Mark-O-Back

I get the NAPA gold. No problems on my 97.

OK 9 or 10 YY, my 97 recently had it's 10th as it was made in late 96 (Usein' my fingers ahh let's see, Late 96, 97, 1, 98, 2, 99, 3, 100, Dang! stupid numbers! ) Yes what ShawnW said.

IF you haven't addressed these already... or don't know as this is a 10 or 11 year young car consider these for your list. Brake fluid flush & check the pad wear. Tranny fluid. Spark plugs. Air filter? Gas filter? (or DIY) Replace drive belts, you know alternator A/C belts. Keep the old for spares. The new water pump will renew the antifreeze for you, how are the associated hoses? Thermostat. Good time to renew these too. Cha Ching! Boat payment, maybe but peace of mind

There's two screws, vertical at the front of the ashtray opening to take out. Easy to miss. Could that be it? Then pull up and out on the outer surround, The rest should be apparent from there.

Yeah But... The groove apears to be just part of the equation. You have to increase the CR and retard the timing to take advantage of the supposed improvement. That's what I gathered from my brief reading of the stuff. Right? It's not just the groove it is what modifications you can do along with it? Sounds too good to be true, maybe, but I'll reserve judgment. I am dubious. Nipper cracked me up! I really appreciate his posts on this I'm sayin Yeah what he said.

Two Words: Knee Pads! Cuz they're your bumper

Check the FAQ sticky near the top, it's the 2nd or 3rd post. Good DIY project. Good luck, Mark

Don't forget about the PCV system. If it isn't working pressure builds due to normal blow-by and makes oil leaks worse. When I checked mine a while back I found the valve caked with hard black crap and the associated hose had a lot of build up too. This is easy and inexpensive maintenance Good luck. Mark

You're right Brother, they deserve a plug. Took care of it beyond my expectation. Car Toys. Humm, now with that maybe they'll give me a deal on a optima battery! I'm not holding my breath on that Mark

Yes.I just got my car back last night. It turns out it was the tank that got the screw. I looked under to see the location of the tank and wow it is right there tight under/behind the right rear seat. The new tank took a few days to get so I was in the squirrel-mobile (Hyundai rental) for a week. That's squirrel handling and power. Granted it is an inexpensive car and there is a need for those... But it really made me appreciate how fine a car the Legacy is! Tank, rental and gas, (they filled the tank) they're out just under $1800 US. I must say the stereo install place was really put to the test to make this right and they did! I still have some issues with the installation and will take it in for that at my convenience for that. It is arraigned through the regional service manager. BTW If you want a good ground under the rear seat use the clip for the seat bottom latch, not a self-tapping screw! The stereo is great! JVC with HD radio, two JL amps Infinity and Focal speakers Next is adding a larger chassis ground wire to the battery, and a new battery as it is the ORIGINAL equipment circa 96. Still works but it's time. Does anyone have a line on an upgrade for the alternator? Lots of load and winter will come. I would really appreciate any info on a rebuild kit or part outright. 97 OBW 2.5L Still calm, Mark

Thanks for the advice there, I would say that falls under the making it right deal. The more informed I get on this the better self advocate I can be. I was thinking the same, that if it was the tank the engine would probably not need to be running to leak. The stereo manager kept sayin fuel cell but I was thinking fuel line. The tank was near full and better be at the end of this. Still calm, irritation rising, Mark

I put out the bucks for a professional installation of a fairly good stereo system. During the final dial in of the system the installer came diving in the passenger door and turned off the key accompanied by a string of muted expletives. I ask him "what is it, smoke?" "No gas!" He had installed two amps on the rear of the passenger side back seat. This is a 97 Legacy Outback Wagon. Apparently when he drove a screw for the ground wire through the floor beneath the rear seat he punctured something. The screw he said was very short. He had the key in the run position before that to run the power windows but didn't notice a leak until the engine was started. The manager said they would make it right by taking it to a dealer, Walkers Renton, and get me a rental. This was late Saturday night and the local dealer service departments are closed today Sunday as are the rental car places. I caught a ride home with the installer. So here i sit with no car and wondering My post here is to ask if how bad is this to repair, that is, is it a one day deal? Does it sound like the tank or a line? Advice? Empathy? Also this post is a warning not to make this mistake. Remaining Calm, Mark

I recommend Crutchfield, I have bought from them. I went to the link subie94 provided and right away I was flagged that these would not fit in my car, a 97 outback that looks just like the one in your avitar. Go through the "What fits my car?" section there and have fun shopping. ~Mark

Common badjer, I want the story! Was it the wrong part? Did uncle Vinnie have to make a visit?:cool: In any case try to stay cool. ~ Mark

Yes, works better as the air is dried by the AC.

