power.

-juice

nygreg · March 2004

I get what Steve gets - ~23mpg in the same hilly area. Collegue at work has a Durango. Last week I asked him what he gets and his response was "oh, about 17mpg on the highway". I laughed and said my Sienna gets that on a really bad day in the city.

Greg

ebony5 · March 2004

The front passenger and back door locks do not unlock all the time when I unlock the driver side door from the outside with the key. Also when I use the inside lever on the drivers' side door to unlock the other doors it too only functions periodically. What could be causing this? It works sometimes and sometimes not.
As per the brake situation,I am taking the car in tomorrow first thing in the morning.

nygreg · March 2004

I found that the Subaru fobs aren't always responsive. I.e. you need to be close to the car for them to work the first time. I am sure you know that you press it once to open the driver's door and twice to open all doors. Why it doesn't work from the door button, I don't know. Have the dealer look at it when you bring the car in for brakes.

Greg

glenford · March 2004

try this (don't have my owners manual handy) either turn the key in the driver's door to unlock, then do it again, or, turn the key to unlock and hold it for a few seconds

One of those works on my Honda, the other on the Subaru. It's a function to keep the passenger doors locked when you're alone.

pathtomax · March 2004

I had part of the same issue on my 01 Outback. I thought it was problems with my security system but it turns out that they driver-side locking switch is faulty. They currently have one on order for me. I can not lock the doors at all from the driver's side.

Have them take a look at the switch itself..that is my problem.

paisan · March 2004

The module under the driver's door locks/windows. We actually modify this module as part of our Stage 2 security systems.

-mike

michaelpsu · March 2004

After I week of driving somewhat 'sanely,' I did get decent figures. I was traveling for work last week...almost 300 miles on two lane highways and I didn't go much over 65. Managed to get just shy of 26...which isn't too bad. I guess when you start running 75-80 on four lane highways...it really takes a hit. I guess it is worth it though for what the car has to offer. A coworker has an new F250 SuperDuty with a diesel and he gets close to 20 overall. That makes me jealous...but hey...I can deal with it!

sabast1 · March 2004

Just yesterday (Sunday), on my way from Baltimore to NY, my 2002 Outback (31,000 miles) over heated on the NJ Turnpike. Fortunately, I was able to get off the road and into a rest stop. I took advantage of the Subaru Roadside Assistance Program. I was very impressed. They had me towed from the Turnpike to a hotel (since no dealerships are open on Sundays after 6:00p.m.) and then towed me from the hotel to the nearest dealer this morning.

I had the car towed to Somerset Subaru in New Brunswick, NJ. I can't say enough about how great the people there were. They were honest, fair, and were able to diagnose & fix my car about 2 hours...without an appointment (obviously). I highly recommend them.

They had to replace the radiator and the thermostat. A radiator shouldn't be going bad in a car that's only got 31,000 miles...should it...? I was wondering if anyone else had this same type of problem

ebony5 · March 2004

Thanks everyone for the advice I will have the door lock looked at this morning as well. As per the brakes it may be my imagination and but it seems to me that when I first enter the auto the brake pedal goes further down when depressed and as I drive and pump the brakes it seems to travel less.

ebony5 · March 2004

Well back from Subaru, a leak was noticed by the ABS System pump I believe he said. They flushed the system had the car sit for a while, test driven pumping the brakes and sit for a while again. The service manager said that upon inspection the system seemed dry and that maybe some dirt could have gotten into this complex arrangement causing the leak. He also mentioned to repair/replace the problem (ABS pump?) could cost up to $1500.00-that for now we monitor the situation and hope for the best- that he has seen this dirt scenario before and it is not uncommon. As you can see from my earlier postings I have had both front and rear brakes worked on recently-the service manager did not charge me for todays work,which pleasantly surprised me and which I truly appreciate. The vehicle is a '96 OBW with 68,000 miles on it and I am wondering if it is worth this expensive repair if it becomes necessary-I had the 60,000 mile service done last May and maintain the car well. I purchased the car with 50,000 miles on it in May of 2002 from a friend who also took good care of it but was probably not as meticulous as I, it being an errand car for the family and housekeeper and not the primary vehicle of the household which are BMWS. As for the door locks that matter was forgotten in my concern over the brakes.

ateixeira · March 2004

Scooter: thanks for sharing your story, it's good to know that the roadside assistance folks took care of you.

New radiator? Sure, let them. I'd ask for the coolant conditioner as well, which can prevent future leaks.

Bleeding that system was a great idea, it can add a sponginess to the feel of the pedal. Fluid won't last much longer than 30k anyway, then it starts to absorb water and gets discolored.

My guess is that'll address the problem.

-juice

paisan · March 2004

I doubt it's a leak in the pump. Sounds like you need to get the brakes bled hopefully that helps.

-mike

fibber2 · March 2004

One of my co-workers asked me for help on this. He has a '99 OBW Limited. It has developed an intermittant power door lock problem in which all doors suddenly lock themselves!

