rottenhead

I can sing the praises of the 2.2 as well. My '92 has 250K on it and I would keep going if not for rust and a failing tranny. I may have the model wrong b/c I am almost positive it's the 2.5 in this car. I am buying from afar through my father b/c Subie's sell about 30 seconds after the ad is placed here in Portland, ME. Anyway, I've had him do several test drives and look under the hood. From the description it doesn't sound like the motor in my car and he read back EJ25 to me. The place selling it is the same place I got my '92, back in '98, and they did the timing belt and water pump. Perhaps it is an Outback? He says the liftgate says Legacy L on it though.

118K, $4695. Terrified of the Head Gasket going. Seller won't come down anymore, even after acknowledging 50/50 chance of gasket failure. Water pump and timing belt *just* replaced. Does not overheat. Could water pump failure be result of/lead to head gasket failure? My thinking is that it is almost a sure thing that it will go--and for that price, an additional 1200+ isn't worth it. But it appears to be in such great shape otherwise...

I'd say you were lucky you got that long out of it. I took good care of mine and it's pretty much beat at 250 (not that that isn't amazing for a Subie auto!). Maybe start looking for a used one.

I've got a 92 Legacy wagon AT with 241K. It binds in turns, but aside from that is fine. All I've done is regular changes of the fluid and filter.

Ok; the overflow tank is definitely bone dry at the moment so I'll fill it up today. I don't think the radiator cap is leaking. Fluid is still to the top when I take the cap off, for the moment anyway. Anyway, I'm going to try filling the overflow tank and go from there. thanks guys.

Try not to crucify me for this but, how do you check the coolant level on a '92 2.2? The owner's manual is sort of confusing on the matter. From the sounds of it; there should be coolant in the overflow tank? As long as I've owned the car, I've never seen coolant in there. I thought the way to check it was to remove the radiator cap; and it's to the top there. I'm concerned because I've been noticing some on the snow once in awhile. Thought it was due to the cold, but it hasn't gone away and I'm unable to pinpoint the source. Until I'm able to get it checked out though, I want to make sure I don't lose too much. Thanks much in advance...

My '92 Legacy SW AT, 233K sat for about 36 hours during the blizzard. When I started it up and moved it, I returned and noticed a line of antifreeze colored drops near where the radiator would have been I believe. I checked the coolant level cold and it appeared to be filled to the top. It's been very cold and I also have a few small oil leaks...but it really looked like coolant to me. Nothing noticeably dripping when the car is off or while it's running. Timing belt isn't due again until 250K so I was hoping to make it 'til then without having major work done. Any chance this is just a fluke from the cold?

IIf I recall correctly, sometimes it is a little tough to get out. On my '92, the plug goes through an opening in the rubber boot into the bulb; so you pull the plug out first, then the boot comes off and the bulb can be taken out easier. There's also a little metal clip holding it in place. Then reverse the process.

My '92 Legacy does this as well. On mine, it coincided with a code of 24 after doing the "handshake" procedure on Josh's site (http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/trans.html) which indicates something wrong with the duty C solenoid. Either way, I think it means something is amiss with the transmission or related electronics. My power light started flashing a few months before I began to get torque bind. Not sure if it's directly related...but it's definitely not something to be put off.

Weird. I've had to have boots replaced at least 4 times in the 116K I've had the car (92 w/ 231K). Prob. has something to do with the fact that the new boots aren't as good as the originals. Anyway, congrats...start shooting for a quarter mil!

Recently have had the same issue on my 92 AT wagon. Multiple shops have insisted it needs the $800-1000 service (which I'm sure it eventually will) but for now a flush and fill has helped tremendously. Good luck...

Putting in the FWD fuse is very easy. Take a look in your owner's manual under Towing.

Cookie- Basically, that's what I've done for now...you can't see the bungee cord b/c it is going from the tow hook underneath the car to the one that goes through the bumper cover. On there pretty snug. I was thinking about just getting the bumper cover, but I figured since the bumper is bent down already from a prior bump, I should just replace the whole thing. The original bump happened at <5mph, so I'm hoping nothing beneath the bumper, i.e. whatever it attaches to, is warped in any way.

Yeah. I've started looking around/inquiring about used bumpers. Someone from Mississippi quoted me $150, but they didn't say what color or what shipping cost would be...which I'm assuming would be quite a bit! I'm definitely going to give it a shot on my own, as soon as I can find a couple free hours and a space to do the work. Thanks:)

:-\ 1992 Legacy wagon AT 230K Girlfriend was backing out of driveway in a hurry today, cranked the wheel a bit too soon, caught the edge of the bumper cover on a thin metal pole, and tore the whole thing right off. All the holes the clips go into were broken, as well as the holes where screws come in from the fenders. Right now it is hanging on by one screw and a bungy cord. Previously, the entire bumper was bent down slightly from a fender bender. So, I guess I should just replace the whole thing. Looking around on some parts sites it's anywhere from 3-400. Sound right? I remember a couple years ago an expensive body shop quoting me 1200 to replace it. Maybe be better off going to a junkyard? Any idea how hard is it to take off and put back on? Looking around, it doesn't appear to be something I could really do myself. Most of the hardware access seems to necessitate removing other parts. Not to mention I possess very few tools or an area to work in!:-\ Driving around with a bungied bumper isn't appealing but if it costs more than a few hundred bucks...I may be outta luck!

