We have a new Outback Wagon which we like just fine except for one thing: at about 40 mph or 60 kph, if you take your foot off the gas and then back on the gas pedal, it often (not always) hesitates or shudders before becoming smooth again. The dealer is trying to tell us that this is 'normal' or attributing it to our driving, etc.
Generally, the shifting seems somewhat rougher than in our previous car (Camry).
We have heard from friends who had a similar problem with a VW Jetta. This was resolved by replacing a 'transmission chip' which was apparently intended for mountainous terrain and they were driving mostly on flat land.
Any comments or suggestions would be welcome. If this has been previously discussed, please point us to the appropriate discussion.
I have heard this from one or two other people. I remember one person said it happened after driving at a steady pace for a while and then it would hesitate when you tried to abruptly change speeds. Perhaps some others here can be more helpful than me - I don't want to make statements that are not true. However, I also owned a Camry (92, 4 cyl, auto) and this powertrain was very smooth even after 180,000 miles. At first I thought the OB tranny was no match in smoothness, but as the car has broken in (2300 miles now) it appears to be getting smoother and smoother. Does it match the Toyota - can't tell for sure, but it's not that far behind. Jury is still out on this, and I don't have any complaints. Now that I have said absolutely nothing to help you, I will try my OB to see if it does the same thing.
Hmm. I hope I didn't get that auto vs manual capacity wrong...it was from memory. I might have mixed that up with one of the other cars we looked at e.g. the Volvo. Better check it tonight. And remember folks, don't believe anything you read.
As for Austin Marinas (Morris Marinas in the UK), my TR8 has Marina door handles. Guess what? One is broken.
Isn't there such a thing as a road hazard guarantee on those tires??? Seems like an awfully expensive flat tire! WIth only 3100 miles, even pro-rated, you ought to get *something* back!
Thanks for the post on the seats. I really love this car! For me the oft overlooked base L was the perfect choice. If you're looking at Subaru's give it a try.
Just need to chime in again. I have yet to have the VDC system cut power on wet or dry pavement. I do drive fairly aggressively, my last car was a Firebird Formula with almost 300HP-6 speed and ultra low profile tires. Coming from that car my normal driving habits are close to the edge of safe driving for an Outback.
The VDC has cut power a few times plowing through 8-10 inches of snow, but I wouldn't be pulling a trailer in that weather.
'bout the (poking) lumbar support, I'm still searching from another board where a Forester owner had the same issue and decided to fixed it himself. He has a site detailing "How to". When I find it, I'll post @ "Modification".
I would like to have the rear windows on my OB wagon tinted. Has anybody had any experience having an OB wagon window tinted in PA? Is the OB considered a "MPV" (multi-purpose vehicle) in PA. PA limits window tinting on cars (any window) to 70% transmission, however side and rear windows on "MPV" class vehicles do not have the same restriction.
If anyone has an recommendations for tinting shops in the Philadelphia area, please let me know. -tac
Unfortunately, no road hazard on the new tires..we thought about putting it on the new one, bit with the RE92s rated only at 160, the next set of tires (probably Dunlop Sport SP5000 Asymetric) we get will have road hazard.
I too had major anxiety over which car to purchase; 1st thought was going to be another volvo BUT had major problems with my last one so i wanted to avoid that (even though the new wagons are very nice)!! Decided to get the LLBean; has less than 600 miles on it but yesterday when driving it i noticed when i went from P to D there now is this loud sound (Click) under dash when moving the knob from the P and sliding it to the right before moving it to D...which was not there before!! Whats up with that?? Also I am having prob with keeping it under 50 MPH; when i left the dealer (Renick)I asked them what precautions should of be aware of; ... the sales person (which they have not had Subaru very long)said that there is none. After reading these posts found out not to go over 50...too late for that..... Also having prob with closing the rear door..much more difficult than my volvo...that car just dropping it would close.. the LLB i need to slam it to get it shut.. One other thing i have noticed is the brakes squeel while backing up... oh and when starting it up the idle seems very fast any info would help!! thanks
That loud click you heard was definitely the brake/shift interlock. There are to reasons this may have happened.
1. (and hopefully)You probably did not have the brake pedal fully depressed and so the interlock was fully disengaged.
