Any Subaru owners?

[JB4310]

Update,
Well she did have a serious buyer but they backed out, so since I was kicking myself all week for not buying it, when I found out it was available again I gave her a hundred bucks to hold it for me til I can bring it to my buddies shop and put it on the lift to make sure there are no major problems underneath.

I did look underneath and there is no signs of anything leaking anywhere.
The Check engine light is on now though, My brother has an 01 outback which has 190,000 miles. He said his light has been on for 2 years, as long as it's not effecting performance not to worry about it?
He's done the head gaskets and timing belt. He did have the viscus drive unit go bad, but the suby tech told him that is so rare he never saw it before. He does use his hard, he's a carpenter and has that thing loaded to the roof with tools and equipment.

He told me there are so many Subarus in Vermont where he lives, you can't find your car in the store's parking lot.

JB

 

[dynasim]

Sackett2

Thanks for replying, and sorry about they delay in getting back. The coolant leak is real, as it takes about 1 quart of coolant every fillup just to get it to the radiator cap. I check it cold, but the fill tank is always empty, and the fluid level is always out of sight of the radiator cap. Its oil/coolant use changed drastically at the overheat event.

My wife actually drove it through feedlot drainage area containing about 9" of manure, which plugged the radiator. She didnt' tell me for a while. It says something about the car that it made it through. Thanks for the heads up on the valve cover issue.

Thanks again,
Chris

The oil pooling in the spark plug holes are just the valve cover gaskets getting old/dry When you put a new head gasket on, this will go away. SOME of your oil leak could be just the VCG; have you confirmed coolant leakage?

 

[jmpbuffalo]

Update,...

I did look underneath and there is no signs of anything leaking anywhere.
The Check engine light is on now though, My brother has an 01 outback which has 190,000 miles. He said his light has been on for 2 years, as long as it's not effecting performance not to worry about it?


JB

I had a '98 Forester. At about 8 years of age the check engine light started coming on all the time. It was because the top of the fuel filler had become corroded, which kept the cap from sealing well. The dealer had a kit to repair it, so it was a common problem at that time.

Overall I liked my Forester, but it did have a lot of problems staring around 8 years of age. They were generally piddly, like the fuel filler, but expensive to fix.

Joe

 

[JB4310]

There is alot of negative stuff online about Subaru's from that era.

This car with 76,000 miles, I hope will give me a few years of trouble free service? I don't mind the piddly stuff, or maintenance.

I wont be putting many miles on it as it will be second car, insurance is not bad either, net increase in my policy is gonna be under $500. since it's the 4th car in a household of 3 drivers, My most expensive vehicle will be the part time vehicle, lowering the cost to insure that one.

Have not bought the car yet but I'm 90% certain I will by the end of the week.

JB.

 

[hill]

The viscous drive joint WILL fail if the car is run with tires that don't match exactly all the way around. Subaru has always had the need to replace all four tires at one time because of variations in diameter, even in the same maker but different year tire product. It was true of the old transfer case 4x4 and still true of the AWB models.

They lose front CV joints from time to time but it's not that big a deal using aftermarket whole axle units. I paid $49. each for both on an '87 wagon and ran another 100k with them in it.

If the engine sits without running and has dyno oil there's a chance of varnish forming on the valve lifters. They'll clatter like **** intermittently forever after. It can happen to pistons too but the lifters do it sooner. Embarrassing racket when they're sticky.

I dropped a valve at 140k in that '87. Drove home with a disintigrated piston and a guy put a Japan pullout shortblock in for a total of $406. Ran that car to 320k commuting and sold it for $3000. tired.

I've got my third one now - a '98 that just turned 49k miles. That's low milage in 14 years, eh? I retired and don't have to commute anymore.

All in all, subaru has treated me pretty well over 30 years. Not great milage but they'll usually get through and the wagon models cal be used like an enclosed pickup truck. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've carried in or on Subarus over the years.

I don't like the auto trans ones, but that's just me. I don't like ANY auto transes since I spent two years rebuilding them forty years ago.

 

[Redneck in training]

Be careful they can be a money pit. I had a 98 forester, what a piece of junk. Transmission leak, front main seal, rear main seal and 4, yes 4 rear bearing replacements at around $500 apiece. I got one replaced under warranty and one they felt bad for me and the rest I had to pay for. Will never buy one again, I got it because the company I used to work for made parts for them. They burn oil after 80,000 miles and they usually smell like gasoline because I guess of poor venting. The transmission leak was $1,600 to fix. Plastic parts are brittle and also junk. Rubber on the steering wheel separates off the inner metal frame. If you get it, good luck.

My wife used to have an Legacy Outback. Don't know the year but it was before 2000. The same experience. There was always something wrong with the car. Usually small things but it cost about 50-100/month in repairs. I was glad to get rid of it after she rear ended a pickup truck. It used lot of fuel for the size. Needless to say she drove about 4 to 5000 miles a month so she put a lot of miles on it. It seems to me that after about 180k it just fell appart.