I've almost settled on just leaving it in...at least until the first snow. Driving with torque bind feels like I'm destroying the car. I'm going to do the transmission flush and my snows, which are all identical in wear, are going on in a month. I'm inclined to think it isn't differences in tire size b/c I had the binding issue over the winter with my snow tires on as well.

I have been trying to figure it out with the torque bind search but it's been tough to narrow it down. Many of the threads indicate different causes and solutions (e.g. tires, duty solenoid, clutch packs, electric and fluid flushes, wire tests or complete replacement). It seems like the problem has baffled or at least confused most mechanics/dealers from what I can gather. I definitely have all the same symptoms of others, and I apologize for taking up more space with a common issue. It just really surprised me that the symptoms were eliminated with the FWD fuse, although I guess it shouldn't have.

Either way though, all it essentially indicates is that the problem isn't originating in the front end, correct? It's tempting to just leave the fuse in b/c it really drives like crap in AWD. Esp. if Im eventually going to have to replace the problematic part anyway. On the other hand, if I'm trashing a part that doesn't need replacing and/or risking safety...

From what I've read here the consensus seems to be that it's not a good idea to leave it in for an extended period.

'92 Legacy wagon AWD AT, 230K I've had bad binding when parking and turning at slow speeds for awhile now. Searched the forum and decided to give the FWD fuse a shot...and the problem completely disappeared i.e. it drives like it's never had a problem at all. I realize I can't/shouldn't leave the fuse in. I'm just wondering if the fact that the binding disappears with the fuse in narrows down the problem at all or if it could still be a number of things. Mucho thanks--rotten

Thanks:)

I've been running on two sets of tires. One for the winter and one for the rest of the year. The All seasons are 3 of one type and one of another (I know, don't hang me!). They are similar, but not identical tread types, and have similar wear. My snows are all the same and they'll be going on in another month or so. I think I will replace my all seasons with 4 new tires in the spring. The last time I flushed the trans. was probably more thank 30K ago, so I guess it is overdue. Perhaps I will have that done next oil change... but one ?...torque bind doesn't just "go away", right? I mean, presumably I can lessen the symptoms by ensuring the tires are identical and by keeping the fluid in good shape...but the shake will still be there, right?

I got the car back around noon today. Apparently, they elected not to do the transmission work, which saved me $600 for the time being. The mechanic contends that the problem in the transmission should just be allowed to continue until it gets to the point where the car is shuddering even while going straight. At that point,they suggest putting in a used transaxle. What do you guys think of this "just let it go" idea? He says it may go 80K (!!) before it needs to be replaced. I don't know what this estimate is based upon because it feels like the car is dying every time I park it or make a sharp turn. So, for $1150...the steering rack, oil pan, front left axle, and right rear tail lamp were replaced. They also did a 4 wheel alignment and put the state inspection sticker on. (Edit: BTW A remanufactured steering rack cost me $399, plus $90 for the core, and I'm not exactly sure what the "core" is.) None of the things they fixed have really noticeably changed the way the car drives and feels, leaving me with sort of an empty feeling. Anyway, I can legally drive it for at least one more year...:-\

If you're following from past threads...I was this close to buying a BAJA, backed out, and decided to drop the cash into my current Subie, a 1992 Legacy W AT with 230K. As we speak, she's currently in the shop undergoing approximately $1800 in repairs. Oil pan and steering rack replacement. Transmission work to repair shudder in turning at slow speeds. A couple CV boots. And some other minor issues. My reservations about the wisdom of this decision have grown since I started looking around at used Legacies comparable to mine. I could probably get the same car, with 100K less on it, for about 1000 dollars more than what I'm paying to repair my current one...get another 5 years out of it, and then finally buy a new car. As it stands, I've dumped money into something with a TON of miles on it, and with no previous engine or transmission work. Mistake? Is it an expensive time bomb? Would the money have been more wisely used just getting another used Legacy with fewer miles? Maybe unanswerable questions...

All excellent and appreciated advice. I managed to graduate from undergrad without any debt thanks to a generous scholarship from the school. Fortunately, Maine Law is one of the cheaper law schools, so I should graduate with below average debt...as far as law students go anyway. Never having had a new car...driving around in the BAJA just gave me some sort of fever. I couldn't stop trying to figure out a way to pull it off. The whole time we were at the dealer though, talking about finances, and then driving home...I felt sick to my stomach...so, something about it wasn't right. So, 2K will go into the current subie and we'll go from there.