2. The brake/shift interlock is not releasing properly. In that case, you need to have it checked by the mechanic.
I came on here because I had a 93 Subaru Impreza wagon for a while. I have to say, while it wasn't the best car I've had, it was one of the most fun, interesting cars I have had. I never had one problem in 40k miles.
Congratulations! All seems OK with your Bean. The click is normal as I have the same on my H4. I believe it is the brake shift lock (i.e. can't put in gear without foot on brake) or some similar related relay. Actually, they recommend you keep the car under 55 mph for the first 1000miles and vary your speed. It's OK to exceed the speed not and then, but for the most part keep it below 55. For the rear door, try closing it with another door or window open. It could be due to air pressure in the car. If it is still hard try it on another Bean (dealership) to see if it's the same - you just might be used to the Volvo. Then have the dealer adjust it if you feel it's needed. Brake squeal, especially when backing up first thing in the morning is normal. We almost all have it. Mine only does it for the first 1 or 2 stops of the morning. Subaru is apparently trying to address this. However, it does not impact the effectiveness of the brakes. Idling fast when cold is typical of all cars. Mine does a similar thing. When I place it in gear though, it settles right down and is very smooth. You can have the dealer check it out with the door if your concerned. One thing to be aware of is problems starting the car cold (<40F). This apparently has been corrected with a reprogramming of the ECM. You can ask your dealer about this and read the posts here. Hope this helps.
Squeeky brakes in the morning- Got that on my VDC, goes away once the car starts moving. I figured it was probably because of moisture that condenses. Seems to be happening less and less the more miles I put on (brake pad/rotor wear). Of course it could just be the weather.
Difficulty slamming the back- Its a different creature than your volvo (hey for $10K there better be some differences besides lousy reliabily and expensive repairs). Both my 96 and 01 require more force than some other wagons. Consider the tailgate bar it its an issue.
As far as the below 50 thing, look in the owners manual. It says below 4000rpm. You can cruise at 70 and still keep it below 4K. Don't worry about your speedometer, just your tach (you can bust 4K at 10-15mph if you are under heavy accelleration).
As far as other things that you should take precautions, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL. They have about 30 pages of safety precautions, not all of which are intutive. For example -You cannot put seat covers on the front (airbag). -You should not rest your arm on the slope leading to the door handle (airbag). -You have to be aware of some wires when working on the stereo, power seats, side and front body (airbag). -You should not be towed with your wheels on the ground. -Setting the climate control to a lower temp will not cool your down faster -There are a host of reasons you get a check engine light. Take a few days to read it, unless your technically inclined there is really more in there than you can digest in one sitting.
G'day Difficulties in closing the rear hatch is one of the recurrent themes here. It does need a positive push to shut properly. The other recurrent problem is where there is a mat on the rear floor. This tends to get in the way of the door seal. To check, push all stuff away from the hacth and try it. To achieve a fix, try putting a couple of spots of velcro uncer the mat to secure it in place (attach it to the lifting section of the floor so you can still get in there). That seems to have worked for most people.
The morning brake squeal or clunk in reverse is explainable. The brake pads are held in calipers by sprung clips with some movement possible, When you drive backwards, they move fractionally and if applied very gently, they grab and you here a noise. This is typically when you back out of the garage. If you then listen when you next apply them going forward, you will also hear a clunk or squeal. For the best effect, try a three point turn first thing.
Its one of those things which worries you for the first week and then you figure out that its normal.
Thanks for the input; the click under the dash when moving from park is strange but glad to hear its normal... the other question is if I should repair the chips on door one is on the upper door and dealer said they could color sand it and the other is on the lower portion of door which is thin line where paint looks like it peeled or is it better to keep the original paint... they are both small. Dealer was questioning me if I wanted to break the original paint and I said not really but do not like having the chips on a brand new car .. which was present when I picked up the car...
I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Subaru Outback 2.5L 4-Door wagon. I am concerned about gas mileage. I commute over 500 miles per week. Does the car actually get 28 to 30 miles per gallon on the highway? I thought I saw some posts a few months ago indicating that it may not actually get that.
I am also a little concerned about leg room in the back seat. It looks tight to me. Perhaps the front seats of the cars that I test-drove had been set way back. What do people think?
