Lesbaru

My 96 Legacy still has her original battery. Sometimes it takes a couple attempts to get the car to start, but it still starts when I want it to. (might get a new one before winter.... shhhhh, don't let the old one know)

bearings? When mine failed, it sounded like tire noise.

Considering how long these critters last, what is "normal life"? 96 Legacy wagon

Do you mind taking a trip to Bellingham WA? Harmony Motorworks (independent shop) in Bellingham is great, they love Subies and aren't expensive. A guy there named Mark took very good care of my '86 GL wagon and fixed quite a few things on it, and told me what to watch out for in the future. (my uncle and his kids have the car now) Skagit Subaru (dealership) in Burlington WA is also nice, they helped me a couple weeks ago for free. They're the closest to the ferry for you. If I buy another Subaru I'm getting it from them. Smart Service (independent shop) in Seattle takes good care of my '96 Legacy wagon.

My 96 Legacy clutch was also about $800, and that was at the dealership. (awesome dealership in Lansing Michigan).

One of my heat shields (96 Legacy) was doing that. When I had my cat convertor replaced the shop also did a little welding to quiet the rattle. Worked fine so far.

My gf had the same problem with her 02 Forester. In her case it turned out to be a messed up O2 sensor.

Yeah, it warms the soul. Glenn was so nice to all of us, even the dog. I'll probably go back to Skagit next year. I intend to buy a 2006 Impreza. I had a 86 GL, now a 96 Legacy, so 2006 would be most appropriate, eh? I'll ask Glenn to reccommend a good salesman. (hey, anyone interested in buying Twobaru next spring?)

96 Legacy 2.2L. Big drop in mpg after I drove across country for 4 days. I'm at 100 miles at the half mark. I refill at 150 miles, looks like 1/4 tank left, but the gauge wanders all over the place like everyone else's. Getting 17-18 mpg. New cats, new plugs and wires, no improvement. (used to get 24-26 mpg)

Never go to Brake Doctors, even though they are cheap! Took my 96 Legacy back to them twice because the new brake pads were very noisy, mostly when my foot was NOT on the brake. No change. They got worse over the last few weeks. Was driving with my son and dog in the car up to my mom's for Easter this morning and couldn't stand the constant shrieking (at 70 mph it was very loud) and pulling to the right. Dashed off the freeway and into Skagit Subaru begging for help. They were busy, but took pity on a single mom with whiney dog, child, and car. They found the rear calipers were not aligned correctly, with unven pad wear. They reset and lubed the calipers and sanded the pads so they matched. THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME A DANG THING!!!! Happy Easter to Glenn and the Saturday morning staff at Skagit Subaru! Finished the trip with nearly silent brakes. Hooray! Wanna buy a new Subie? Go to Skagit Subaru in Mt. Vernon WA. (that's where my mom bought her Impreza, and she takes it to them for service.)

Yup. Got that. I was told it's the suspension and not to worry about it cuz it's not worth replacing.

When I had the clutch replaced on my 96 Legacy the dealership (Lansing MI) replaced every engine seal they could get to at cost. No add'l labor, since they had it all taken apart anyway. The mechanic had a fondness for 2.2L engines and said I should get another 120k out of it, no problem.

I searched and searched for a 2.2 MT, and finally bought mine from a board member (Scott in New York). If/when I decide to sell my Legacy wagon I will try to sell her on the board FIRST. Besides, she already has two (count 'em TWO) USMB bumperstickers and I have to sell to someone who can appreciate that... hee hee. (I hate to admit it... but tomorrow I'm going to look at Jetta wagon TDI and Golf hatchback TDI before they get the drive-by-wire 2006's in. Have this great dream of running biodiesel and getting 54 mpg like my sister in law does with her Jetta.) Kaja

Brand spankin' new in October. Grrrrrr.

Nuh-uh Northguy! I'd win the poopy-prize for dumbest questions! Me! Me! Me! Or maybe it'd be the prize for biggest car hypochondriac....

They rub, they grind, they squeal (gee, don't take that wrong, y'all). And all this is when my foot isn't on the brake. We also get some very exciting racket from the back brakes when turning right. Smart Service (my car's new best friends) says the brakes are safe, just obnoxious. The little OEM slider bracket thingies aren't sold seperately so they can't put new ones on without replacing the pads too. (Kudos to which ever of you folks told me about the thingies: you were right!) So, the big question of the day is; is it worth spending the money to get rid of the noise, or should I just stop being such a whiney baby and trust that my Legacy is not about to fall to pieces and keep the radio on high volume? Side note: siped tires appear to crumble at the slices. but I do really like the way they grip wet pavement

If I did that too (Twobaru needs a few things), would I have to encounter Mr. Snot when/if I came in to pick up parts? Kaja

"tick tick tick tick...." is Subies' saying Howdy! (did someone say something about short piston skirts?)

My 96 is like that. I figure it's just not a "morning" car. (Same way I'm slow to get in gear in the morning!)

I ordered mine from 1stsubaruparts.com. It is the online "store" for Auburn Subaru in Auburn WA. They had the best prices. I called them to make my order cuz I didn't have good internet security, and the guy I talked to was very knowlegable and friendly. click on "search" at the top of this screen and enter "rusted latch bracket". It should pull up a list of about 5 or 6 threads. You want the one from 2002, it has about 17 posts. That thread has Commuter's instructions and lists of part numbers and gives a few theories as to why the late 90's have this problem. Really, it was easy to replace the parts. I'm one of these folks who barely knows what socket wrenches and screwdrivers are, let alone how to use them. If *I* can fix it, anyone can! (Beer helps, of course!)

I do the trip odometer reset trick, too. Taking the easy way out...

Those corroded parts (the license lamp bracket and latch assembly) are very easy to replace. Hey, I managed to replace mine and I don't know ANYTHING... The parts cost around $20-$30 and Commuter posted some great instructions. The rusty hatch latch problem is pretty common in the late 90's.

Welcome! It's a great bunch of folks on this site, they've given me lots of help (hey, I need it). Kaja

Got my whole thing (cable, too) replaced for $120 at the dealer.

I have no idea what pads are on the car... but I'll try to figure it out. I've taken it back (it's the old one, 96 Legacy) twice to "Brake Doctors" and they've cleaned all the parts and put them back together, which keeps things quiet for about a week. So, I kinda like the paint idea. (I assume they'd scrub off the paint) I called Smart Service. Just guessing over the phone from my description, Thomas thought maybe my brake fluid was contaminated. The noise only happens when the car has been driven for a while, which would allow the fluid to get hot and expand and start jamming up. (brakes are quiet when the car is cold) After I get paid next week I'll pay a visit to Twobaru's new best friends at Smart Service.