mountainwalker

Thanks Fairtax4me for the suggestion, however in a detailed thread on another American Subaru forum, there were multiple comments about auto paint and body shops not wanting to mix multi-layer paints like pearl paints because of the difficulty in matching. You can read it here: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/61-general-discussions/42517-touch-up-paint-problem-white-frost-pearl.html

Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems mentioned in this thread Company is Dr. ColorChip Corporation, Lake Park, FL 33403. Your Shopping Cart What's the Blending Solution and Blending Cloth in this kit made of? Can it be bought at any Auto Zone or other auto parts store so I don't have to wait for mail order?

My paint job is overall in excellent shape with the car being garage kept and taken very good care of. I just want to repair some small hood paint chips from pebbles at high speed and can't believe how absolutely awful the Subaru paint match was. Gave Subaru dealer my vin number and was given one Titanium Peearl, color code 89N, for the bottom 1/3 of the car, which matches nearly perfectly, and a White Frost Pearl, Color Code No. 01X, for the top part. They provided only one bottle for the white paint - the White Frost Pearl, and it doesn't match at all, even after shaking that bottle for nearly 5 minutes. Appears mostly shiny gray/silver and in general has so little white in it no way it can match. Is Subaru forgetting a white base color that goes under it, and how could they not know when they have the Vin#? Bill earlier in this thread mentioned two white colors he was given. If the White Frost Pearl is a composite color, why didn't Subaru send two bottles for it? Which of these is my best bet: 1) Subaru for the white base color that goes under the color I was given, though perhaps they don't even carry it anymore 2) Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems mentioned in this thread Company is Dr. ColorChip Corporation, Lake Park, FL 33403. $39.95 + $8.95 shipping = $48.90, Repairs up to a dozen chips and includes 1/2oz custom OEM match paint Base and Midcoat Paint; 1oz SealAct™ blending solution, 1 ultra paint brush, 1 nitrile glove , 1 white blending cloth: http://www.drcolorchip.com/cgi-bin/s...4&redirect=yes 3) How to find touch up paint for your make and model ? AutomotiveTouchUp.com$17.41 1/2 oz Base Coat and Mid Coat; doesn't include shipping or Clear Coat. Company is called Microfinish LLC, New Orleans, LA 70123 4) https://www.paintscratch.com/ $43.19 for smallest size pen kit including Base Coat, Midcoat and Clearcoat not including shipping. Company is Bio Pac, Inc., PaintScratch.com in Incline Village, Nevada.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones. Driving a Subaru Outback 2003 VDC 3L H6 in great condition and running Michellin Performance Primacy MXV4 225/60R16 98H from Costco. Costco's general tire rotation recommendation is every 7500 miles. I just did a first rotation at 8,201 miles. Should I do my next rotation close to another 8,201 miles to keep things relatively even, or sooner at 7 or 7500 miles? Also Costco rotated them front to back and back to front, keeping the tires on the same side (in other words, R front and R rear switched, and L front and L rear switched). Is this always the correct pattern? Generally how soon after tire rotation to you go for wheel alignment? Barring any particularly jarring pothole or bump, how often do you align your wheels?

Fairtax4me, would the tech have this information for the method and order of torquing, considering it's an independent garage and not a subie dealer (albeit a very good indie garage)? It's 3.5 hours for both valve cover gaskets and 2.7 for one alone. They say both need to be replaced.

Could the Gaskets leak have been caused by longer time between oil change? I do far less mileage than national average on this car - half to 2/3 as much as most folks - and always change the oil by the recommended mileage/time. I used regular recommended oil up until the change before last, when I tried a high quality synthetic that can go longer between changes, and I ran it for 6 months (and only a few thousand miles). I recently learned that some fuel gets into the oil when not fully combusted, and that the longer you go between oil changes, the more fuel you can get in your oil, and fuel is a solvent. Could the longer period before this last oil change have contributed to the gaskets leak?