...The new "paint sensors" that the dealers are using when you trade in could be a problem. I would, if at all possible, let them go until you give the car up. I had an instance recently where the dealer brought the value of my Blazer down nearly $3k because of "repaint". This happened because a couple of years ago the whole side of it was keyed and I had it repainted. Of course the dealer doesn't know that that is the only thing that happened even with pictures.
of course i did not notice them till I got the car home.. the compensation is to repaint!! which i'm not too sure i should ...there not as bad as a door ding... but sure not happy with it; Also not happy with Renick they had add in paper 4 days after sale and it was for $600 less and they just said to bad...
I have a 2000 OB Ltd wagon, 2.5L w/5-speed manual (a not trivial point in gas mileage). On highway trips I regularly get upper 20s to near 30 mpg. Last weekend I drove over a mountain pass (lots of up- and down-shifting, curves, etc.) and got a shade over 28 which I checked upon fill-up at home. The car now has ~12K miles on it. Last summer, when the car had barely 3K miles, we did a loop from Seattle>Glacier NP in Montana>Yellowstone NP>Seattle. At highway speeds in MT, with A/C, 4 persons, fully loaded, got around 28 mpg. At lower highway speeds, basically unloaded, no A/C (i.e., driving around the parks once we had arrived), got 30 mpg. I would tend to attribute about 2-3 mpg to the manual tranny and my generally light foot (heck, I get 30 mpg out of my 3.0L, V-6 Maxima, on highway trips). Oh, and this was all on regular gas (anything else is a waste in the 2.5 H4).
Around town with VERY short trips (meaning it doesn't really warm up - plus Seattle traffic) - low 20s.
I regularly get in the 28-30mpg range on the hightway and averaged 28.3 on a 9k road trip last summer. But my GT wagon is also a 5 speed MT. It does make a difference.
Hello All Outback Fans! My wife and I just recently purchsed a used 98 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited, Rio Red, Grey Leather int. with 41K miles. A senior citizen was the original owner and it's in mint condition. We have all the records of maintenance. What an excellent car. On the initial drive home we turn a small journey into the wilderness up a dirt mountain road. Oh the joy of AWD.
I only have one small gripe that I did not notice at the dealership. The driver heated seat switch has a small bulb out that lights up the middle of it. Does the entire switch need replacement or just a small bulb? The same situation is with the fan knob and cold-hot slider.
If you take it to a dealer, he will probably charge you for the whole climate control assembly unit. Try find a mechanic who knows about Subes or a real nice service manager.It is possible to replace just the bulb but it is also difficult to find a bulb unless he has some lying around. The dealers parts microfiche will not list bulbs by themselves or even just the switches! Had this problem on an older Legacy (92) I have and besides the hour labor they wanted, the dealer said you need to replace the whole unit. Drove to my friendly ex dealerhip Sube senior tech now running his own shop who has a box of bulbs in the back (salvaged from assemblies he has pulled out for other reasons) and he put it in for just the labor. With my newer Legacy I also had the same problem and they first said at the dealer - they were also replacing my inoperative radio antenna under extended warranty - it would need to be the whole assembly being changed etc etc story and it would need to be special ordered etc etc - maybe a week , maybe more etc etc, then when I said I would take the car to see the other guy who had helped me out before (and who had trained everyone else in that dealership ) they suddenly just happened to have a spare bulb and so I saved myself an extra trip!
Not sure what the equivalent to US mileage is but I routinely get 9.0l/100km to 10.0l/100km here in Australia. That is about 28-31mpg in Imperial (non USA) terms. Best guess for USA is about 23.5 - 26 mpg
We have a 97 Legacy Outback, automatic. When standing at stop signs or lights the engine has a tendency to suddenly surge, especially with the air conditioning or heater fan on. This is annoying as well as a problem if the driver does not have his/her foot firmly planted on the brake. We are considering getting rid of the car and getting a VDC Outback or even other make car. Has anyone with a VDC had the surge problem?
My mileage on my 01 OB AT H4 is around 24-25 with mixed driving with only 2300 miles on the car so far. A highway trip recently netted me 28 mpg at 70 -75 mph, windows open with only me.
Please excuse my earler comment on Goodyear tires. I meant to mention a different brand in that moment of comedy after working a long day. Sorry Goodyear!
