mountainwalker

Thanks, it's an automatic

Howard, a respected service manager at the best Subaru dealer in our area (which LOL I found about today and not before), recommends cold 34F/34R to handle every day driving with just the driver, as well as a second passenger and some groceries from time to time. For loads of 3 adult passengers and gear up to 600 lbs, or one adult passenger and gear up to 250 lbs, he recommended just going up 1 PSI for the trip. Seems a bit low to me for the 600 lb load, but Howard worries about over inflation, especially people forgetting to let the extra air out after the trip.

What does "TSB" stand for? Probably a good idea to cut the coolant hose on a 45 degree angle AND pull it up. But how do you keep the coolant hose up - with a plumbing clamp of some kind? (there's probably one there already I just can't remember without looking) Would you flush and replace the current coolant just to be safe?

The seep looks too small to be of any worry - was just checking. It's only a bit of coolant crystal that I saw under one of the head gaskets - probably not of consequence. Why do you think it would be helpful to add the H4 coolant conditioner? I'll ask our mechanic what he thinks - super knowledgeable and straight shooter.

While I haven't seen any issues with engine overheating yet, that explains why we would sometimes here some slight bubbling noises after parking after a drive, especially a highway drive. Do you think I should flush and replace the coolant when changing the hose?

Says here the black OEM filters are discontinued and replaced with blue ones: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f72/subaru-changes-oem-oil-filter-again-25708/ Are the black ones no longer available, and if so, are the blue ones OK?

Helpful, but based on that data, both 5W30 and 10W30 would work for our area in summer - but which would be optimal for our area in summer?

Thanks. I just picked up a PureOne for $5.76 for the 3.0L H6 on Amazon. Just running to the store and back eats up time that's worth more than the filter LOL, though it's good to have the store nearby when you need something in a hurry. Where can you get the black Subaru OEM filter for my model year and engine type and how much does it run? Please don't tell me I have to drive to the dealer to get one LOL (the Steven's Creek Subaru dealer in San Jose has a 1 1/2 star rating for over 130 reviews on Yelp, and most of those one star reviews are about the horrendous service and unnecessary expensive work). Still curious as to whether or not the higher grade oil filter matters when you change oil every 5K.

Sounds more like a mechanical noise than a whooshing noise caused by air flow. Most likely a tight belt or idler pulley bearings. Could a belt stay tight like that for a year? Basically ever since the service the engine sound when accelerating is a bit higher pitched because of that bit of a whine, which does sound like it's related to a fan. What are the idler pulley bearings, and are they difficult/expensive to replace?

OK, went to the Purolator website and plugged in our car specs - 2003 Outback 6 cylinder: http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/resources/Pages/ApplicationGuideResults.aspx?mid=100&modid=2268&yid=31&make=SUBARU&model=Outback&year=2003 Link shows PureOne Oil part PL14459 and Oil part L14459. Is the PureOne Oil a higher grade filter they make? How much do these usually run and where's the best place to get them? And, does it matter at all if you change your 5W30 oil or 0W30 synthetic oil every 5,000 miles?

the3rsss, that was a very helpful explanation and good refresher. The info about the filter is new to me and I'd like to understand it better, as just about the best thing you can do for your car/engine is make sure it's well-oiled. Our typical winter temps are 50-60F daytime, 32-36 night. Summer daytime can range from 75F to 102F, night around 50-60F. Note that we get about 3-4 weeks of very hot sunny days every summer (90-102F). I'd say our weather is quite moderate, but not very warm. Would you still recommend 0W30 synthetic over the 5W30 that most people use around here? Is there a downside to 0W30 - is it a lot more expensive? What did you mean by "fram"? What's the importance of the bypass valve opening? Is it very important to use this type of filter, and if so, how much does it usually run, how do I know which model I need and where's the best place to order it from? Sincerely appreciate all the excellent advice from everyone.

Dave - same car, though we do less daily driving. Given that most of our trips are short ones, and Subaru recommends more frequent oil changes every 3,750 miles instead of every 7,500 if you do many short drives, your 5K guideline is about what we follow. Do you use any particular type of oil filter, or just any generic that fits?

Screwbaru2 you have the same car. How much oil do you add after filling the oil filter, and do you use any specific type of oil filter, or a generic one that just fits?

Shawn, our manual and local dealer confirmed that Subaru calls for 5.6 quarts for our engine, though he also confirmed the max capacity the engine holds is 6.6 qts. Is there a benefit for us to topping off to 6 quarts? Any potential downside? The lube shop that did the change didn't put oil inside the new oil filter. Should we also be using a specific type of oil filter? Don't trust the lube shop I went into for the first time - in fact I insisted on being in the work area during the oil change right next to the guy to make sure he didn't dump crap in the car. Also, do you think certain brands, such as Mobil 1, offer any better protection than others?

Service guy at Subaru dealer claimed 5W30 covers you for -22F to 95F. Do you think there's a definite benefit to using 10W40 or 10W30 when you don't have consistent hot summer weather above 95F?

