CPAScott

A few days ago a pulley for the serpentine belt broke in my 2005 Outback H6. I had it repaired straight-away, but the mechanic could not get a new belt. He advised changing it as soon as convenient when I picked the car up. Two days later the check engine light went on. I went to AutoZone to have the codes read and they noted multiple cylinders were misfiring -- particularly, cylinders 1, 3, and 5 along with some fuel/O2 mix issues and an O2 sensor heat issue, the latter two issues likely caused by the misfires. A return trip to the shop (a different one than the one who replaced the pulley and tensioner) ran full diagonstics on the car and noted the same issue, advising that the ignition coils needed replacement. At $150+ per coil plus labor, an expensive job. But these seems suspicious to me. Am I to believe that three ignition coils -- all on the exact same side of the engine -- all went out at the same time? Could it be causally related to the pulley breaking? Should I have the codes reset and see if they reappear? Have the work done? Take it to another mechanic for a 2nd opinion? Thoughts appreciated! Scott

Yea, I figured Wired FM was the only way. A new head unit isn't possible with an '05 Outback. The stereo is integrated with the climate system. Thx

Do you mean people don't normally drive in with 25 manhole covers explaining that "they just found them in the garage when grandpa died"? Everyone has a spare manhole cover or two lying around right? I think you can buy them at Home Depot ...

Hey all... I've seen some discussion about this on the boards, but looking for some additional info. Standard story. I have an iPod. I'd like to play it through my factory stereo. 2005 Outback L.L. Bean. I forget the stereo model, but it's the middle one with the 6-CD changer but not the mp3 reader. As you know, no direct input on the stereo and the stereo is integrated with the climate control system so it cannot be replaced. I am not an electonics do-it-yourselfer so the "hack" methods on this board aren't really practical for me unless someone can recommend a reputable electronics shop that will do such things (I live in Central MA/Worcester area) Wireless FM is horrible and not really an option. So -- what options do I have? I think I'm limited to wired FM. Is that right? Is that possible? What other solutions have you implemented? And -- can you recommend a reputable shop? Thanks!!

Well, you're correct about that. The XT Limited, for example, has 8.7 inches of ground clearance and, TTBOMK, is the highest ground clearance Outback made.

Hi! I have a 2005 Outback L.L. Bean that just crossed the 45,000 mile mark. I've been thinking of taking it to a dealer because I want to be 100% sure the car gets a solid looking over and becuase I want them to address two specific issues: 1. A slight rattle from under the car -- probably the heat shields or a loose bracket. 2. The rear cargo net needs to be reattached. The second issue was the primary reason to take it to the dealers -- the little knob that the cargo net attaches to pulled out and I can't figure out how to reattach it. The last time I took it to a different dealer for an oil change they told me the hole had been drilled too big. But this part was included on the original window sticker (I bought the car used) so it must have been installed either by the factory or the original dealer. Thus it seems strange that it would be installed wrong, requiring replacement of the entire internal molding and redrilling in order to fix it (think $250). Thus, a different dealer for a second opinion. But the 45,000 service alone at MetroWest Subaru in Natck, MA is $220 - $250. Yikes, that seems expensive. What should this service cost? Is it worth it?

Hi all. Owner of a 2005 Outback LLBean. A couple of weeks back I got wailed on the Mass Turnpike with some road debris. It only caused some minor surface damage to the car -- a few deep scratches in the headlight, hood, and quarterpanel, and a small dent in the quarterpanel to boot. The insurance adjuster came back with a repair estimate of $825 which will pay out under the comprhensive portion of my policy. I have a $300 deductible. I'm trying to think how I can shelter that $300 deductible and still have the car repaired. The two things I was thinking was: 1. Find a used headlight assembly and install it myself, having only the dent and scratch work done at a shop. 2. Get independent quotes from various shops, rather than simply going to the recommended shops per the dealer. What do you think? If you like plan #1, what's the best way to get a clean headlight assembly for less-than-new prices? TIA, Scott

OK ... some silly questions, but ... On my '95 Outback L.L. Bean there are three sensors that help run the climate control system. The one I'm interested in is the knob-looking one on the dashboard on the passenger side. What exactly does this sensor do and how does it do it? The reason I ask is because here in Massachusetts, the inspection sticker is placed on the lower left side of the window -- which may block this sensor. If the sensor detects heat, there's probably no problem, but if it detects light, I'm wondering if the placement of the inspection sticker would cause an issue. Even though the sticker is very thin, it casts a shadow on the sensor. Does it matter? Secondly, on the auto-dimming mirror, there is a photosensor on both the front and the back of the mirror. What does the one on the side facing the windshield collect? Glare from headlights hitting the windshield? I ask here because of the placement of a toll responder device which normally sits behind the mirror on the passenger side -- again I want to make sure this unit does not block the sensor such that it impedes it's effectiveness. Silly questions, perhaps, but please let me know your thoughts. Thanks. cbbl