It initially began when he turned off the ignition. As soon as the engine stopped, the doors would lock, or if they were already locked, he would hear the actuators try and pull the buttons down again. Then on occasion, if he would exit the car while it was running and close the drivers door, he would find himself locked out when he returned. Now he hears the locks buzzing almost any time he moves the ignition switch.

Early on I suggested that he try and remove the key fob transmitter from within range of the car, which he did, but that didn't help any.

Any thoughts on where to look for shorted wires?

Steve

nygreg · March 2004

sounds like he needs religious intervention.

I would start at the driver's door switch.

Greg

pathtomax · March 2004

It is like you are talking about my car! I went two weeks with the security system going off a few times, not to mention the random locking and unlocking. I pretty much just assumed that my 01 Outback Limited was possessed! The doors would randomly lock and unlock driving on my commute to work.

My dealership currently has the driver's door switch on order for me. I have to say, it is good to hear that other's cars are possessed too!

They rewired the system so I can only unlock my doors and not lock them any longer. I have 46,000 miles but I purchased the added Security so mine is covered. If not, they may charge a lot of labor for it.

fibber2 · March 2004

Michael - please tell us how this plays out, so that I can advise my friend.

Greg - know any good priests, ministers, rabbis, shakes, etc. that are willing to do auto exorcisms?

Steve

nygreg · March 2004

if you go that route expect the car to, hmmm, upchuck green stuff during the exorcism. That, of course, is the coolant which when replaced now allows you to add the conditioner. 2 for 1!

Greg

hypov · March 2004

I suspect the remote keyless module going astray.
Tap the areas around the power-lock button to discount the switch circuit at the door.

In the case of pathtomax, it does appear that it is the remote keyless module, i.e. "security system going off a few times". The security system is activated by the keyless module, which sends pulse(s) to arm/disarm. This pulse is in addition and separate from the pulse that activates the power-lock. If you push the unlock button when the security is armed, the alarm will not sound until the door is open, when the keyless module [malfunction] sends the unlock pulse without disarming the security, the alarm will sound off because the interior domelight is activated and the security sees it as the door being opened.

-Dave

friendly_jacek · March 2004

I just visited other subaru forums to seek assistance with my TPS problems.

I was shocked to see the extend of problems with Subarus overheating due to head gaskets or other problems (phase I mostly but also phase II). I guess this explains the poor engine reliability score Subaru gets for pre-2000 models in the most recent CR issue.

This will make me more follow the water temp gauge more closely. Any ideas how to teach a significant other (my wife is a primary sub driver) to pay attention to instruments?

ateixeira · March 2004

That's learned early on in driving, not sure you can affect her habits much now. Just make her aware of the temp guage and tell her that it overheats to stop driving ASAP.

-juice

ateixeira · March 2004

'98 Forester L, 60k miles, no problem
'01 Outback Limited, ? miles, no problem
'02 Legacy L, 21k miles, no problem
'03 Forester X, ? miles, no problem

Just some data points.

)

-juice

subaru_team · March 2004

care to explain what the problem is? Have you followed the procedures in your Owners Manual for seeking assistance and even called us? I'm sure your attorney would advise you of a better way to go about starting a class action suit. Maybe you should check with him/her first?

Patti

subaru_team · March 2004

Those codes do not look right to me. I see that you are using an OBD scanner yourself (from your Toyota post). One looks like an ECU reading vs. at TPS reading. When you get a few minutes, please call us at 1-800-SUBARU3. We'll need the VIN and the name of the dealer that you are working with. Please let the Rep. know that I'd like to see the case. We'll do what we can to help sort it out with you.

Thanks!

Patti

nematode · March 2004

Nope. 00 Outback Ltd.

Lots of other problems but no overheating.

stever · March 2004

Soliciting for plaintiffs for a law suit is, well, soliciting and not permitted on Town Hall.

On topic, I keep track of my fill-ups but haven't calculated the mpg all that often since I got my '97 OB about a year ago. Today I did, and it was a bit over 25 mpg. Since gas is up to $1.85 this week, I'm happy.

Steve, Host

subaru_team · March 2004

We have to report our mileage in our test vehicles. It's something that we report on- in detail - monthly. I'm amazed how much my driving affects my mileage. When I try to get the best mpg - I do much better. When I try to get the most fun out of the car - very poor mileage!! I guess I should only misbehave on pay weeks!

Thanks for the "clean-up" Steve. That kinda caught me out of the blue.

Patti

stever · March 2004

We get posts like that every now and then. I delete them even when they don't involve Subarus :-)

Steve, Host

martijnh · March 2004

I'm the proud & happy owner of a 2000 OB Ltd (and a 2002 Forester). Lately, the in-dash changer has been acting up. It works sporadically, but it basically has problems reading CDs, i.e. tracking the laser along the disc. At least, that's what I think since you can hear the disc spinning and you hear the same sounds when your CD-walkman gets jolted and needs to find the track again. Anyways, my questions:

(1) How can I clean the lens/inside of the changer? (I've blown compressed air in there to no avail)
(2) How easy is it to remove/replace this unit (Ebay!)? Any instructions on the internet? I'm sure some fellow Soobie-fanatic has already done this (or installed his/her own).
(3) Similar problems, anybody?