OK the original manual calls for 5.6 quarts for our engine. Spoke with a service guy at a local Subaru dealer who seemed to have a clue, and he also confirmed 5.6 qts for our model, but noted that the engine has a 6.6 max capacity. He also said that 5W30 covers you from -22F to 95F and was best for our SF Bay Area all year, even if you head up to Tahoe snow country occasionally in winter. For consistently hotter climates like parts of Arizona or Texas, he said you might want to consider 10W40 or 10W30 for the summer months. Given the higher capacity of the engine, is it beneficial to top off a little higher than 5.6 quarts, or would this interfere with the oil spreading around efficiently to all parts? Are there brands of oil that offer significantly better quality than others?

You guys were spot on - thank you very much. I also found the instructions in the Subaru Keyless Entry booklet. Done. Only thing I'm puzzled about is - what's the use of Valet Mode?

I'll also bang the dust and debris out of it. Thanks for all the good suggestions.

davebugs thanks that's a good idea - I do see an uneven distribution and will flip it. Someone on another forum also recommended holding the filter up to the light and if you can't see through it at all, might be time for a change.

Thanks everyone, all of this was very helpful. I experimented and I found that 37 and above (hot pressure) and you could be dealing with more squirrely handling on turns. 36 hot and below was fine. If you go with the Subaru recommendation (with no extra passengers/weight) you will lose a lot of gas mileage - at least 2-3 mpg. I called one of our local dealers and spoke with a service guy who seemed to have a clue, and he recommended a blanket 36F 34R hot (34F and 32R cold). I would say this recommendation of 2 PSI difference between front and rear, or just 1 PSI difference between front and rear (36/35 hot or 34/33 cold) is about right, at least for our local weather in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also found I can't rely on any gauge except my own high accuracy one. I had Costco fill to 36/35 hot - checked later after car idle for the night, at the same outside temperature, and all tires front and back read 34 cold. So I drained the rear tires to 32. I think keeping all the tires at the same pressure would definitely put stress on the drive train. My only remaining question - with heavier loads such as below (two common scenarios for us), how much if at all would you bump up pressure from 36F/34R hot (34F/32R cold), given that Subaru recommends increasing PSI by one for every 40 lbs extra load: -Backpacking or car camping or ski trip with 3 passengers at average 175 lbs per passenger) plus 35 lbs each in gear; Total 630lbs -Bicycle trip with one passenger (135lbs), bike carrier 40lbs, two bikes at 30lbs each, and 20 lbs in food and gear; Total = 255 lbs

Have a 3.0 L H6 Outback VDC 2003 in excellent condition, mileage 105,466. I like to do maintenance before something becomes a real problem. During a routine oil change at a lube place, spotted the following: 1. A very tiny leak around a Valve Gasket – nothing significant, just saw a little wear on the edges of the gasket, and saw a small drop of oil under it – very very small and very very slow leak (have checked the floor of my garage every day). 2. Saw a bit of dry coolant crystals near one of the Head Gaskets, just a bit (I know when a Head Gasket is blown, you see a lot of coolant, and the coolant in the coolant reservoir gets very dirty) 3. A hole in the hose coming from the coolant reservoir above the reservoir (this hose obviously needs replacing though it only comes into play when extra coolant needed is drawn from the reservoir). 4.The coolant in the coolant reservoir was a bit dirty (not very dirty) Which of the above need attention, and what would you suggest checking/doing?

Typically when we would open our car with the wireless key fob, the lights on the front and rear of the car would flash (apparently to help you see it in a parking lot). When we would get to the car, the red alarm light on the dash would be off already. About a month ago, whenever we opened the car with the wireless fob, the lights on the exterior of the car wouldn’t flash, and when we get to the car, the alarm light on the dash is still blinking, 2 rapid blinks followed by a pause repeating over and over. Car starts fine. Is there a problem with the OEM alarm, or is it just a change in setting that needs to be reset?

Our excellent regular mechanic wrote 5 ¾ Qt on the black plastic engine cover of our 2003 VDC 3.0 L H6 Outback, 105,466 miles. And I've heard Subaru engines have a reputation for running hot and being hard on oil. After going in for a good deal on a Groupon oil change at a local lube place, the technician put in only 5 ½ quarts - 5 qt 5w30, 1/2 qt 5w20 – is this OK? The technician said that the bit of 5W20 was helpful for cutting the heavier 5W30 and spreading it throughout the engine. 1) Was he right about this? And 2) Should I add another ¼ quart of 5W30 or another oil?

How often do you change your air filter? If your air filter isn’t that dirty after 6 months, would you still change it? Since it’s a very inexpensive part ordered online, does changing it more often offer real performance benefits, even when not significantly dirty? I tend to change more often, just curious if this is really helpful. This is for a 2003 Outback VDC 3.0L H6 in excellent condition, 105,466 miles.

This is one I’ve been wondering about for a while, though not related to any problem I’m aware of. After our 90K servicing, which is a major service, and which we did at the Subie dealer, we heard a bit more noise, and higher pitch noise (bit of a whine), whenever accelerating. The engine was just a bit louder and higher pitched. What would cause this, and is it something that needs attention? The car was quieter and smoother sounding before the 90K servicing. You would think it would sound smoother after the service. Car is a 2003 3.0 L H6 VDC Outback 2003 in excellent condition, at 105,466 miles. About to perform the 105K inspection and servicing, which is a minor servicing, during which we can look into the issue.