Thanks for the Velcro tip for the rear mat. Great idea.
No such problems with my VDC. In fact no problems except brake squeek when backing out of driveway. MPG has been between 20 & 26. After nearly 10,000 mi the avg is 24-25. Usually running at about 75 mph with air cond always on but lightly loaded. I do have a question about what seems like driveline slop. When letting off of gas at high speed and then stepping on it lightly you get a loud clunk and shudder. Tried another VDC and it was even worse. With emerg brake on and shifting between reverse and drive (when stopped of course)I also get a clunk but not if I step on brake pedal and do it. Anyone with any ideas? Dealer seems to thinks its normal.
Normally an automobile air conditioner cycles on and off, which could cause a driver to feel a change in engine loading. There is no reason for this not to happen while the car is sitting still at a stoplight. However it strikes me as odd that the surge is so strong that you feel you have to press harder on the brake. It could be something with idle speed, or perhaps there is a control which adjusts idle speed differently when the a/c is on and off. Or else the a/c could be putting an excessive load on the motor, which would indicate something amiss with the a/c. At any rate it does not sound normal. If it were my car I'd get it looked at by a professional.
wdb, odd as it may sound, but the surge is pretty strong if you're not prepare for it. Whenever the A/C compressor kicks in, the engine will rev higher to get more juice from the alternator (I think). Anyway, I'm waiting on my Alternator Recall notice on my '98 OB. Hopefully, the change would alleviate this annoyance.
Fuel economy is why I got a OB too replace the old SUV. With the H4 and automatic trans. I typically get 27 to 28 during a mostly interstate highway commute with little stop-and-go. There is only 2700 miles on it so far. I have noticed that the different fuel additives (ethanol vs MTBE vs "good ol' gas") seem to make a difference. I get about 1 to 2 mpg less with the oxygenated fuel blends.
I miss my Subaru! I found out last week that the estimated completion date isn't until 7 July, three weeks longer than the body shop told me when I made the appointment. And the "guy who's in charge of your car" is on vacation until tomorrow. I'm going to have to call that dude and find out what's going on. They told me it takes about one week per 20 hours of estimated labor, and the labor estimate was about 80 hours, hence four weeks total. Anybody in the sheetmetal business out there who can verify that as standard practice?
I have not noticed the driveline slap in the VDC, I need to try the brake trick. I do know that almost every rear drive car I have owned ('91 GMC Jimmy, '94 Firebird Formula, '97 Suburban) have all had some driveshaft slap. It is usually heard in that area between acceleration and engine braking.
I have an LL Bean, and the car stutters when I drive between 50 and 70 mph if I take my foot off the gas peddle and put it back on, even if I do it lightly. I posted this problem several months ago, and there have been several other posts indicating the same problem. I have not read about a definite fix for this. I brought it up with a dealer once, and went on a test drive with the dealer's tech guy. He said it was normal, just engine back pressure (????) I have not pushed this yet (guess it has not annoyed me enough). I have been waiting to hear about a fix on this site.
I also am used to some driveline play but on a new car this feels excessive. Usually after a lot of miles there is some play in the U-joints and some excessive gear lash. The clunk sounds like it comes from the rear of the car and feels like whatever it is is rubber mounted as you can feel what seems to be a loading and unloading type of flex. I borrowed a new VDC from my dealer (50 mi on odometer) and tried it out. The clunk was worse and appeared at a much lower speed. Mine starts at over 55mph usually. I at first thought it was the trasnfer of power from rear to front and back but why would the power be transferring at that high a speed and on a dry road?
Well guys here are my impressions after 3 months of ownership.
First I have to say that I love this car but like everything else all is not perfect in the land of OZ, OCD sets in here and I am sure Bit can relate to this, I feel that the aerodynamics need to be tweaked around the rear end, after 5 minutes driving in wet weather the back end looks like it has been through a plowed field everything is sucked up onto the back window.
I have to say that this aspect is driving me nuts, I also feel that it is a safety hazard, in comparison the 93 Accord wagon that I owned, as long as the car was moving the back window did not even get wet no matter how hard it was raining, I could count on one hand the number of times I used the rear window washer in all the time I owned the car.
The second problem I documented here before and that is the interior seems to attract an inordinant amount of dust.
