Steves72

I have visited both the Thule and Yakima web sites and found them useless. I also attempted to do a search here but have been suffering a lot of generic data base errors - so I decided to just ask. I need a flat rack system to replace the stock curved ones so that I can use the car to transport lumber. It will mostly by studs but may also involve other items. The stock rounded rails do not give me a that warm fuzzy felling when I think about staking wood on it. I am also hoping to find used bars that will replace the factory bars. Which ones will work on my car? Steve

Talk to a local attorney even if you plan to go the small claims court route. The attorney may cost you a half hour to one hour of their time but the information offered would be invaluable. Talk to one who specializes in consumer affairs / product liability. Or, call the local law board and ask which type of lawyer you need to call. When you go you will be on the clock, so have all your questions written out so you can limit your bill. As to a witness, you must have a certified mechanic. The mechanic will not be interested in spending his time at a court house. So, a written statement is usually sufficient for such courts but that is where the attorney's advise is needed. Good luck, Steve

A navigation system??? Who needs that? I just glance up at the sun or the stars and let the sky show me the way. Or, if I have my wife along I ask her which way she would go. Whatever she suggests is invariably wrong. Steve

My only comment would be to avoid the cars with moon roofs. Do a search on these forums. Too many people with leaks or the front cartridge failing. Ask me, I know. Steve

Did your son report that both headlights failed at the same time? I agree with a previous poster that there was likely one out when the second headlight quit. If you do not notice the first failure, the second sure gets your attention. Quite a long time ago I had Nissan 300ZX. I was the original owner of the car and driving one evening and both headlights failed within 20 minutes of one another - they were the original headlights. I had to limp home at VERY reduced speeds because the fog lights just did not cut it to light up the road. Try replacing a bulb first. If the replacement works, do the second. Steve

Had the same issue today while replacing the front pads on a 2K Legacy Outback. Right side lower pin frozen in place. Get a can of PB Blaster, a 19mm open end wrench, a hammer, a small straight screwdriver, and a large pair of vise grips. First spray. It helps if you use the small screwdriver to pry the rubber seal off the end. Hold the rubber open and spray the PB Blaster behind the rubber. Use the 19mm wrench (a 3/4 open end works as well) to get the pins to start rotating. Once you get the pins to start moving, apply more PB Blaster, keep working the wrench. Once you can turn the pin completely over, use the hammer to push the pin in. You need to get it moving in all directions. Attach the vise grips to the pin very securely. Use the hammer and hit the vice grips (not the pin) to get it to come back out of it's hole. Repeat process. Apply PB Blaster; keep working the 19mm wrench to rotate; hammer on pin (make certain to hit it squarely) to get it to go in, and hammer on vice grips attached to the pin to get it to slide out. It took some time but my brakes are on. Good Luck. Steve P.S. By the way I have acquired quite a vibration when applying the brakes. This only occurs with light brake pressure. Some testing is making me believe that pulsing is occurring. I am suspecting that the rotor on that side my be warped from the pin not floating properly. I plan to replace the rotors tomorrow. This may not happen to you but keep it in mind if you run into the same issue.

Thanks for the info As I stated previously, the damage was limited to the grille. http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu2/steves72camaro/IMG_0370.jpg As slight as the damage is I will only bother to replace it if I find one really cheap. The grille has 4 cracks in it. Steve

What model year grills are a direct replacement for a 2000 Legacy Outback wagon? I hit a dear at a moderate speed - 30 to 35 MPH. It hit flush across the full face of the car and there was very little damage (to the car). The dear didn't fair so well. The grill has four cracks and if I come across one in a yard I would buy it. So the question once more ... what years are the same? Steve

Considering the age and mileage of the car I would not expect SOA to do very much for you. Report the incident to the NHTSA - http://www.nhtsa.com. If enough reports are filed an investigation will be opened up on the issue. Good Luck Steve

Click on Shawn's name and you can send him a private message. Steve

I cannot speak for the 2005 and up Outbacks but if I had a "do over" I would avoid anything with a moon roof (2000 - 2004). Mine leaks and the front moon unit has failed (it no longer will open with the motor). If rain is in the forecast I park on a slope with the nose of the car pointed down. I have cleaned the rear drains more than I care to recall only to find them clogged within six to nine months. I am also not a big fan of the automatic in my model year - 2000. It is very much a slush box; takes its sweet time to downshift and upshift; will not step down into first unless the car is completely stopped; etc, etc. But it does get the job done - just not to my taste. I prefer a stick myself but my wife insisted that the car had to be automatic so she could drive it. Steve

I have the same problem on my 2000 Outback. See this thread. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=79390 I chose to live with the problem. One of my biggest regrets was buying the car with the moon roof. Between the leaks, clogged drains and now broken front moon roof - what a mistake. Steve

The front of the trailing arm does not move, so jacking it up at that location is not dangerous. So were does the owners manual - which I do not have - tell you to jack up the rear end of the car? Steve

Does anyone know the correct location to place a two post lift on a Legacy Outback at the rear of the car? A friend has a lift and we are always placing the arm under the bushing on the rear controlling arms. One time I missed the fact that the bushing was shot and wound up having to pay to have it replaced. (That's what you get for waiting to the last minute to have the safety inspection done. The model year is 2000. Steve

That would be a complete waste of money unless he too has a 0325 code in the computer. I would suggest trying the PCV valve and examining the exhaust has been previously suggested but be prepared for that new cat. And, do not go with the a cheap unit. When it comes to the cat you really do get what you pay for. Steve

