efseiler

Hi guys, I'm thinking about getting new shocks/struts. (I guess they are the same thing/integrated). I'll probably drive what I have for another 85,000 miles...how long do those things usually last? Around here the roads are pretty rough so the suspensions around here take a serious beating and I'm wondering if it's pointless cuz they could be shot much sooner rather than later.... :-(

Ugh...someone crawled underneath your car in the middle of the night and did that with a pipe-cutter. Sabotage, man...sabotage.

I've had problems with oil consumption like that....sometimes I drive 100 miles and it's down like almost an entire quart. Other times I've gone almost 3000 miles and it's down only like a quarter quart. It depends a lot on what you're driving through but weird stuff does happen...I got a bunch of stories about that. I use Lucas additives in the pan and tank...it doesn't cost much and basically works.

That reminds of something I read in MAD magazine years ago... Problem: Screw broken. Solution: Replace entire engine. a.k.a How union labor stays in business.

I heard that it went up above by the door window but I guess that makes more sense. One day I'll work up the nerve to check it out... Cheers! --Damien

Where is the rear washer fluid line located in a 98 Outback? There's a big puddle of washer fluid on the floor behind the driver's seat and apparently that line must be leaking or something.... The rear nozzle does work but I think there may be a crack somewhere in the line... :-( Any help appreciated... Thanks! --Damien

Nah. I'm done. Car won! (Teflon lost) :-D --Damien

Teflon? You must be joking. Many of those options are too cumbersome for the likes of me in this area. Local shops have neither the time nor the the inclination to fool around with fancy solutions and if I want it done 'my way' they charge by the hour. They've got the power and I'm just a consumer who does his homework. All I know is that my Dad's Subaru has zero freeplay like that around the stub...zip, zero, zilcho and he drives it a lot over all types of terrain.

yeah that figures...I usually know it right away when I'm s--- out of luck.

I used to have an automatic...but this one is a standard...

How can you replace those stubs without cracking the whole case open? I thought otherwise was impossible...

Well I checked the inner race cup today after a few hundred miles of driving and it's kinda loose on the transmission stub. Maybe they are machined to be that way or maybe the splines are worn from the previous installation but either way looks like I'll have to live with it. Maybe this set will hold up better overall than the FEQs ...they definitely sound different.

I just got my exhaust completely fixed today (there were numerous cracks and seepages in the nearly 15 year-old components) and it definitely alleviated that symptom tho it did not eliminate it.

Well I just got those Cardone axles today. I inspected them and they are definitely brand-new and not remanufactured. It is a 'made in China' one but it does look very different from the FEQs I have installed now. Naturally, I won't know until they are installed and driven but I'll post more data as soon as I know for sure. So far...the lady wasn't lyin'. --Damien

You may be...but you may not be the only one. :-) --Dame Ian

Glad you got a job back...sitting around at home twiddling your thumbs and putting up with the missus can be a real drag, I know. Dealing with Le Car is a real art...the guys at the shop make it look easy...but give they customers stuff that's...well...real hard.

well if the belt were slipping I reckon it would wear out pretty quickly.... I find the the EVAP code can be eliminated by really screwing the cap on tight...another thing that can cause it is excessive water/alcohol in the gas mix. It seemed strange to me that the light would automatically switch off...I guess that's a built-in feature for the minor codes. Something major I guess would stay illuminated. Yeah probably the battery then...it's an old, cheap Walmart one...probably a decade old for all I know... Cheers! --Damien

Yeah the battery in mine is old and a tired as well and I'm too lazy to blow 90 bucks for a good one. It could just be how these cars are wired, too...they may develop similar symptoms across the board like that. :-/

Are they remanufactured or new ones? I would guess rebuilts may last substantially less long... The FEQs I had in there only lasted me about 18 months...

I hear ya. Is it normal for CEL lights to switch themselves off? I've been getting an EVAP code periodically but after a day or two the CEL automatically switches off... Thanks, --Damien

Hi, I noticed that when braking the lights dim due to a voltage dip. I'm a little concerned about that and I'm thinking it could be the battery, a voltage regulator, alternator or a bad ground somewhere.... What do you guys think? Also, the lead that connectes the switch for the intermittent wiper pump (the one the goes in the hole dead center on the firewall) is severed...maybe that too may be part of the issue. Thanks guys! --Damien

Well...the lady on the phone gave a strong indication that Cardone was superior to FEQ... I hope she's right! Cheers, --Damien

DTAs look like FEQs to me...

well $237 quoted...still a little stiff. I'd bite for those but I bet the axle stub is worn by now. Bump and grind! :-D

well the new OEM ones cost a fortune and I'm afraid that with the remanufactured ones I'll get the same cheap Chinese one again...rebooted!