Apart from these two gripes the car is awesome no squeaks or rattles especially no brake squeak although I did take pains to prpoerly season the brakes when I first got the car whether that has made a difference or not I don,t know but I do this with all my vehicles.
I usually just lurk in here since I have an older Legacy...'92 L AWD... but it shares the rear window rain/snow/crud accumulation problem.
I've long used RainX on the windshield, so I tried some on the back window, and that pretty much took care of the problem...so that may be worth a try..
Does your GT have the rear spoiler or the rear deflector? Our Outback has the rear spoiler and it does seem to disturb the air flow back there a bit.
I also use Rain-X on all the windows and it seems to help. You do have to keep up with it though (reapply every month or so seems to work for me). The rear glass still gets dirty, but IMHO not as much as without the Rain-X (maybe cause it's beading on the glass instead).
I have a 2000 OB Ltd Wagon, no spoiler or deflector on the rear end. I live in Seattle, which has plenty of sloppy months. I've noted that at highway speeds (50+ mph) the window stays clean/clear no matter how hard the rain (as long as it's actual rain, not accumulated slop blowing up from the highway). At low speeds, around town, etc., it gets pretty cruddy. Like everyone else, sure wish that rear wiper had an interval setting.
I'm curious about the drive train clunking that has been reported (my old '66 Mustang started doing that lately, but new U-joints fixed the problem): as the Beans and VDCs all have the automatic-tranny version of AWD (I believe a more sophisticated system - computerized - that has a 90/10 F/R default) could this be an artifact of that system? I've never noticed it on my H4 5-speed, but I'll ops check it next time the boss lets me drive the car on the highway.
Yup, have to agree with you Pat. I love my GT wagon. 3 months 3,800 miles and it is perfect. Of course I felt the same for my 00 after 12k miles too (other than the OCD clunk in the roof). I have not experenced any problem with the rear window though. I don't have the spoiler and of course there hasn't been a hell of a lot of rain here for a month or more. I do use Rain-X.
Comments
thing: at about 40 mph or 60 kph, if you take your foot off the gas and
then back on the gas pedal, it often (not always) hesitates or shudders
before becoming smooth again. The dealer is trying to tell us that this
is 'normal' or attributing it to our driving, etc.
Generally, the shifting seems somewhat rougher than in our previous car
(Camry).
We have heard from friends who had a similar problem with a VW Jetta.
This was resolved by replacing a 'transmission chip' which was
apparently intended for mountainous terrain and they were driving mostly
on flat land.
Any comments or suggestions would be welcome. If this has been previously discussed, please point us to the appropriate discussion.
Thanks.
Greg
As for Austin Marinas (Morris Marinas in the UK), my TR8 has Marina door handles. Guess what? One is broken.
...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/subaruchat.html
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Cheers!
Paul
The VDC has cut power a few times plowing through 8-10 inches of snow, but I wouldn't be pulling a trailer in that weather.
In the meantime, here is his brief explantion
http://forums.vmag.com/suvsubaru0999/messages/628.html
If anyone has an recommendations for tinting shops in the Philadelphia area, please let me know.
-tac
Also I am having prob with keeping it under 50 MPH; when i left the dealer (Renick)I asked them what precautions should of be aware of; ... the sales person (which they have not had Subaru very long)said that there is none. After reading these posts found out not to go over 50...too late for that.....
Also having prob with closing the rear door..much more difficult than my volvo...that car just dropping it would close.. the LLB i need to slam it to get it shut..
One other thing i have noticed is the brakes squeel while backing up...
oh and when starting it up the idle seems very fast
any info would help!! thanks
1. (and hopefully)You probably did not have the brake pedal fully depressed and so the interlock was fully disengaged.
2. The brake/shift interlock is not releasing properly. In that case, you need to have it checked by the mechanic.
I came on here because I had a 93 Subaru Impreza wagon for a while. I have to say, while it wasn't the best car I've had, it was one of the most fun, interesting cars I have had. I never had one problem in 40k miles.
Greg
Difficulty slamming the back- Its a different creature than your volvo (hey for $10K there better be some differences besides lousy reliabily and expensive repairs). Both my 96 and 01 require more force than some other wagons. Consider the tailgate bar it its an issue.
