craigmcd

We have a 2005 Outback with about 150K on it. It had regular servicing through about 80K, but after that it is hard to know. Both my independent shop and just the other day, my Subi dealer, recommended against a flush or filter change. They both said it could create all new problem where currently there are none. I would be curious of any body's thoughts here ? All ears....

My daughter has the 1999 Outback (formerly my wife's). It went through the EJ25 head gasket issue, but since the car is in very good shape overall, we decided to replace the engine with a completely rebuilt one. We went through a Subaru engine rebuilder in Commerce City, CO (that is all they do) -- luckily at the time we lived only 1 hour away, we drove the car in for the swap. That engine has done great, with no problems at all now for 4 or so years. As engines go it was expensive, but a complete rebuild from top to bottom, with a 3 year warranty. It worked for our budget. Good luck

When the Check Engine light came on someone suggested going to Autozone for a free reader test. I did that to find out something was amiss with the EGR system. He mentioned that Autozone will not clear out the codes anymore. I actually appreciate that. It helps people buying used cars. When we bought our 2005 Subi Outback (the sweet VDC Limited H6) it was running fine. Then about 2 weeks into our ownership the engine light came on. It took nearly $1300 to get it to go permanently off. So, I can see why they would not want to turn those off in the parking lot of auto parts stores. By the way, it has been two + years since the 2005 was repaired at the dealer, and it has run great ever since, with no problems. I do recommend Ehrlich Subaru in Greeley, CO (I hope we can do that in the forums) - but they did what they promised at the price they quoted, even though it took them nearly 2 weeks to figure it out. They also provided a nice new loaner while they had our car.

I had a chance to work on the Subi over the weekend. Following your suggestions, I checked the throttle cables, which were fine. Next I followed the vacuum tubes, and low and behold found one with a split end which had fallen off. I trimmed it shorter and reconnected it. That seems to have fixed the cruise control. What puzzles me is how it was working at all. I was also working on an EGR check engine light which came on a few days ago. I found that the vacuum hose from the valve to the manifold was missing the entire center portion. Not loose, or disconnected - a 3" section in the center of the hose was MIA. I replaced that, and a couple others which seemed about the same age. I think the EGR problem is corrected, but need to get the dashboard indicator to shut off. I think it will automatically - here's hoping.

I looked at this a little more today and finally found a diagram and parts numbers from oppositionforces.com The bushings look like they are factory sealed into the cross member. They do not have a separate parts number, even though the two bushings on the back side of the differential have a parts number and show separately in the diagram. So I probably need to buy the whole thing. At subaruoutback.org there is a discussion thread with photos showing exactly the same problem on the same car/year. No one really had a decent solution, and could not say why oil would leak from that spot. Looks like my mechanical project for next week. I am hoping to find the part used on ebay.

I had not thought of vacuum hoses, that is a great suggestion. I will check it out when I get a chance. Thanks Craig

Howdy. We have a 1999 Legacy Outback in overall good working order (it has a rebuilt motor less than 3 years old which runs great). When I depress the lever and engage the cruise control - the car goes into cruise control, but slows 4 to 6 miles per hour, depending on the overall speed. It will then hold that speed just fine. To cruise at 65 mph, I would have to engage it at 70 or 71 to allow for the slow down. It is bothersome to say the least. Is this going to be a computer problem, electrical, or more mechanical - like a bad CC unit in the steering column ? Any other ideas would be great. Is this something a garage can electronically diagnose? Thanks, Craig

Okay - I appreciate the input and will look around a little. C

The oil is gray, and slightly frothy. It is not black or whitish, or the color of old engine oil. It is not a light brown like new engine oil. There is no reddish tint. It is more like used differential oil -- but the leak is clearly from this bushing. It is still leaking after a week. It drops two drips, one on each side of the bushing. So on the garage floor I have 4 or 5 pairs of drip stains. Thanks - Craig

We have owned 4 Subarus and I have done a break job on everyone of them - not difficult, but be sure to raise and support the car safely, and tighten the wheel lug nuts properly. Turning rotors is becoming an issue in recent years. In my dad's garage 35 years ago is was a simple given on any brake job - I don't even think they charged extra for it. I had my Chevy van done recently and they were resistant to turn the drums or rotors, and much preferred me to buy new. I was insistent and they did reuse my old parts - but I paid for turning. The shops like the wholesale mark up on parts, plus they end up with a big pile of heavy rotors to take to the scrap yard for cash. Finally, when they replace new it is simply quicker. All that said, your rotors can almost always be turned at least one time and remain within factory spec. If you are doing it yourself you can have them turned at many parts stores, machine shops or tire shops. I have also heard that the quality of new rotors and drums is not what it used to be. It is a good idea to have brand new rotors trued on the lathe before installation - they will be close, so it won't take long or remove much metal. Dad always taught me to wash my hands before assembly - you don't want any grease or oil on the brake surfaces.

Hi - this is a 2005 Outback - the VDC (R 3.0) We took a trip to NYC last weekend, and after two days on the rough roads our Outback began to drip a heavy oil from the rear differential crossmember support bar bushing. This crossmember is located forward of the axles and rear of the U-joint. There is a bushing about 2.5" diameter on each end of this 18"(+-) crossmember. I did not realize that bushings had fluid in them. Is it critical I replace them with the OEM bushing, which I have not been able to find? What I see online appear to be solid. Is there a performance upgrade which you can recommend ? Does this have a different name I might search with? Thanks for your help. Craig

This is a follow up message. Several weeks ago we had the 99 Outback in the shop to fix this problem. We replaced only the master cylinder. The power booster was over $300 from Subaru, and there were no good aftermarket options available. NAPA could rebuild our core, but it would take over a week. Anyway, the car has been driven city and highway miles pretty heavily, and the original problem (the brakes would activate all by themselves and the brakes would get very hot) seems to be completely fixed. We also asked the shop to bleed out as much of the old brake fluid as possible. The brakes got very hot, and I am worried that the fluid may have overheated. Thanks to those who made suggestions, I appreciate your help. Craig

Since this is an older car we have decided to replace both the booster and the master cylinder at the same time. To do just one or the other does not make a lot of sense because the labor is mostly done while replacing either component separately. We will also bleed out the old fluid and replace with new. After a few days of driving I will inspect the brake pads and see if they should be replaced - they are not that old, but the overheating may have taken a toll. Thanks again for the input, it is appreciated. Craig

Thanks for the thoughts. I understand about the brake pads. Is there any other component I should be worrying about as a result of the very high brake temperatures? In more research someone mentioned the ABS wheel sensors - is that a possible cause? Craig

Danny, I too have just joined this forum, welcome. The car I posted about is a 99 Outback, and it went through the whole HG thing about 18 months ago (after nearly 200K on the original engine). As a newbie I will probably get in trouble for plugging a specific business, but you should at least look at http://www.ccrengines.com. They have a small web site, but I have been in the shop and it is a professional operation. We ended up buying a replacement engine from them. They will ship most anywhere, but we lucked out that they were just an hour away. I have a whole folder on my computer about this HG problem if you are interested - it will save you a lot of research. The CC Engines are expensive, but they are long blocks, meaning that they come with all essential components new (timing parts, oil pump, water pump, etc). They do have a three year / 50K warranty - so they think alot of their own work. As an aside, one thing I learned in my search was the vital importance of regular battery maintenance to keep the cables and terminals clean. If you open your hood and there is a big white blob on top of the terminals, that could be the genesis of your HG problem. Go figure. Good luck. Craig

Our family has had a sweet little 99 Outback for a number of years. It is well maintained, and received a new engine about 18 months ago. My daughter has had a recurring braking problem which has only gotten worse. -- When driving the car will begin to brake on its own, causing the rpm to rise suddenly and the brakes to become very hot. This is usually accompanied by some vibration in the steering wheel and floorboard. The brake pedal becomes stiffer (less toe play). The car does not suddenly come to a squealing stop, it just begins to brake entirely on its own - as if while driving along you would be holding the brake pedal 30 to 50% down while attempting to maintain speed. Earlier this week it happened to her again in town, shortly after leaving school (so the brakes were cool). Yesterday it finally happened while I was driving. While cruising at highway speed of 65 with 2500 rpm, I felt the vibrations, and the rpm jumped to 4000+. There were no significant sounds, the weather is quite cool, and I had not touched the brakes for several miles at least. The transmission may have downshifted with the jump in rpm, but I am not positive. My mechanic looked at it a few weeks ago and lent me a heat sensor for us to read the pad backing and the disc (four wheel disc). I have been tracking normal, and my daughter the overheating. The normal temps for the front are between 160 and 180F. When there is an episode of overheating we are seeing temps of over 300F, with a number of reading exceeding 400F - so it is damn hot. We have gotten several readings of "Hi", which must be beyond the meter's ability to report accurately (I saw this myself). The car will drive normally again after a cool down period of 20 to 30 minutes. --- Under normal circumstances the brakes work great, no pull, no vibration. New tires, newer alignment. I am a decent home mechanic, but I am stumped. Thanks for ideas ! CM