Subaru Legacy/Outback

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  • toboggantoboggan Member Posts: 283
    David35 - I tow my '98 OB limited 5 speed behind my motor home. I use the Blue Ox AventaII tow bar that is "permanently" attached to the motor home. On the OB I installed the Blue Ox baseplate (don't remember the part#). The baseplate install means you remove the headlights, grill, and front bumper. The baseplate just bolts in and you start putting the removed parts back on. Takes several hours.

    For the tail/turn/brake lights used a four connector trailer wiring kit with diodes to connect into the existing lites - that took a few hours. Since my motor home uses the separate turn/brake lights a 6 connector retangular plug was used and plumbed into the 4-connector wire. But of course I had to bury myself up in the motor home back end to do some rewiring there to handle the separation. This was because the Jeep Cherokee was set up for a combination brake/turn/running lights using the same 2-filament bulb.

    So far about 6,000 towing miles have been put on with only a replacement battery (bought at Wal-Mart in Pecos, Texas). Oh, I also remove the radio fuse (15 amp) since the time is displayed when the key is in the accessories position for towing. Did this after the 4+ year old battery crapped out when passing through western Texas this past September/October.

    Coming back from the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque the OB was never unhooked/started for 3 days. The battery never got discharged.

    Oh, yeah. I use a Brake Buddy auxiliary braking device in the OB for extra braking power when stopping quickly. That runs off the battery with a small air compressor that activates an arm that is connected to the brake pedal. An electronic pendulum device controls the braking on the toad.

    Steve (Twin Cities, Minnesota)
  • secretariatsecretariat Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2001 outback with 16,000 miles on it. It has been a dream, no problems. Until today.

    Driving home the check engine light came on. The manual says this could be caused by a problem or potenial problem in the vehicle emissions system (?) or problems with putting on the gas tank cap when filling up.

    My dealer is quite a distance from me so I stopped at a local shop for an oil change and asked them about the light. They claimed everything was fine and these kind of cars are prone to this sort of sensor problem.

    Anyone have any experience with this? The car acts and sounds fine but I will spend a day at a dealership if necessary.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    Did you recently refuel the car?

    If you don't tighten the fuel cap enough so that it clicks a half-dozen times, the CEL may display. This happened to me. I tightened the cap and the light went away after the car was restarted a few times over the next couple days.
  • jay_24jay_24 Member Posts: 536
    Most common problem is the gas cap. Make sure you get 3 or more clicks when you put it on.

    Secondly, have you had the recall service done for the Check Engine light? Last spring(?) there was a recall on many subaru models (included 2001 Outbacks). I believe the service was just a re-program of the computer to make the light less sensitive.

    I'd suggest getting it checked out. Some autoparts stores will check the error codes for free. Then you can decide on going to the dealer or not.

    --Jay
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Just curious - without the engine running to maintain the vacuum boost, the brake pedal becomes as hard as a rock. Can that mechanical arm press on the pedal enough to actuate the brakes?

    Steve
  • rk_goark_goa Member Posts: 11
    Finally we bought a 2003 Legacy L Special Edition sedan in Silverstone Metallic. Drives and handles great. Power is adequate (10% more would be perfect) and the 4EAT shifts smoothly. Handling is great, specially with the 16" wheels. But the ride is a little taut for my taste and unless I get used to it, I might get 15" wheels when the stock RE92s wear out. The ceiling feels a low with the moonroof. Is this typical in cars with moonroofs?

    While Subarus have good reliability reviews, this is our first Subaru and we will see how it performs over time. We had luck with 3 Toyotas before. Just retired a 1990 Camry after 156,000 miles. Except for the usual wear and tear(tires, brakes, batteries, belts etc.) the only other things needed for it were a thermostat and a valve cover gasket after 10 years of use ($210).

    Thanks to all of you for the information I found here.

    Roger
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Congrats on the new car. Doing a "one-minus" tire/wheel swap (from xxx/60-16 to xxx/70-15) will potentially soften the ride, but at the expense of handling. The stock tires are also probably "H" speed rated. Consider a "T" or "S" to soften the ride. Just be careful about monitoring tire pressure as the lower speed rated tires may also have lower reserve capacity when underinflated.

    You mentioned the '90 Camry. I had a '90 LE-V6 wagon, which came with the one-plus upgrade over the 4 cyl models: 195/60-15 vs. 185/70-14. My wagon rode harder than a friends, but the handling was incredible by comparison. BTW, I sold it in '97 with 115k miles, and still see it occasionally around town.