As far as the below 50 thing, look in the owners manual. It says below 4000rpm. You can cruise at 70 and still keep it below 4K. Don't worry about your speedometer, just your tach (you can bust 4K at 10-15mph if you are under heavy accelleration).
As far as other things that you should take precautions, READ THE OWNERS MANUAL. They have about 30 pages of safety precautions, not all of which are intutive.
For example
-You cannot put seat covers on the front (airbag).
-You should not rest your arm on the slope leading to the door handle (airbag).
-You have to be aware of some wires when working on the stereo, power seats, side and front body (airbag).
-You should not be towed with your wheels on the ground.
-Setting the climate control to a lower temp will not cool your down faster
-There are a host of reasons you get a check engine light.
Take a few days to read it, unless your technically inclined there is really more in there than you can digest in one sitting.
I have noticed lots of air resistance closing all of the doors. I always open the moonroof when in the garage, then the doors close no problem.
And yes, we all have squealing brakes in the morning, mine only squeal in reverse.
Other than that I love my VDC, good luck with your Bean.
Difficulties in closing the rear hatch is one of the recurrent themes here. It does need a positive push to shut properly. The other recurrent problem is where there is a mat on the rear floor. This tends to get in the way of the door seal. To check, push all stuff away from the hacth and try it. To achieve a fix, try putting a couple of spots of velcro uncer the mat to secure it in place (attach it to the lifting section of the floor so you can still get in there). That seems to have worked for most people.
Cheers
Graham
The morning brake squeal or clunk in reverse is explainable. The brake pads are held in calipers by sprung clips with some movement possible, When you drive backwards, they move fractionally and if applied very gently, they grab and you here a noise. This is typically when you back out of the garage. If you then listen when you next apply them going forward, you will also hear a clunk or squeal. For the best effect, try a three point turn first thing.
Its one of those things which worries you for the first week and then you figure out that its normal.
Cheers
Graham
the other question is if I should repair the chips on door one is on the upper door and dealer said they could color sand it and the other is on the lower portion of door which is thin line where paint looks like it peeled or is it better to keep the original paint... they are both small. Dealer was questioning me if I wanted to break the original paint and I said not really but do not like having the chips on a brand new car .. which was present when I picked up the car...
I am also a little concerned about leg room in the back seat. It looks tight to me. Perhaps the front seats of the cars that I test-drove had been set way back. What do people think?
Thanks for your help.
Phil
I have a 2000 OB Ltd wagon, 2.5L w/5-speed manual (a not trivial point in gas mileage). On highway trips I regularly get upper 20s to near 30 mpg. Last weekend I drove over a mountain pass (lots of up- and down-shifting, curves, etc.) and got a shade over 28 which I checked upon fill-up at home. The car now has ~12K miles on it. Last summer, when the car had barely 3K miles, we did a loop from Seattle>Glacier NP in Montana>Yellowstone NP>Seattle. At highway speeds in MT, with A/C, 4 persons, fully loaded, got around 28 mpg. At lower highway speeds, basically unloaded, no A/C (i.e., driving around the parks once we had arrived), got 30 mpg. I would tend to attribute about 2-3 mpg to the manual tranny and my generally light foot (heck, I get 30 mpg out of my 3.0L, V-6 Maxima, on highway trips). Oh, and this was all on regular gas (anything else is a waste in the 2.5 H4).
Around town with VERY short trips (meaning it doesn't really warm up - plus Seattle traffic) - low 20s.
Hope this helps!
Cheers!
Ken M.
bit
Thanks
Are these the same as those subject to the new ford explorer recall.
No, the Wilderness tires on the Outback are not the ones in the Ford recall. Check the link above for the statement from Subaru.
-Brian
My wife and I just recently purchsed a used 98 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited, Rio Red, Grey Leather int. with 41K miles. A senior citizen was the original owner and it's in mint condition. We have all the records of maintenance. What an excellent car. On the initial drive home we turn a small journey into the wilderness up a dirt mountain road. Oh the joy of AWD.
I only have one small gripe that I did not notice at the dealership. The driver heated seat switch has a small bulb out that lights up the middle of it. Does the entire switch need replacement or just a small bulb? The same situation is with the fan knob and cold-hot slider.