A poster on another forum suggested that it might not be the Timing Cover Gasket leaking, but rather the Oil Cooler O-ring leaking down to the Timing Chain Cover - but don't think that can be checked without opening it up anyway. Do you think the Timing Chain Cover Gasket is old enough that it's better to replace now? Breakdown of Inner and Outer Cover is as follows: Replace Inner Cover Total $381.56, 4.6 hours labor, OEM Part 13119AA006 -To R&R Water Pump Cover Gasket, Add 0.2 Labor -To R&R Engine Block "O" Rings, Add 0.2 Labor -Piston Pin Access Plug and/or Seal, Add 0.2 Labor Replace Outer Cover Total $375.30, 2.7 Labor, OEM Part 13117AA004

Thanks Fairtax4me and Caboobaroo, NGK Platinum are OEM recommended. Would there be any benefit in performance, such as fuel efficiency, in going with NGK Iridium, or any caution about using the Iridium plugs? They are of course more expensive than the Platinum.

Recently I noticed a burning oil smell when parking our 2003 VDC 3.0L H6 after a drive, despite not seeing evidence on the floor of my garage of any serious leak. Brought the car into our very good independent garage and they found (and I also saw) an oil leak, which they said was coming from the Valve Cover Gasket and the Front Timing Cover Gasket. While replacing the gaskets, we'll have easy access to the spark plugs and since the car is at 118,500 miles, just 1500 miles shy of the 120K inspection when sparks should be changed, might not be a bad time to change them. They won't charge extra to change the spark plugs with such easy access during the repair. Any recommendations for good quality spark plugs?

Recently I noticed a burning oil smell when parking our 2003 VDC 3.0L H6 after a drive, despite not seeing evidence on the floor of my garage of any serious leak. Brought the car into our very good independent garage and they found (and I also saw) an oil leak, which they said was coming from the Valve Cover Gasket and the Front Timing Cover Gasket. Alldata Repair S3000 lists the Valve Cover Gasket as 2.7 hours labor for one bank, 3.5 hours to replace both banks, with parts coming in at $29.95 for the Right, and $29.95 for the left, and $9.95 for the inner. Alldata Repair S3000 lists the Timing Cover Gasket Replace Outer Cover as 2.7 hours labor and $375.30 total. He quoted $700 total for the full job. And they are usually the best guys in both quality and price not just in town but over a dozen nearby towns. Does this sound right? Any general recommendations for this repair? I didn't have time to do it that day. The tech must have tightened up the gasket, because the leak has been very slow. Counted not more than 5 drops hitting the floor of the garage in a 24 hour period, but no doubt you can't leave a repair like this hanging or you're asking for trouble so I plan to do it this week. I figured as long as we're in there, we'll have easy access to the spark plugs and since the car is at 118,500 miles, just 1500 miles shy of the 120K inspection when sparks should be changed, might not be a bad time to change them. Any recommendations for good spark plugs?

Thanks 1LuckyTexan. If it's the bypass flap, is that flap replaceable or repairable? I can't hear it when I drive, only when staying still or driving forward very slowly in drive. I'll first try clamping the heat shield with a metal plumber's clamp.

Thanks NorthWet, I just found this heat shield thread while you were responding: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/20206-classic-subaru-heat-shield-rattle-question-about-welding.html Does the rattling come from one of the two shield pieces being loose? If so, a few hose clamps should keep it snug. Only issue is that I only hear it from the muffler, not from the heat shield - this might be understandable considering that the heat shield is sealed, and the only opening is through the muffler in the back.

My wife noticed a metal rattling sound coming from the muffler when standing outside the car when I was pulling into our garage - I checked it out and it turns out that a metal rattling/slight scraping sound lasting about 2-3 seconds could be heard every every 10 seconds or so when our 2003 3L H6 VDC Subaru Outback is in drive. What could be the cause? It seems to only be coming from the muffler - can't trace the sound to anywhere else under the car.