    Steve
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    the difference in diameter of the 205/70-15 vs 215/65-15 is minimal, 215 actually a 1/3in smaller. 00 OBs (225/60-16) have tires 1/3in larger than your stock and I don't think their fenders or suspensions are any bigger.


    http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    FYI from thecarconnection.com :

    "SUBARU RECALLS A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING
    Subaru says it will recall 163,243 vehicles from its U.S. lineup for a problem with the automatic transmissions offered in the cars. The company says some 2001 Legacys, all of its 2002 Legacy, Outback, Impreza and Forester crossovers, and some 2003 Legacys, Outbacks, Foresters, Imprezas and Bajas will be brought back because an automatic-transmission park rod could be defective, which could allow the vehicles to slip out of park and roll. The company will begin notifying owners and will start repairing vehicles after the first of the year."
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Congrats Roger, those are really nice.

    Yes, generally moonroofs do eat into head room. At least the Legacy had more than usual to begin with, given the raised roof design.

    I would not go to a 15" wheel because there might be issues with brake clearance. I think the rotors got a bit bigger when they upgraded the wheels, though I could be wrong.

    What I would do instead is just lower the tire pressure. Dealers usually have them at 32psi or so, try 29psi and see if that rides better for your tastes. Don't go too low, of course.

    -juice
  • xccoachlouxccoachlou Member Posts: 245
    Stick Shifts are looking better every day...
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I don't like to crosspost, but I just posted this regarding the recall:
    subearu "Subaru Baja" Nov 8, 2002 9:33pm

    The transmission (4EAT) has been very reliable for Subaru and used for several years. This recall shouldn't be a big deal.

    -Brian
  • xccoachlouxccoachlou Member Posts: 245
    BTW, all I meant was that sticks are more fun, and there is no recall on them yet. This recall sounds like it really is nothing major, and my personal opinion is, "what are parking brakes for?"

    You have to love the wording too, "an automatic-transmission park rod could be defective, which could allow the vehicles to slip out of park and roll."

    It COULD be defective, and it COULD allow the vehicles to slip out of park and roll...

    That's a lot of coulds... but what if you just use the parking brakes, and turn the wheels like you're supposed to?
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    It's also only a "risk" when the engine is running. (A la Audi 100?) It mentioned somewhere that less than 900 were actually defective.

    Jim
  • bravadajonbravadajon Member Posts: 60
    Pressure in the tires on my new Outback was about 36psi....supposed to be 30 front and 29 rear. The Subaru rides much better now with the proper tire pressure.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Unfortunately, not everyone will use the parking brake. I have this fight in my own household.

    I always apply the parking brake first, let off the service brake slightly with the tranny in neutral to allow the driveline to 'settle' into a unloaded condition, then shift into park. This way the parking pawl bears no load. But I cannot get my wife to even use the parking brake. She shifts into park, and lets the full weight of the vehicle "bounce" against the pawl. I keep warning her that one day that tiny little rod is going to shear right off, but she ignores me!

    Steve
  • mjmille7mjmille7 Member Posts: 10
    I own a '02 Outback, and opted for the All Weather Package, primarily for the heated seats. I have noticed that the drivers seat heat output is fairly erratic, in that once the seat warms up, the temperature will usually drop to so that there is no heat at all. This pattern then repeats.

    On the passenger side, the temperature rarely breaks the "luke warm" phase, and usually, my wife can never tell it's on.

    Is this common for the Outbacks? We don't seem to experience this in my wife's Forrester.

    Has anyone else experienced this? Is is normal?
  • bravadajonbravadajon Member Posts: 60
    Driver seat gets warm on quick setting within 2-3 minutes....but certainly not toasty.

    No data on passenger seat.
  • mjmille7mjmille7 Member Posts: 10
    That sounds similar to mine, how about the variation in heat?

    Our '99 Forrester seats are nice and warm, and I unsually have to switch to the low setting after a couple if minutes. The heat does not fluctuate as much either.

    Does anyone know whether Subaru changed systems since the late '90's?
  • toboggantoboggan Member Posts: 283
    The brake pedal really isn't that hard. The Brake Buddy has enough oomph to apply the brakes with no problems. You can really feel it in the motor home.

    Steve (yet another one (Twin Cities, MN)
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Was curious as to how that would work....

    Steve (Hopewell Junction, NY)
  • ccampbell4ccampbell4 Member Posts: 60
    My CIL came on Thursday, just after my worst fuel mileage yet. I posted 16 mpg, refueled and the CIL came on the next day. I assumed that it was because I had refueled, but I know I put the cap on correctly and it still hasn't gone away. I had to drive the car about 240 miles yesterday and got around 24 mpg on the highway. Much better, but still I've never gotten the kind of mileage many of you report. Could the light be on because of something wrong with the fuel mixture?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I agree with Papa Bear. The Subie automatic is very robust and extremely reliable. A very small batch of recalled units does not change that one bit.