I thought the failure mode was the valves hitting each other (?) I've also picked up on this forum that not all broken timing belts result in total ruination. $800 is medium expensive lesson Could be "problem solved, lesson learned" His dime . Remember the saying trust but verify, have the car checked and make a decision. These are nice cars! I hope you buy it. ~ Mark ~

Around here $5K would be a fair deal. I see them for a lot more "asking price" in the Seattle area. I have a 97 outback & I really like it. Look for evidence of engine oil leaks, the only trouble I've had with it. Also check for crud in the radiator overflow tank for the head gasket problem. It should be clean green. 105 for the timing belt, should be in the maintenance record you wrote of. My advice is look it over and if you like it have it checked out by your local subaru specialist shop. All OK? Go for it! Mark

Jake, You are correct to be concerned about the valve lash adjustment. Unlike most Subaru's the '97 2.5L DOHC has solid lifters. So they do need to be adjusted. Unfortunatly this is not a simple lock-nut, turn, measure, lock affair. The adjustment is made using shims. I have read the procedure in my haynes repair manual. It suggests taking shims from over-tight valves and loose valves after measuring the loose ones so you can trade up. Shuffle them around. Likely you will have to buy or beg additional shims to finish the task. Make sure you're measuring with the cam in the correct orientation... An evil puzzle, but a solvable one. You need to have feeler gauge and micromerter or calipers. Spring for the book, under $20. More info may be available from others here. I am concerned that the source of the new heads assume that they are hydrolic. This is not a state secret... Good Luck, Mark

My 97 2.5 has just hit 105K. Time for a T-belt and seals. The only problems I have had is a alternator failure and oil leak. I think there was a recall on the alternator, not sure. Mine failed without apparent cause, other than the 100 + temp maybe. The oil leak is a pain as the amount of smoke is out of proportion to the small amout that is lost. A long uphill grade with the engine cool seems to trigger it. Otherwise a wonderful experience with it. Good luck on your trip to Alaska, sounds like a great adventure. Mark

When the alternator on my 97 died and I drove on the battery only as far as I could (I was nowhere heading to a small town) the final failure modes included no speedo or odometer. This leads me to think that they are not mechanical.. no cable. Can that be correct? If so this noise would be something else. Just brainstorming. Mark

Hi Sweden, The ac cycling on / off might be the defroster. Try pushing the heater control button releasing the defrost. The defrost with the orange icon will run the AC. Good luck, Mark

I've been putting it off and driving out of my way to avoid steep up hill climbs. As my 97 OB EJ2.5L smokes like hadies when the oil hits the cat. It has almost 90K miles. At sixty the shop (Superior Repair the Subaru Guys) told me that the front main seal was leaking and that I'd be back to get it fixed. Seriously I have to fix this or get it fixed. Temp under my shade-tree right now is 26F. I hate it when the tools stick to my hands like a tougue to a flag pole! So I'm asking for advice. What all to do? Timing belt I guess, never been done, but what else beside that & the seal? I'm tired of the burney smell, attention drawing cloud and want my car to run cleanly again. Thanks everyone, ~ Mark ~

Hi Russ, Joined Aug 2003 and now you'r saying hello. Slow mover, even by my standards. Remember what Lincoln said about the fool, you'll see it all here. Pretty entertaining sometimes and a great knowlage base too. I'll bet you have a good perspective. Share! ~ Mark ~ The Sube must flow.

I've got a 97 outback. One click opens the drivers door locks, or holding for 3 seconds opens all locks. Mine got flakey and I changed the battery. The old was 6 point something volts. Should have be 12 volts (yep that little thing is 12 volt) The new battery improved things but I got the good results when I cleaned the button contacts. The circuit board and the little conductive buttons with alcohol. Also there was a lint factor to be cleaned out. Now the thing works at 50 feet or more. Just so you know on mine there is no problem with removing the battery and cleaning the thing as far as losing ID with the car. Good luck to ya! Mark

Hawkeye4, I believe that the 97 Outback model came with the keyless entry. Have you owned it from new? Talk to the dealer or maybe some expert here can confirm this. If so it would easiest to persue this route. Remote starter? Aftermarket I guess. Good Luck! Mark-O