I would really appreciate the help! The car is awesome, but now I miss my music on those long drives...

c_hunter · March 2004

Well, I just sold the 6-CD changer from my WRX for $130, which is the going rate these days. If you can't fix the old one, I would recommend trolling eBay or the for sale forums on other Subaru sites to buy a WRX unit (it has cassette and 6-CD all in one unit).

You can buy lens cleaners for CD players, I would be temped to try one of those first.

Craig

fibber2 · March 2004

Some of the parts sales sites, such as perhaps Subaruparts.com, have some of the installation sheets available for download as .pdf files. I have most of these stored on my other PC. If nobody gets you something concrete by Monday, I will try and find an instruction set for you. Repost the request mid week if I forget!!

Steve

philliesfan2 · March 2004

I'm hoping some poster can give me some advice on this.

I had my 03 Legacy Wagon serviced on Thursday. I had the 30K check-up/workover. All went well for the ride home Thursday, I didnt use the car much on Friday and only briefly ran to the market yesterday.

Today, I left to do some errands. The car ran OK for about 2 miles to the store where I got the Sunday paper.
Then it ran real rough, idling hard and seemed to be on the edge of stalling.
I noticed the Check Engine light flashing.

I immediately drove home. Called the dealer and got a salesman (service dept is closed on Sunday). He assured me he was likely not a big deal and told me to bring the car in first thing tomorrow. I left a voice mail with the service manager telling him I would be coming in early.

Are any posters familiar with this?
What does it sound like it could be?
Is there any reason to be alarmed?

Thanks in advance for those who offer advice (and counsel.)

David

ladywclass · March 2004

it's up to the 'experts' here ...

For the last several months, I've had a 'rattle' in the left rear ... It is NOT a loose seat, a loose seat belt, anything under the seats, anything in the cargo area, or anywhere else that I can see inside the car ... it sounds like it is coming from the left rear corner (at least from the driver's seat) ... When I had it in for service to the dealer in late fall, I asked them to check the noise. They told me the jack was loose and that they tightened it for me (at a charge of $25!) ... only it still makes a rattle ...

Not long ago, I took the jack out of the compartment ... it still rattles in that corner ... I looked under the mat and in the spare compartment .. there is nothing there to rattle ...

This all started "about" the same time that I had the rear tires replaced ... but I don't know that there is any connection ...

It doesn't rattle ALL the time ... and it doesn't ALWAYS rattle on bumps ... but it rattles every time I drive the car .. and more often than not on a 'bumpy' street ...

any ideas?
Signed ...
Frustrated in South Bend ....

paisan · March 2004

rear sway bar or strut top or strut or spring. I'd have to look at or hear it to know for sure, but that's where I'd start.

-mike

jfl · March 2004

Could it be a loose heat shield? I think that's what I have somewhere below the driver's side rear seat.

Jim

ateixeira · March 2004

Remove the jack itself and shake it - see if you hear a rattle. You could stuff some foam in the gaps also. Check that the spare is secure, and the storage bin on the left side might have loose items in it.

Or...crank up the tunes! Inevitably an item in a storage bin somewhere will rattle. I've actually lined all mine with self-adhesive felt.

-juice

subearu · March 2004

when I had the 2 rear struts fail(ing) in my Outback, there was a rattle-like noise from them going over bumps. Once they were replaced, no more rattles.

-Brian

fibber2 · March 2004

Rough running and hesitation sometimes happens this time of year as a result of the gas formulation changeover. The dealer in Danburn, CT that I sometimes use once showed me several cars he had towed in, all the result of gas issues. But as yours happened right after a major service, I too would be concerned that they missed something in their work. In general, a solid check engine light can be ignored short term, but an actual flashing light indicates serious (possible damage if you drive it...) type of trouble. I know that you are probably reading this after the fact, but you might consider getting it towed it the light flashes when you start it up to drive there. You should still be covered (warranty, roadside assistance, etc.).

Steve

fibber2 · March 2004

I came up with the sheet for the subwoofer. It requires removal of the center stack in order to get to the back of the radio. So with this, you are 90% there.

http://www.subaruparts.com/guides/subwoofer.pdf

Good luck,

Steve

sebberry · March 2004

3 Questions:

1)Fuel Economy: I have been averaging about 17 MPG for a while now on my '03 Outback H6. My driving consists of mainly small city driving (Not a lot of stop and go traffic) and a highway commute each day. Recently, I have noticed a fairly sudden drop in milage, down to about 14 MPG combined. What, other than tire pressure can be blamed for this? (Other than the occasional stop light race with a lowered civic, My driving is fairly non-aggressive)

2) On the highway at about 140-160 Km/hr, I have noticed a grinding/shearing (hard to explain) noise that lasts for less than a second. Any ideas as to what this could be? There is no change in the feel of the car, no jerkyness or anything, just the noise.

3) In terms of power, how much should I notice a couple of extra people in the car?

Other than that, everything is great, and I am now accepting donations to the "Outback XT Savings Fund".

Thanks!

Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles