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I had some time today so I took another look. I poured some gas in slowly and then examined the filler neck from below...there was no leakage that I could see. I guess when I topped the tank off it must have overflowed and leaked somewhere in there. I couldn't explain why it was still leaking even after I had driven down a 1/4 tank...I suppose some must have gotten into some hard-to-reach place. (I heard there's some kind of overflow valve or stopcock in there). Topping the tank off then would be a bad idea...

Not being a mechanic I wouldn't know...but I like to have an idea beforehand of how tough a job will be. That way I can offer the right kind of encouragement... :-) --Damien

Sweet...that's some more good news. Oddly enough the filler neck started to leak right about the same time that my muffler completely failed from rusting through! I guess by now I shouldn't be surprised by that. Cheers! --Damien

Is replacing the fuel filler neck in a '98 Outback wagon dfficult? Mine's getting rusty and may need replacing... Thanks, Damien

It all depends...are you paying in cash or with pieces of paper with strange banking letters and symbols on it? --Damien

I don't think it's wise...the computer needs both data points to adjust the mixture correctly.

Fram sucks...go with a Wix.

Yup...you may get that symptom going around curves. Many of those axles are lousy products from Asia. I think the problem is soft steel or possibly a poorly designed fit to the axle stub. I have that problem, too but it drives fine...I worry about the axle stub getting worn but not much I can do. Some axles are better than others...I can't remember offhand which were the good brands but if you do some research you could probably narrow it down. On my Dad's car there are nearly 200,000 miles and absolutely zero freeplay on the stub so that's something to think about. --Damien

Have you tried using your finger?

I don't know...it can be a Middle-earthian metaphysical nightmare then. All riddle...and no middle, ya know? Over and out, --Damien

Have you ever tried driving with the supplied tire? That happened to me once. I had to drive for nearly 10 miles on that bicycle wheel. When I got to the shop I took a look at the differential and sure enough it was smoking and the fluid was seeping thru the gaskets it was so hot. Maybe water gets into the sump somehow and causes some kind of boiling over...maybe there's a hairline crack somewhere... I won't know absolutely for sure until all the facts are in but I'll keep you updated. Cheers! --Damien

Really...well, Gary, if you want to talk about 'that' we'd have to find a secure channel cuz...the enemy is listening. Otherwise, to the best of my knowledge those rear diffs are outfitted with a breather to keep internal pressure from blowing fluid thru the gaskets and seals. Fitted tires that have uneven wear cause the diffs to generate a lot of heat...I guess with some fluid types/brands it's probable that they may be more susceptible to evaporation, anyway. It's possible you may never have seen a problem like that before...in spite of all your years of experience. Could have just been an unlucky batch of barrels of gear oil in the factory...who knows? I've seen stranger things... :-D --Damien

Oh yes...it's a '98 OBW. No it's not ambiguous...I take it into a different shop when they want 100 dollars for a simple job. Maybe where you're from the tax system works differently? Well ok...maybe not halfway...but about a third of a full bottle of gear old had to be replaced.

I'm glad you laugh cuz the admission ticket is non-refundable.

That sounds like a bunch of baloney...the computer adjusts the mixture on the fly...it's smarter than you think. That's why there's two oxygen sensors and an air flow sensor. I usually get 25-27 mpg highway no matter what I do (dry conditions, touring tires) with a '98 OBW. --Damien

I took it in and sure enough the level was down about halfway. Drivers who notice that symptom may want to take it in anyway...

Oh I get it. There's a breather on the top of the housing. Yeah, I recently took a couple of long trips on snow tires...I'm sure it caused the fluid in there to heat up, build a vapor and overflow. It doesn't look like a biggie and 'the man' in the shop wants 80 bucks to change the fluid so I'm thinking...'screw it'. --Damien

I recently got my exhaust patched and now there's noticably more pickup and it runs hotter. The temp gauge (which normally is fixed like some kind of quasi-cosmological constant) is now a few hairs higher. Given the ethanol in fuels these days (which probably varies from station to station) it's probably difficult to gauge what's the best combo to maximize fuel efficiency. You'd have to put your Carnot cap on and trust the gods. Maybe the on-board computer is smart enough to make the necessary adjustments...it may need two cat converters to work best. The mileage can vary greatly...some tanks all I sometimes got was 275 miles...others I've gotten closer to 370 miles. --Damien p.s. If you don't have a Carnot cap...you may need to go to college to get one. :-P

So there is such a port hole? I just got my winter tires off...and the wear on them is slightly uneven. So when they are on the rear wheels they probably cause the RPM diff which causes that whatchamacallit component to spin wildly generating heat and a vapor mist.

Your apprehension may be very correct. I once noticed a slight worrying sound my Sube was making...sure enough...within a couple thousand miles the timing assembly came loose on the highway. I managed to limp it the final 5 miles to the shop. The racket it made was absolutely awful...but it got fixed and now it runs perfect. Also, check your exhaust for leaks...even a small crack can make a really big difference in engine performance (as I recently discovered). You may not have noticed it because the corrosion can be slow and subtle. --Damien

Hi, I recently noticed that the rear diff is leaking some fluid but the leak appears to be coming from the top of the housing and not from the stub seals or plugs. I read that there is a small port in those diffs which allows fluid to drain in case of an overfill (esp. when the car is on a steep incline)...other than that I can't guess why it would be leaking. Any ideas? Thanks... --Damien

I have a 'lucky' pair of padded black leather gloves I use for the dirty work. I lost those adventuring somewhere deep in a hillside dungeon so I had to buy another pair in town. As for funky petroleum-based chemicals...some people love 'em...tastier than prescription drugs. Cheers! --Damien

The thumping could also be the CV joints...it doesn't always 'click' when they fail. Mine used to thump and knock like that. I think it's partially due to the loose 'cup-on-axle' issue that is probably very common for those transmissions. Either due to axle stubs that have been worn or cheap soft steel axle composition (Chinese-made crap). A mechanic would know for sure...my knowledge is limited. My Dad's Subaru has almost 180,000 miles on it and the outer race still has zero freeplay on the stub. My Subaru has no such luck. In spite of that symptom le subaru should go fine...when the race gets worn then usually the joints have to be replaced. I think a fluid flush is a good idea in spite of all the hysterical nay-saying. I drove an automatic 4EAT for over 100,000 miles and had good luck with the lucas additive. It eliminated a flashing AT light I used to get. It had some slight binding issues due to a failing duty solenoid, too. Good luck! --Damien

Rust seems to be less of a problem on Subaru vehicles but when they do get the very damaging corrosion is seems to be localized to certain areas of the vehicle. For example, where the rear bumper joins the body on the Outbacks -- I've seen a lot of older vehicles with that specific area rusted out. I think they use a quality steel alloy that is probably stable enough. Salt on roads is what really catalyzes the rusting, tho. The best solution is to get frequent car washes in the wintertime. --Damien

My Sube has a similar problem with a lot of chatter/shudder on a downshift. Recently, I got my exhaust patched (there was a pretty big gaping hole in the segment between the 1st and 2nd cat converters). The car runs quieter now, a little warmer and there is much more pickup on acceleration. But also now that shudder problem has practically disappeared! I guess the additional back pressure also solved a mechanical problem...the leaky exhaust probably causes a serious aspiration problem even when decelerating. --Damien