    Jon: great, we found the culprit then. Remind your dealer so he check the air pressure during the PDI in the future.

    Heated seats: I'm jealous since I don't have any at all, so you'll get no sympathies from me! :-)

    16mpg is pretty awful, about the worst I've heard of here. But you're getting 24mpg now?

    The light probably went on because the O2 sensor detected unburned fuel. Sounds like the problem may have cleared itself, but you still have to reset the code. Let the dealer do it and ask what it reported, then document it in case it comes up again in the future.

    -juice
  • ccampbell4ccampbell4 Member Posts: 60
    juice,
    the 24mpg I got was nearly all highway on a little trip I went on yesterday. That's as good as it gets for me. Around town it's usually 19 or 20, except for the 16 I just had. I don't know how some are getting upper twenties. I've never seen anything close. Getting 16 makes me think there is something wrong, and perhaps that's why the light came on.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Go get it checked out. My wife averages 25mpg on her Legacy. My Forester has surpassed 30mpg, and neither ever got less than 21mpg.

    -juice
  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    Chris,
    For what it's worth,on my 00 Outback I'm getting roughly the same MPG that you are (23-24 hwy/ 18-20 city). In winter, when we switch over to oxygenated "winter blend" gas, mileage is worse.
    If this is something that "just sort of appeared", try changing gas stations. We had a problem with pretty bad mileage on our 02 Forester with bad rotten egg smell AND pinging. I switched over to BP fuel and the knoc and rotten egg smell have abated. It's only the second tankfull since the switch but mpg has improved a bit.
    Ron
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    If nothing else, throw a bottle of Techron fuel injector cleaner in the tank. It's cheap, doesn't hurt anything, and it just might help. IdahoDoug recommended this a few months ago - I cannot remember the context of the discussion, though.
  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    its a cheap fix and worth it. In my case, it didn't help (Techron) but it certainly didn't hurt. It appears that my problem was "bad gas", but time will tell.
    Ron
  • peterson10peterson10 Member Posts: 116
    The "high" setting will cycle off when it reaches maximum temp, and back on when it falls below the minimum; thus the fluctuation you feel. On "low" it cycles off-on far less often. Actually, I'm not sure it ever goes off in the low setting. I use "high" for the first five minutes then switch to low. Love those seats! Love those heated side-view mirrors too. Awe, heck...love the whole car.
    YetAnotherDave
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    FWIW Kate had mentioned a can of Dry Gas helped her out of some fuel problems.

    Where is she, I want to here more about that Brazil trip?

    -juice
  • ccampbell4ccampbell4 Member Posts: 60
    I took it to the dealer today. Turns out the code came back as a problem with a catalytic converter. They are ordering them and will replace both on warranty. He said it probably wasn't much, since they would normally see the errors "stacked up" if there was really something wrong and there was only the single one in my case. They are replacing them anyway.
  • pjreporterpjreporter Member Posts: 32
    ... for a major business daily. I am the reporter for a fun auto feature and am seeking drivers of the Subaru Outback . If you drive such a car, please email me at lanetef@yahoo.com and include your daytime telephone number so I can call you to talk about your experiences with the vehicle
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Emissions stuff carries a very long warranty, but that's cool that they are taking preventative measures. A cat ain't cheap, either.

    -juice
  • aldujaparovaldujaparov Member Posts: 1
    Bought new '03 outback, am amazed how bad the sound system is. If Subaru is putting junk in that is this noticeable, what are they putting in where we can't see it?

    Can anyone tell me if the Subaru subwoofer boosts power to the door speakers, or just powers the subwoofer? Subaru website is silent.

    Thanks
  • subaru4mesubaru4me Member Posts: 4
    Please forgive me if I posted this here already but I looked and can't find it. I have a 2000 Outback that I'd like to upgrade to the 2002 Outback wiper controls. The adjustable windshield wiper delay as well as the rear wiper delay. As you know there currently is not adjustment for delay for the front and the back is either on or off. Does anyone know what would be involved? Is it just the control on the column or is there also some computer piece under the hood?