LOL John I know it's a good deal for Costco right now - but was wondering if it's a good deal relative to what's available out there at other places or to Costco sales at other times of the year as I've only shopped for tired twice ever and only once at Costco. Also I'm 99% sure the Costco or Michelin warranty when I bought my set was 6 years and 60K miles. I've only driven 30K miles and the car has been garage kept and in relatively mild conditions, and even the Costco tire rep thinks they should have held up better. Based on what I've read now I think it's a good idea to replace your tires at 5 years anyway - rubber just doesn't hold up.

Happy 4th of July holiday weekend to everyone! I have a 2003 3.0L H6 Outback VDC in excellent condition. At about 84,500 miles in 2007/8 I picked up a full set of new Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires, 225/60HR16 98H which Costco said were the best available for this vehicle and Costco offered a warranty to 60K miles. I drive this vehicle much less than the national average, and as of last month June 2013, only added about 30K miles, bringing mileage to 115K. I've always kept the tires properly inflated (measured when hot, 35 front and 34 rear, or cold 33 front and 32 rear) and rotated on time, with the wheels aligned each time. We do most of the driving in the temperate Silicon Valley/SF Bay Area. I just did a tire rotation at Costco, followed by an alignment at Firestone as part of a lifetime alignment. During the alignment the technician pointed out some cracking along the outside edges of the tread, though there was still plenty of tread depth left. I then went back to Costco and asked about this. They said they now typically warrant their tires for 60,000 miles or 5 years (used to be 6 years), whichever comes first. They said that since I've just crossed 5 years, but have only driven half of the 60K mile warranty, they offered to replace the set now with a brand new set for 50% off the regularly $133.99/tire price, with free installation. They said that the Primacy MXV4 225/60HR16 98H is still the best tire they have for this model car. A) Is it possible that the warranty was 6 years at the time of my original purchase, as the Costco rep noted they recently changed to 5 years, in which case they would have to replace the tires free? How would I find out what the policy was back then? I keep all my records but can't find the tire purchase receipt. What do you think of these tires, and do you recommend any others instead? Note that I have never had to use them, but want the ability to be able to fit a light chain set for harsh snow conditions if ever needed. If it's a tire Costco doesn't carry, I of course don't get the 50% off the cost and free installation. These are the tires they have that fit thisvehicle: http://tires2.costco.com/SearchResul...a-2c6cc6fd0de2 The better tires include: Bridgestone - Potenza RE92 P225/60R16 97H $177.99 Michelin - Primacy™ MXV4 225/60R16 98H $133.99 Bridgestone - Turanza Serenity Plus 225/60R16 98H $133.99 C) If 50% off with free installation, do you consider this a good/fair deal for these tires, given that Costco is already offering $70 off any purchase of 4 Michelin tires, and Costco often has tire deals at various times throughout the year. I like to always keep quality tires on my vehicle ever since driving my old Volvo in college in light rain I did a 180 turn around a bend at only 25-30mph on used just fine but nothigh performance tires. And that wasn't the first rain of the season surfacing oil. I immediately got the best tires I could after that and it never happened again. Thanks for your advice and have a great weekend.

Moderator, can you change "Oil" to "Coolant" in the thread title?

CORRECTION (wish I could edit the title of the post) - it was a COOLANT LEAK not an oil leak. All the coolant gone. So lucky I caught it right away and that I had enough coolant to make it to my driveway before the check engine light went on. My guess is that they dislodged a tube under the coolant reservoir, which is right next to the Idle Pulley, Tensioner Assembly and Drive Belt. What do you think? It was so late at night I left it to the morning to check the oil and coolant.

