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Jim
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?
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.
-mike
best regards.
atatarget
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!
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.
Much appreciated.
Careful, gear oil stinks! Wear gloves. Your wife will not come near you for days!
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!
The filter is mounted upside down under the engine. It is naturally filled with oil. There is no check valve.
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.
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
What year is your car and is it Turbo or non-turbo?
-mike
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!
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
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?
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.
1. turn ignition key to run position,
2. plug the red covered battery wire (neg?, right facing front) back on.
That did it.
Comments?
Don't you think that if it worked as advertised the vehicle manufacturer would have used something similar already?
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?
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?
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?
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
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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?
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!
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.
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.