Age old question -- Just bought a 2005 Outback L.L. Bean with 31,000 miles on it. With only 5,000 miles left on the orignal warranty (29,000 left on the power train portion), I was considering whether to buy an extended warranty. I looked to Warranty Direct after reading they have the best deals. Does anyone have any experience or advice on: 1 - Whether I should or should not buy an extended warranty for this car 2 - Which plan under Warranty Direct is the best option I figure that the risk of warranty repairs on this car is pretty small, so I'm not sure outlaying $1700+ for the plan is worth it. As the warranty on the engine, ABS, and transmission is 60,000 miles I question where the risk is. What do you think? The quotes (all are four years or mileage with a $100 deductible): Majorcare: 60K - $980 (cost 4.08¢ per mile above 36K) 75K - $1,109 (cost 2.84¢ per mile above 36K) 85K - $1,189 (cost 2.43¢ per mile above 36K) SecureCare Plus: 60K - $1.437 (cost 5.99¢ per mile above 36K) 75K - $1,649 (cost 4.23¢ per mile above 36K) 85K - $1,757 (cost 3.59¢ per mile above 36K) PowerWrap: 5 years/60K - $915 (cost 2.69¢ per mile above 36K) Airbag coverage is extra and ranges from $76 - $152 depending on the mileage coverage option chosen. Thoughts appreciated!! CPAScott

Hey all ... Haven't posted here in a loooong while, but thought I'd drop in to say I just upgraded my 1998 Legacy Outback -- by trading for an '05 Outback L.L. Bean. It's only been a couple of hours, but I love it so far! I was hoping to hold on to my older car for a little while longer, but I got the word that despite how solidly the car is, she has a little issue with the crankshaft bearings. Noises from the engine indicate they are starting to wear, and as I already spent some cash resealing the engine once, I wasn't interested in outlay a couple of thousand to rebuild the engine if the bearings wear out. So, although I would have liked to sell the car for $4,500, instead I traded it for about $2,800 plus $19,000 for the '05 L.L. Bean with 31,000 miles on it but in excellent shape. I don't think it was a tremendous deal, but it was a fair one. I'm a guy who likes luxury, but spends my weekends day hiking. A car like the Outback L.L. Bean that allows me to get around the "roads less travelled" but still gives me that luxurious feel is just about perfect! I started out looking at '04s, but it didn't take long to scrap that idea and pick up an '05 ... the new look is an exciting feature!! Here's a pic:

OK guys, seeking some advice here about whether its time to part with my 1998 Outback. I bought the car in mid-February of this year for $4,500 with 83,000 miles on it. It was a fairly good deal at the time as the car's value per sites like KBB.com was above $6,000. Of course, the price was reflective that the car was not 100%. It needed rear brakes and rotors, and was leaking a minor amount of oil from the valve cover, and needed a new oil pan. Since I purchased the car, I replaced the rear brakes and rotors and front brakes (but not rotors) myself, and had the exhaust midpipe replaced at Speen Street Auto in Natick, MA (upon advice from this board). Speen Street has performed all of my oil changes and monitors the oil leaks in the engine. So far, they do not recommend doing any work to the car yet, however, they did identify an additional leak from a part whose name I can think of right now -- that stupid little plastic piece between the engine and tranny. Other issues, however, are cropping up, and I'm wondering whether I should ditch the car now. Partly driving my thought process is I would much rather have a newer model anyway (and preferably an L.L. Bean edition), but wasn't in the position to buy one in February. Even now, I'd still look for a used Outback at a good price, as I am rather debt-adverse and do not have the cash to buy a $20K+ car (I wouldn't dare touch the $33K price tag of a new Outback). Here's the current status of the car: 93,000 miles 1. ENGINE - The car is, of course still leaking oil from the three places I've mentioned. It's not severe enough to warrant immediate repairs, but I don't really like having to constantly monitor the oil level, smell the burning oil after getting out of the car, etc. How much longer before these repairs need to be done (that includes the head gasket)? Anyone's guess. 2. BRAKES - When replacing the front brakes, I noticed that the one of the two pistons on the driver's side caliper was not moving in sych with the other pistion, causing very uneven brake wear. The caliper likely needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Additionally, although I did not replace the front rotors, they are scored and need to be turned or replaced. 3. WHEELS - The wheels on this car are severly oxidized and, unbeknownst to be at the time of purchase, this has caused the seal with the tires to not be tight, allowing air to slowly leak. So, in addition to checking the oil regularly, I must also check and top off the air in all four tires. Speaking of tires, after driving this car 10,000 miles since purchasing it, I need new ones. 4. CLUTCH - the clutch does not need to be replaced -- yet. How much longer before it will? Like the oil issues, anyone's guess. The mechanic has noticed a little bit of noise in the clutch, but nothing to be worried about -- yet. 5. The "Check Engine" light has recently come on. I do not yet know the cause. To be honest, I am not a true DIYer, although some things (like brakes) I can handle. I'd also rather not fuss with constant auto repairs. But, I'm frugual, so I look for the best economic answer. Via a friend of mine in the car business, I can get a new set of wheels for pretty low money (about $250). Another option might yield wheels and tires for the same price. I also know a guy through a friend who's pretty handy with these cars (he works in the parts department at a Subie dealer, but is mechanically inclined and can repair these cars). He's offered to pull the engine from the car and completely reseal it for essentially the cost of parts. Of course I will pay him something for his time and trouble. Resealing the engine would include replacing all gaskets (including those currently leaking and the head gasket), and ensuring that all other parts are doing OK. He figures its easier to do the work if we take the whole engine out of the car. While the engine is out, repairs, if necessary, to the clutch, could also be done easily. We haven't discussed the calipers. I'm having a hard time getting him to commit to a date, though, so although he's willing, he's hard to pin down. Anyway ... I'm wondering if it's all worth it ... the time, the money, the hassle. To repeat: Valve cover gaskets Oil pan Head gasket Plastic piece between engine and tranny (whatever it's called) Clutch (maybe) Rebuild caliper Replace front rotors New wheels New tires That leaves the car still with other small annoyances (stupid little things like the sunglass holder being broken). What will the total cost be to do this work? At this point, I can't say. $1K? $2K? Somewhere in there, I suppose. If I sold the car, what could I buy? Hard to know right now as I haven't looked much. Interest rates are expensive (8% for a person-to-person sale) and a consideration. I'd love to wait a bit longer, maybe even next spring, but I don't want to drive a clunker either. What do you think?

Hi. I'm looking to purchase 4 used, but in quality shape, wheels from a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT. Can anyone assist? Many thanks!

'98 Legacy Outback. There is a circlip holding the cable in place under the dash as well. The bulbs I got were from the dealer also. Perhaps the bulb is twisted too far, but it worked for 2 weeks. Ah well, I'll take it all apart again. Gripe - grumble - groan.

A couple of weeks ago I sought out advice here on how to replace the backlights on my climate control panel and found a great walkthrough with pictures on how to do it. Except for the infamous circ-clips, it was a fairly easy process. Well, two weeks later ... one of the exact same backlights that was out before is out again. How is it a bulb only lasts two weeks??? I'm not sure I want to pull the assembly apart again as those stupid circlips could be the end of me. How annoying ... I suppose I could have some other electronic issue causing the bulb to fail, but most likely it's just coincidence and bad luck. On a related topic, I some back lights on my radio were also out. These cannot be replaced as they are soldered to the the circuit board. A friend of mine had a couple of older Subie radios ... and, gee, surprise, surprise, they all had backlights out. Is the quality of these electronics really this poor? Fortunately, he had one radio where everything seemed to be working. Although it was a different model (it didn't have the weatherband, whereas mine did) a cursory review of the two circuit boards revealed that they were likely compatible, and I swapped them successfully. Now back to that @#$% climate control light ...

Sure ... I read and print the excellent how to on changing the blown-out backlight bulbs on the climate control panel. I wrestle with the circlips like everyone else, manage to get the bulbs replaced, figure while I'm at it I'll take apart the guage console and replace the bulbs for my cruise control and rear defroster switches (also out), put everything back together and look forward to driving the car at night when I can see everything ... only to discover there is now a light bulb blown out behind my radio. Of course, it's the one for the clock, too. @#$%! So, I figure I can disassemble the dashboard again and figure out how to replace those backlights, but first I thought I'd ask here ... is there a how to for replacing these bulbs? Thanks!