That will not fly if he must pass an emissions inspection. Steve

Simply stated, the components used when the car was constructed are designed around the typical use by a typical user. The vehicle you are driving was probably designed for transportation. Transmissions that go behind a race engine will take a significant amount of abuse before failure but they do fail. What you are driving is a low powered vehicle. It will not take abuse very long before it begins to not operate properly. Furthermore, the car probably has a significant number of miles on the parts. You cannot expect parts with a lot of miles on it to take that kind of abuse. If you want to drive it like its stolen, plan on replacing drive line components frequently. Steve

When you talk about catalytic converters you get what you pay for. A universal cheap cat is not going to have very much of the precious metals needed to clean the exhaust gasses properly. Nor, will the cheap OE fit units. Ask a mechanic, any mechanic, the brand they use as a replacement cat. They do not use the cheap units because they do not want the job to come back to the shop. You may not even get the service light out with a cheap cat. Steve

Well it took this long to have the 0420 code trip once more, and I did not have the code reader hooked up when it happened!?! However, the freeze frame stored data is as follows: Fuel Sys: CL Calc Load: 7.8 ECT (degrees F): 181 STFT B1%: -7.8 LTFT B1%: 1.5 MAP (inHg): 7.0 Eng RPM: 2600 Veh Speed: 67 I know the last time you were most interested in the STFT versus LTFT numbers. These are considerably different than the last time. It took about five weeks for the code to trip this time. Any thoughts? Steve

Well, three one way trips to / from work and no triggered events. Thinking back to the two times that the check engine light came on, both times were fairly long stretches of driving at a constant speed, and constant gas pedal position. The first at 60 mph and the second at 45 mph. I am wondering if I have to recreate the circumstances that caused the the trouble code to be stored in the computer. My driving back and forth to work in traffic may not cause this event to occur. I will run the scanner in the car on Saturday and see if anything happens. Steve

I was typing up my post and did not see this prior to my previous post. Just to let you know, I do appreciate the insights. I mostly work on older carburetor cars - my toy and my friends old stuff. The newer computer stuff left me scratching my head and the vast number of wires, vacuum lines, etc. under the modern hood makes me leery to do much more than change my oil, filters, and plugs. This issue has pushed me to to better understand the newer systems. Besides the undercarriage is far less complicated than the engine bay. Steve

The back and forth on the 0420 code is fascinating, to quote an old SCI-FI show, and show my age. I read every link provided by OB99W a few days back. A was familiar with some of the information in those articles but they were good reading and filled in many gaps. All in all very informative articles and well worth the 1+ hour I spent reading them. Thanks. Returning to the car, I will provide some additional information regarding my Subaru so you know a bit more about the situation. The car just passed our state's annual inspection process at the end of February. Annual inspections are required in Pennsylvania. A spacer in the O2 socket will automatically fail the car at the next inspection, so such a repair is not an option. Furthermore, as OB99W points out, it just fools the computer and solves nothing. The car required a gasket on the muffler flange - it was leaking but that is after the rear O2 sensor so I do not believe that it has any bearing on the current 0420 code. Prior to taking it to my mechanic for the annual inspection I had the car on a lift to check the brakes, tires, exhaust, etc. I replaced a failed headlight, changed the oil, and rotated the tires. When I checked the exhaust I did a visual only inspection as it was quite hot so I did not find the leaking flange gasket. The system appeared to be in excellent condition for its age - 10 years. My mechanic found no other issues with the car. So, now what? Like I said when I started this thread I want to understand what is wrong and why. And, I feel that I am heading in that direction. The consensus seems to be to throw an O2 sensor (the front) at it and see if that fixes the problem. I do not have an issue with repairing the car in this fashion but I do have around 10 months before this MUST be fixed and I am learning quite a bit about how the car's computer works and about how to get the most out of my code reader. So, I will proceed on the slow and steady course and drive the car to and from work tomorrow with the scanner attached and hope that another event is triggered and more information becomes available. This coming weekend, when I can put my car back on a lift, I will do a through inspection of the exhaust. Who knows - perhaps I, or my wife, hit some road debris and something was damaged. Or, another gasket has failed before the cat. If I run out of all other alternatives, I will replace both O2 sensors first; see if the problem is resolved; and, if not, replace the cat. I can replace all those parts myself for about the same amount that my mechanic would charge me to a) diagnose the problem, and replace a single O2 sensor. Actually, it would cost me a bit more for all new parts but than I would have all new parts! If I get a triggered event I will be back and post it. Steve

There was eight days of driving between the reset and the repeat of the 0420 code. It represented around 600 total miles - about half of it highway. If what I am reading about the "Record by DTC trigger" function, I will have to drive the car - possibly for days - with the scanner plugged in before another such event is triggered. Is that an accurate representation of the requirements for the next test? Steve

Well, the 0420 code is back and the in the previous instance OB99W wanted the freeze frame data. Here it is from today. Fuel Sys 1 ------------- CL Calc Load (%) --------- 9.0 ECT (degrees F) ------- 183 STFT B1 (%) ---------- 0.7 LTFT B1 (%) ---------- -0.7 MAP (inHg) ------------ 10.9 Eng RPM -------------- 1812 Vehicle Speed (MPH) -- 45 That was all that was in the freeze frame data. Steve

Well, I did something that perhaps I should not have done. I cleared the error out of the computer last night. So the freeze frame data is gone. I drove the car around 150 miles today and the code did not return so far. All of my system I/M lights are also on except for the HCA indicator. I will check out the links provided to see if I can get a better understanding of my scanner. Thanks. Steve