fastwgn286

+1 i love my 97 outback, but she blew the head gaskets at 120k. found out it was only on the right side, but still $1700 to fix. ouch for a college student. it works wonders in snow and will haul all the stuff for a dorm room (everything i brought for my first year fit with room to spare). its a great car, and even with a blown head gasket, i wouldn't trade it for anything. ask owner if head gasket were changed, any problems experienced, etc. check coolant overflow for oil and exhaust flumes!

get any vibration with the hum?

yeah, me, a civil engineering major, agrees. 90 degrees = no falling down. wood would also help to not scratch anything down there (not like thats a problem anyways...) coulda just used a thick brick instead...

do the taillights work when the headlights are on? does any of them light when the brake pedal is stepped on? replaced any blubs?

yeah, sounds like a dealer problem. charged wrong or the compressor is gone (it can happen, i've seen cars with 10 miles on 'em that lost an alternator). can't hurt too much....

got any volumes to go with that? Edit: ok, i see it now....

first: welcome to the group second: familiarize yourself with the search function, it saves time. letter c: After reading all sorts of posts on these model year outback and foresters, i believe they have the phase II SOHC 2.5L engine. Might differ if you are in Russia, so check under the hood and ask the seller what it is. The Phase II is refering to the sohc in 2000 - 2004 outbacks and 1999-2002 foresters (someone smarter and not so dumb can correct me) Thus far, we have discovered that they have an external head gasket leak (at least they do in the states) and is cured supposedly by a coolant additive. consult a dealer as this might be different in Russia letter 4: the Outback is based on the larger Legacy frame, while the Forester is based on the Impreza frame. I personally love my Outback (its a MY97) as it offers some extra head room over the regular Legacy, and still handles well. Its a matter of test driving and figuring which one better suits you. the Outback is larger than the Forester. number E: either way, they are both excellent. enjoy.

yeah, this really did get out of hand rather quickly. while 32 mpg on an ej25 is impressive, removing the backplating wouldn't do that much (if austin actually does the wind tunnel test, it would be nice to see the consequences!) and a higher flow filter would help by 1 mpg or so (more air = more efficiently, or so i think [Virginia Tech engineering tends to warp brains]) i saw 31 mpg on my ej25 on the way home from tech (so the brain calculator goes) by removing the roof rack bars and turning the heater on. but is that the real reason way it got 31? i hope not, because that was the worst drive i have ever done. period. and since when did we discuss the "best" public university in the country? we were talking more expensive, right?

mine does too. thats about when i look it in the headlights and say "oy! either eat your filter or i'm not driving you." and it slides in..... works like a charm maybe i should try that with the headgaskets........

welcome to the club!

i think you found it! (3)

my outback has a legacy manual. its all the same stuff, and the manual does point out the differences between the regular legy and the outback (like higher ground clearance, fording small streams, towing small trailers, blah blah blah)

most dealerships will take any trade in, and 700 sounds about right for an old camry (a 94 loyale with an oil leak can fetch a grand!). they will probably just sell it at an auto auction, or to a wholesaler

carfax say where it was registered? i know that some dealerships bought cars that had fender benders or were in floods (the dealership that i worked at did that a few times, so double check the tire well for any water stains or water still in there ). they will typcally lower the price because of fender bender stuff because they knocked a few bones off the price they bought it at. if you have doubts, don't buy is the best way to go. but take it to your mechanic to get his stamp of mechanical approval before buying.

just checked the ol' rally pup (sadly parked until she heals:-\ ) and no tabs. it just takes some convincing. you can disconnect the vacuum hose to make it a little easier, just reconnect and it'll still work

yeah, they are clips. im serious about those vacuum hoses though. checked mine in the dark and one popped off, couldn't get home....

you missed nothing. just two clips, but the vacuum lines connect to the bottom of the air hose. just pull with some more energy and make sure you reconnect any that pop off

really? didnt know....thank goodness i have a 97 then.... chilton's doesn't have a 01 manual either?

alright, i made it home. it was the worst drive i've had. heat full blast in 75 degree heat. not good. definitely not recommended.

buy a haynes manual....

did you get an invoice of the part numbers of the gaskets they used? thats the only way to know if they used a different one or not.... its possible that the ones that came on your car missed a step or got punched wrong (factory error) its all possible.... depending upon whether they removed the engine would give more clues as to whether you got a recharged a/c system. if i have to do that to my car (replacing head gaskets next week), i'll be pretty hosed....but if they left the engine in, i doubt they recharged it (it should say it on your invoice) if the shop did them right, you should have good HGs for quite some time (otherwise theres gonna be some heads rollin at Subaru )

yeah, i'm calling "Shenanigans!" on whoever took those pics. two pics of a prelude that got whooped by a much cooler looking legacy. please.... recall how well or how poorly that maserati did? i dig those lights. something similar to come on my car (once i tear apart the engine and start my real job...)

i'll have to give it the good ol' college try...i took it for a drive last night and its been reading normal (temp gauge at its happy 8:45 position) but i'll bring extra water, antifreeze, a charged cell, and some reading material if i have to stop for extended periods of time. I'll also pump out some of the excess oil in the overflow tank once it separates a little more (it was quite high when i checked it after the car warmed up and started driving). I'll perform another drive today (as it was freezing last night) and see if anything bad happens. fingers crossed! Buddha is on notice!

I saw a rocky mountain edition outback on ebay a few days back, and it was about the same thing (cold weather package, cd player, and special "Rocky Mountain Edition" badges) so, i guess special local editions seem to be common. But enjoy your car, and take care of it. someone will surely pay more money for the fact its a special edition (just gotta find em....)

should i try to siphon some of the oil out of hte overflow tank? would that help cool it down maybe?. so far the temp gauge has been holding steady at middle of the range (did get a slight bump up the last time i drove it), but i ready dont want to warp the heads, or walk the freaking 320 miles:eek: should i try emptying the overflow and refilling before taking off would be my question, i guess....