    Thanks in advance.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Subaru doesn't go crazy on their stereos because they know:
    1) A lot of Subie owners put in aftermarket system, why charger more $ for a stock system that will get ripped out anyway

    2) The other portion of subie owners don't really care that much about high end audio systems in their cars remember most subie owners are practical
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    but compared to most of the other cars I have bought (or rented on my many business trips), the sound system in my '02 OBW rates pretty high. If you want to hear junk, come listen to my other new car - my wifes '02 Honda Odyssey EX.

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    As nobody else with any direct knowledge has taken a stab at this, I will give it a shot. Maybe somebody who has the shop manual with the full wiring diagram can verify part numbers.

    Usually the column switches are just that - dumb switches which interface to a module that sends the final signal to the motors. If variable intermittant was offered as an option on your year on an upper line model, you might get away with just a change in switch. The logic here is that Subaru would probably make only one module for all cars (cheaper in the long run), then just change the switch to add or subtract functions depending on what the consumer paid for. If it was not offered at all, you would probably be in for a major job to change out everything, including possibly the wiring harness that connects the components.

    Hope this helps,

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The stock systems has cheap dual-cones. The premium sound are still only your basic two-ways. I had the former on the Forester and swapped for the latter.

    Enthusiasts should look to the aftermarket. For listening to "Sesame Street Live", believe me, the speakers are TOO good!

    BTW, Lexus will gladly accept your $3220 for their optional Mark Levinson stereo on the LS.

    The subwoofer is powered and pre-wired, but and separate from the door speakers.

    -juice
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    I inquired about adding variable intermittent wipers on this board eons ago (mid-2001). I think the general consensus from the electronics whizzes was that a separate relay (hence, wiring harness too) was required in addition to the column switch.

    Really, how much extra would it have cost Subaru just to outfit all models/levels with the variable wipers? I would've paid the incremental cost without a blink.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The bean counters would say a $5 relay would add $850,000 in total costs to Subaru's expenses, per year, for all Subies sold in the US.

    Then they calculate how many sales they'll add, and have to make up for that extra cost.

    I say add content and then tout it in your ads. This is one way Subaru could truly move upmarket. Look at Passat's 5 speed auto and side curtain air bags. They're selling W8s for $40 grand.

    -juice
  • david55838david55838 Member Posts: 55
    After a lot of phone calls and complaining, SOA has authorized my dealer to install new 'updated' parts including disc, cover, and flywheel to my '02 base. The parts are ordered. When they're installed, I'll report back. If you've got the problem, and you're still under warranty, don't give up.

    David
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let us know how it goes, and if the new one is any better.

    -juice
  • goosegoggoosegog Member Posts: 206
    I'm pretty sure someone came up with a circuit for this a year or two ago, and I'm pretty sure I downloaded to my PC. I'll try to find it when I get home.
  • jbw6jbw6 Member Posts: 2
    I'm trying to find seat covers for my 2001 outback. I bought a few different brands from a few stores and they were too small. Does anyone have any covers they bought from a store that aren't customized? Thank you.
  • bravadajonbravadajon Member Posts: 60
    I have fast heat and slow heat settings on the 03 Outback; fast heat setting does cycle after reaching maximum temp; comfy but not hot. I have not used the slow heat setting.
    Wind noise from roof rails: another strategy is just slide the forward rail to the rear a bit ..say above the rear doors...that way the noise is behind the driver. If you carry something on top of course slide the rail back to the front.
  • jay_24jay_24 Member Posts: 536
    I got some last spring that fit pretty good. I got them from K-Mart but can't remember the brand off hand. I have the box and the second cover around somewhere. The little string ties to help hold the cover on don't work since its too hard to go under the seat with the power adjust. But after 6+ months of use, it still fits snug and hasn't come off.

    I only used one for the driver seat. It was a good price too ~$10. Our Kmart closed as part of the corporate troubles so everything was 50-70% off.

    Heated seats work great on my 2001 OB. 17 degrees this morning. high setting = back and seat, low setting = just the back.

    --jay
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Just hit 36K miles after 2 years, 2 months, 2 weeks (time to play 222). Only major work done so far(all basic w&t):

    1) Replaced tires w/Dunlop Sport A2's - handle great in rain and dry.

    2)Have to replace the front brake pads.

    Otherwise the car is riding nicely.

    Mark
  • goosegoggoosegog Member Posts: 206
    I did save to my PC but the web site I got it from is still up. It does not address the front wipers, but does show how to fit a delay to the back one, along with another mod to have the back one work normally for 10 seconds before automatically going into delay mode.


    http://pdubois.tripod.com/photoalbum/index.html

  • jbw6jbw6 Member Posts: 2
    jay_24. Thank you for the reply. Kmart is the one store I didn't try. I will go today. Thanks again.
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