Had this problem on an older Legacy (92) I have and besides the hour labor they wanted, the dealer said you need to replace the whole unit. Drove to my friendly ex dealerhip Sube senior tech now running his own shop who has a box of bulbs in the back (salvaged from assemblies he has pulled out for other reasons) and he put it in for just the labor.
With my newer Legacy I also had the same problem and they first said at the dealer - they were also replacing my inoperative radio antenna under extended warranty - it would need to be the whole assembly being changed etc etc story and it would need to be special ordered etc etc - maybe a week , maybe more etc etc, then when I said I would take the car to see the other guy who had helped me out before (and who had trained everyone else in that dealership ) they suddenly just happened to have a spare bulb and so I saved myself an extra trip!
Not sure what the equivalent to US mileage is but I routinely get 9.0l/100km to 10.0l/100km here in Australia. That is about 28-31mpg in Imperial (non USA) terms. Best guess for USA is about 23.5 - 26 mpg
Cheers
Graham
Ross
Anyone knows where I can get info (and pictures?) on the OB 2002?
tia
Pat.
Please excuse my earler comment on Goodyear tires. I meant to mention a different brand in that moment of comedy after working a long day. Sorry Goodyear!
Thanks for the Velcro tip for the rear mat. Great idea.
-Greg
Warren
Good luck,
-wdb
odd as it may sound, but the surge is pretty strong if you're not prepare for it. Whenever the A/C compressor kicks in, the engine will rev higher to get more juice from the alternator (I think). Anyway, I'm waiting on my Alternator Recall notice on my '98 OB. Hopefully, the change would alleviate this annoyance.
http://www.mobil.com/mobil_gas/index.html has a neat little map on the gas types.
They told me it takes about one week per 20 hours of estimated labor, and the labor estimate was about 80 hours, hence four weeks total. Anybody in the sheetmetal business out there who can verify that as standard practice?
Dave B.
I have not noticed the driveline slap in the VDC, I need to try the brake trick. I do know that almost every rear drive car I have owned ('91 GMC Jimmy, '94 Firebird Formula, '97 Suburban) have all had some driveshaft slap. It is usually heard in that area between acceleration and engine braking.
Warren
First I have to say that I love this car but like everything else all is not perfect in the land of OZ, OCD sets in here and I am sure Bit can relate to this, I feel that the aerodynamics need to be tweaked around the rear end, after 5 minutes driving in wet weather the back end looks like it has been through a plowed field everything is sucked up onto the back window.
I have to say that this aspect is driving me nuts, I also feel that it is a safety hazard, in comparison the 93 Accord wagon that I owned, as long as the car was moving the back window did not even get wet no matter how hard it was raining, I could count on one hand the number of times I used the rear window washer in all the time I owned the car.
The second problem I documented here before and that is the interior seems to attract an inordinant amount of dust.
Apart from these two gripes the car is awesome no squeaks or rattles especially no brake squeak although I did take pains to prpoerly season the brakes when I first got the car whether that has made a difference or not I don,t know but I do this with all my vehicles.
Cheers Pat.
I've long used RainX on the windshield, so I tried some on the back window, and that pretty much took care of the problem...so that may be worth a try..
I also use Rain-X on all the windows and it seems to help. You do have to keep up with it though (reapply every month or so seems to work for me). The rear glass still gets dirty, but IMHO not as much as without the Rain-X (maybe cause it's beading on the glass instead).
-Brian
I have a 2000 OB Ltd Wagon, no spoiler or deflector on the rear end. I live in Seattle, which has plenty of sloppy months. I've noted that at highway speeds (50+ mph) the window stays clean/clear no matter how hard the rain (as long as it's actual rain, not accumulated slop blowing up from the highway). At low speeds, around town, etc., it gets pretty cruddy. Like everyone else, sure wish that rear wiper had an interval setting.
I'm curious about the drive train clunking that has been reported (my old '66 Mustang started doing that lately, but new U-joints fixed the problem): as the Beans and VDCs all have the automatic-tranny version of AWD (I believe a more sophisticated system - computerized - that has a 90/10 F/R default) could this be an artifact of that system? I've never noticed it on my H4 5-speed, but I'll ops check it next time the boss lets me drive the car on the highway.
Cheers (and rain) from Seattle!
Ken M.
bit