hawksoob

Mostly because the mechanic will be there anyway and it shouldn't be any extra labor. However, I've had 2 timing belts put on mine in the last 2.5 years (1st when I bought the car with no clue as to previous maintenance records) and recently (30K early) because I was having oil pump and crank seals done for an oil leak that was likely lessening the life of my T-belt, so I had it done just to be safe. Neither mechanic at either time mentioned the need for a new water pump and that work wasn't done. Just the belt and seals. tThe seals, by the way, are a known source of oil leakage in these engines, so it would be a good idea to replace them as preventive maintenance. Do that and stay on top of routine maintenance, you could conceivably get another 150K out of the car. I have nearly 158K and I really plan to keep it til at least 250K. If it's still going after that, I'll hang on to it.

Spark plugs, $10 PCV Valve, $2 non OEM, $10-12 OEM Fuel filter $14 - 22 Thermostat and gasket, $20 Subaru coolant (may as well since you're doing the therm), $13 Air filter, $10 Oil and filter change, $10-20 If you're as mechanically disinclined as I am, you can still do these things yourself for the cost of the parts. For the other stuff (T-belt, seals, water pump, etc.), anywhere from $500-1000, depending on independent vs dealer. Or if you're fairly knowlegeable about auto repair, maybe $300 for the parts. So, up to $1100 or so. Roughly a penny and a half per mile for the next 70,000 miles. $16 a month going by the average 12,000 miles a year. Considerably less than any car payment you could get on a newer car. I'd say worth it.

yep...my bad. Thanks. 1156.

I've searched and found some posts regarding a brighter alternative to the 1157 backup light bulb. Problem is, what I read seemed contradictory from one post to the next. Is there a definitive answer to the proper brighter replacement for the 1157 bulbs, and where can they be purchased?

Unless you had to replace the whole tranny AND the engine, there's not much that could be done to that vehicle that would end up making it cost more than buying one at full retail. And that might still be less than full retail and you'll have a car with a new, Zero-miles tranny and engine for the price of one with 150K. Don't let your friend read this thread. He might rethink that $500.

Have it checked out by a mechanic. Might be worth another $50-$100 to find out it's just a bad thermostat ot something else fairly simple and cheap. He could also give a general overlook and check for any signs of other possible problems. What would the repair cost if it WERE a bad HG? Even if it's $1000, you'd be getting a car worth about $5500 for $1500.

I had the oil dripping from the T-belt cover and the one drop on the oil pan and the whole smoke and smell thing. Recently had the oil pump O-ring and seal replaced, along with the crank seal. That's all (well, T-belt for good measure). No more leak.

Got mine for about $95 from http://www.thepartsbin.com Once I figured the correct angle and got the right tool (Above right front fender, leaning over with a 22mm open-ended wrench) it took maybe 15 minutes, as said above. I would LOVE for someone to pay me $150 to do that. $600/hour!

Well, the manual DOES say "Do not employ cupholder when car is in motion." Uh....yeah....nice design there. Must be the same designers who made the Krusty the Klown Alarm Klock. "Oh yeah, that gets really hot if you leave it plugged in."

FWIW: I've had my car 2.5 years, roughly 33,000 miles. No telling when brakes had been put on before I bought it. According to my mech, the pads are more than 50% of new.

Have an Autozone nearby? They check CEL codes for free. Plus, one minute may not do it. Try unhooking the battery for 15+ minutes.

Seems to be many different causes for this, the more I research it, leading to much more confusion and more theories and possible fixes. When it happened the other night, before my repair work, it was NOT after a long trip. Just around the corner to the store. It was pretty bad. When I got home I realized that my RF tire was about 8psi lower than the rest. I'm really, now, thinking the tire with the leaky valve stem is the cuplrit in this. The 3 hour trips just allow time for the slow leak to get to the point that that one tire is completely off whack, causing the center diff to whackless, as well. Here's to hoping.

Yeah, that's what I meant by "tech references from Subaru". Just couldn't think of the actual term at the time. Wonderful service.

Well, mechanic talked to Subaru. Told them the whole issue and which car I had. Subaru told him about the additive. $7.50. Added with new round of tranny oil. Will see what happens after the next long trip. :\

Yeah. Made me nervous to do anything else based on the Haynes before I double and treble checked here and various other refernces. I cross with Chilton's, here, NASIOC and the tech references downloaded from Subaru.

Many thanks. Maybe he hasn't worked on my car enough to remember whether it's a 5MT or 4EAT and he's thinking the torque bind. OK...there go the hopes of the cheap fix. Thanks, again.

You can get one here: http://catalog.thepartsbin.com/?year=1996&make=SU&imageField.x=43&imageField.y=9 Seem to be a good organization. Got my stuff quick with no problems. If you need other stuff, go ahead and get it. Free shipping over $50.

Haynes is pretty warped when it comes to the knock sensor. I had the same trepidation. "Remove intake manifold and drain the coolant?" WTF?!!!! It's way off. Just to be sure: If it's like the 2.2L, look underneath the throttle body, just left of center of the engine (looking towards the front). A little black donut looking thing, about the size of a quarter, about an inch thick, 12mm bolt in the middle and a wire coming out. It's a matter of loosening the bolt, unhooking the connecing wire, and reversing. It was quite simple with a box wrench with a ratchet mechanisim built-in. A standard ratchet would work OK, but would bust a knuckle or two, as would a standard box wrench. It's kind of a tight fit, but very doable.

Well, the knock sensor IS 8 years old, if it's original equipment. Computer says it's bad, why not just go ahead and change it? If it's anything like mine (assume so, 96 Legacy) $40 and 5 or 10 minutes with a 12mm wrench and it's done. My light came on, said bad knocker. Various times the light went away after the battery was disconnected. Came on again within 5 minutes. Swapped it, no more CEL.

Got it. Back, too.

OK. Confused. Is "viscous limited slip unit" particular to LSD or to all AWD VC systems. I don't have LSD.

Interesting ... Just went by my mecahnic's. Scheduled the oil leak repair and asked him about this binding issue. He said that there is a (new, apparently) additive that can be put into the viscous coupling fluid to help lubricate the clutch mechanism therein. Should take care of the problem. $40!!!! Fingers crossed .....

cool. thanks

How do you get the coolant out of the reservoir? I've drained everything else. It's still in there, albeit a bit diluted by now. I assumed it would just come out with the rest. It's still in there. Waddup?

Resistance feels to be in the axles/wheels/diff. No work has been done on the diff itself. The only thing that has been done to it in the last few months has been new axle on Driver's side front, 4-wheel alignment, and wheel balancing. As I recall, the first time I noticed this was before any of that. I think it was the impetus for me to have the CV boot checked and, subsequently, the axle replaced. Upon reading a bit about the VC system, I find that there is something about the VC fluid overheating and causing a binding like I describe. I guess the problem is becoming more pinpointed. Thanks.