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!

Hi ... my '98 Subie is beginning to have starting issues ... taking longer and longer to turn over each time. My quick question ... Is this a classic symptom of a battery issue or a starter issue? How does one tell? I'd rather replace the battery than the starter, of course! Thanks, Scott

Hi all ... I need to replace the bulbs on my climate control panel. I did a search of USMB and found a thread on this topic with links to detailed instructions, but both links were dead (the thread was dated 2001). Although the thread continued through December 2005, the conversation switched to changing the bulbs on the instrument panel, which is not what I need to do. Can anyone update me as to how to remove the climate control panel to change the bulbs? Thanks, Scott

On the right, actually. Took the car there today. Will let you know my impressions once I get it bacK!

Well, I presume they exist, but there is no listing for them on Switchboard.com or YellowPages.com. Do you have any contact info.? Thx.

I'm getting a tinny scraping kind of sound from my '98 Outback at about 2000 RPM. It doesn't seem to be isolated to a single gear, but I only seem to notice it while accelerating, so I'm usually in 2nd gear when it happens. Hard to describe, sounds like I'm scraping a piece of metal on the road for a second, and then goes away ... until the next time the car's RPM increases from below 2000 to that mark. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about or what the issue may be? TIA Scott

Looking for repair shop suggestions for solid, qualified Subie mechanics in the Metro-West area of Massachusetts. When I owned my BMW, I found a number of independent mechanics that focused on or specialized in BMW repair only; wondering if the same exists for Subaru. As an alternative, does anyone have any comments about Natick Subaru or other local dealers? Worth going to their service dept. or no? Thanks in advance! Scott

Hi all ... thanks to replies on this thread, some independent research, and discussions with a friend of mine who used to run the service department at a Subie dealership, this weekend I bought a 1998 Outback with 83,300 miles on it for $4,500. The original price was $5,300, but we haggled it down $800 as the car needs rear brakes and rotors and because the head gaskets have not yet been replaced. I figure even if I have to have that work done, the worst case is my total capital outlay is about equal to the car's blue book value ($6,330 in "Fair" condition, $7,100 in "Good" condition, private-party sale, per KBB.com). She has a couple of minor issues though, that I'd like to potentially fix. Advice, "how to" or other information appreciated! 1. The glass in the driver's mirror rattles at higher speeds (highway speeds). Perhaps the mechanism holding the glass in the mirror housing is loose? The mirrors are not heated, but are electric. Is there any easy way to "tighten" the glass? 2. The flip-switch on the rear view mirror doesn't flip the mirror, it moves the whole thing. My GF has the same issue with her car, likely because she has never used the day/night switch, and I suspect the same issue with my Outback. I, however, hate headlights in my face, and flip the mirror constantly. Is there an adjustment that can fix this? 3. The illumination lights behind the heating console do not work. I presume there is more than one bulb back there, indicating to me that a wire may be broken. If I'm wrong and there is only one bulb, that could be the issue. The lights on the buttons themselves work fine when pressed, but the panel is dark otherwise. Is there an easy way to pull off this panel and check? 4. The sunglass holder will not stay closed. It clicks, and then falls open. An easy adjustment perhaps? All very minor stuff, but little annoyances I'd like to fix on my own if easy enough to do. If not, I'll live with them! Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

OK, got some more information on this car. Head gaskets have not been replaced yet, however per independent mechanic are not currently showing any issue. Warranty work done includes master brake cylinder. Oil pump seal, serpentine belt and timing belt were replaced at 65,000 miles. The car needs rear rotors and brake pads, and may need valve cover and oil pan gaskets eventually. Guy is dropping the price to $4,500. For $4,500 for a 1998 Outback with 83,000 miles, it's a deal. Even if I have to replace the head gaskets, I'll end up paying no more than the fair value of this car anyway (in the mid to high 6s per KBB.com). Friend is a good Subaru mechanic that can get parts cheap and work as well, and I'm handy enough to do the brakes myself. Can't see any reason not to do this deal at that price. Scott

Hi all ... First foray into Subaru ownership and this board. I'm looking at a 1998 Subaru Outback with 83,100 miles on it. Guy wants $5,300. It's a 5-speed with leather seats, but few other luxuries (no sun-roof, etc.) I figure she'll need new tires and probably brakes in the next year or so. Guy claims the head gasket and timing chain were replaced at 65,000 miles, but I've not seen the evidence yet. Ad here: http://boston.craigslist.org/car/132179915.html Any thoughts? Thanks!