 

[JB4310]

The viscous drive joint WILL fail if the car is run with tires that don't match exactly all the way around. Subaru has always had the need to replace all four tires at one time because of variations in diameter, even in the same maker but different year tire product. It was true of the old transfer case 4x4 and still true of the AWB models.

They lose front CV joints from time to time but it's not that big a deal using aftermarket whole axle units. I paid $49. each for both on an '87 wagon and ran another 100k with them in it.

If the engine sits without running and has dyno oil there's a chance of varnish forming on the valve lifters. They'll clatter like **** intermittently forever after. It can happen to pistons too but the lifters do it sooner. Embarrassing racket when they're sticky.

I dropped a valve at 140k in that '87. Drove home with a disintigrated piston and a guy put a Japan pullout shortblock in for a total of $406. Ran that car to 320k commuting and sold it for $3000. tired.

I've got my third one now - a '98 that just turned 49k miles. That's low milage in 14 years, eh? I retired and don't have to commute anymore.

All in all, subaru has treated me pretty well over 30 years. Not great milage but they'll usually get through and the wagon models cal be used like an enclosed pickup truck. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've carried in or on Subarus over the years.

I don't like the auto trans ones, but that's just me. I don't like ANY auto transes since I spent two years rebuilding them forty years ago.

Well I bought the car for $3,800. tonight. Just came in from cleaning it up a little. I'm glad you mentioned that about the tires cause there is one non matching new tire on there. It is the same size stamped on the tire, but I'm sure being newer and a different brand that it isn't the same as the others.

I was thinking I'd have to get new tires sooner or later, but it will be sooner now. I don't mind spending a little already on it, as I have the receipts from work she had down to the car just in the last year and a half and very little mileage since. She spent over 2 grand on new front axles, new complete clutch kit, new front rotors and pads, new rear shoes, a complete tune up with plugs, filters, wires etc.

The car drove nice before I checked the tire's air pressure, found them to be under 30 psi, can't wait to try it after I filled them to the correct pressure of 44 psi. I haven't had a standard in 15 years so it's like driving a little race car for me now

It will need an oxygen sensor also, if I want the CEL to stay off.

I called a Subaru dealer with the VIN and they told be there is an extended recall for the dreaded head gasket problem, out to 2014 and 100,000 miles. they only do the work if the heads start leaking. I don't know how much of the cost is covered either.
It's had some kind of coolant additive as part of an effort to help with the head gasket problem somehow.

JB.

 

[JB4310]

My wife used to have an Legacy Outback. Don't know the year but it was before 2000. The same experience. There was always something wrong with the car. Usually small things but it cost about 50-100/month in repairs. I was glad to get rid of it after she rear ended a pickup truck. It used lot of fuel for the size. Needless to say she drove about 4 to 5000 miles a month so she put a lot of miles on it. It seems to me that after about 180k it just fell appart.

I'm not gonna put many miles on this car as it is a second car for me, so this thing will never see anywhere near that many miles while I own it.

But it is interesting hearing the negative stories about Subaru's, I thought they were near infallible before I started looking closely at them.

JB

 

[Sackett2]

Well I bought the car for $3,800. tonight. Just came in from cleaning it up a little. I'm glad you mentioned that about the tires cause there is one non matching new tire on there. It is the same size stamped on the tire, but I'm sure being newer and a different brand that it isn't the same as the others.

I was thinking I'd have to get new tires sooner or later, but it will be sooner now. I don't mind spending a little already on it, as I have the receipts from work she had down to the car just in the last year and a half and very little mileage since. She spent over 2 grand on new front axles, new complete clutch kit, new front rotors and pads, new rear shoes, a complete tune up with plugs, filters, wires etc.

The car drove nice before I checked the tire's air pressure, found them to be under 30 psi, can't wait to try it after I filled them to the correct pressure of 44 psi. I haven't had a standard in 15 years so it's like driving a little race car for me now

It will need an oxygen sensor also, if I want the CEL to stay off.

I called a Subaru dealer with the VIN and they told be there is an extended recall for the dreaded head gasket problem, out to 2014 and 100,000 miles. they only do the work if the heads start leaking. I don't know how much of the cost is covered either.
It's had some kind of coolant additive as part of an effort to help with the head gasket problem somehow.

JB.

OK, what is the code that says you need a o2 sensor?

Head gaskets; the additive MUST have been used; so make sure it has it in. They will only do the head gasket IF it leaks coolant.

 

[Redneck in training]

The car drove nice before I checked the tire's air pressure, found them to be under 30 psi, can't wait to try it after I filled them to the correct pressure of 44 psi. I haven't had a standard in 15 years so it's like driving a little race car for me now

It will need an oxygen sensor also, if I want the CEL to stay off.


JB.

If I remember it right the correct tire pressure is 29 psi front and 28 psi rear. The required pressure is on a label in one of the doors frames.