2003 VDC Outback 3.0L H6. Replaced the Harmonic Balander (Crankshaft Pulley) a few months back. Then earlier this week, after hearing a bit of a squeal from the Idler Pulley and Belt Tensioner, replaced the Drive Belt, Idler Pulley and Belt Tensioner Assembly for the peace of mind (that was recommended by members here after the Harmonic Balancer/Crankshaft Pulley went). Based on what I've read and seen, if these parts haven't been replaced on your Subaru and you've driven over 90K miles, I'd replace them (and you can keep the originals as spares if you like). Ours lasted 113K miles. I checked out the old pulleys. Whatever grease was originally in the pulleys, it was just dry powder by now. Our good indie mechanic was able to do it all parts and labor for replacing the Idler Pulley, Tensioner Assembly and Drive Belt for $230. It got rid of background noise and the squeal. Fast Forward a few days to today... Barely drove the car (not more than about 25 miles) when the VDC Light lit up on the dashboard (indicating VDC is now off), followed by the Check Engine light minutes later. Luckily the Check Engine Light went on just as I pulled up to my driveway. Immediately cut the engine and smelled a bit of oil burning. Looked under car and noticed leaking oil. What could have caused this? I'm having the car towed back to the same garage first thing tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

[Didn't know where to place this - sorry if in wrong place - didn't see an accessories forum]. After picking up a pair of windshield wipers on special sale at Costco for $3 and seeing how badly they performed, any recommendations for quality wipers and a good source for them? I've used Bosch in the past with good results. Just wondering if there is anything better and any better values out there.

So turns out the Shift Lock was due to the Brake Light Switch failure, which also burned out the brake light. Total cost parts and labor: $80. According to our excellent indie garage head, it's a problem he sees fairly often on Subarus and several other makes including Honda.

Fairtax4me, super helpful as usual, thank you. Do you think the Manual Shift Lock Release will still work under the circumstances? Someone mentioned on another forum that sometimes the cause turns out to be a damaged bulb socket in one of the brake lights, or a broken wire in the bendy boot that goes between the rear roof edge and the liftgate. Note that the problem surfaced today after two days of torrential rains when the car was outside. Maybe water got somewhere it's not supposed to be.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Habari Gani (Kwanzaa) and best wishes for the New Year to you and your families! Started our 2003 Outback VDC 3L H6 111K miles, and shifter was locked - stepped on brakes and couldn't shift shifter back to Drive after shifting to the right from Park. And every time I moved the shifter to the right from Park, I heard a click from the steering column - my guess is that's a solenoid in the steering column that controls the shift lock. Then I checked the brake lights - not working when the brakes are depressed. I think the brake lights and shift lock are likely on the same fuse. What do you think - most likely cause is blown fuse? Hoping that the Shift Lock Release with a screwdriver works so I can drive the car to the garage - any tips on engaging the Shift Lock Release? Looks pretty simple.

So yesterday with a full tank of gas, when I tried to start the car, the dashboard lit up and I heard a clicking sound coming from behind the dash, but the starter didn't turn over or catch. Same thing on the second try. On the third try it started up. That happened each of the two times I used the car afterwards. I had just replaced the Harmonic Balancer (Crankshaft Pulley) a few days before, after the rubber/plastic on the pulley had separated. Perhaps all along it's been the starter motor or gearing around the starter motor going bad. But can't understand why the problem hasn't been consistent.

Thanks Gloyale, would replacing just the bearings in the idle tensioner and both idlers be equivalent to replacing the whole part of each of those parts?

Just got the car back - driving very nicely now and even smoother than before, so clearly that crankshaft pulley was probably coming apart for weeks until it just finally came apart (that was the rattling noise I heard on the day it went, and the light burning smell was that rubber/plastic part rubbing against something or touching hot spots). I'll post pictures of the old Crankshaft Pulley with the torn rubber/plastic. It's such a shame you can't just buy the rubber/plastic part alone that goes over the metal parts. Would you replace just the belt, or spend all that extra $ to replace the belt + idler tensioner + both idlers? Are there aftermarket parts for the idler tensioner and both idlers that work well?