gbhrps

Kdub, You'll have to get into the back of the wagon and pull the rear side panel out. Yes, that means the floor panels on the side have to be taken out first, and maybe even the part of the panel that goes up C and D pillars. Once out, you'll have to trace the release cable to the gas door, disconnect it and see if you can't free up the button. If not, it may mean a whole new cable. Good luck!

Milz, Recently I pulled one of my fog lamps to correct a stone chip to the lens of the driver's side. I too had difficulty getting the lamp out of the bumper facia. The 2 screws up top that hold the lamp assembly had to be removed first, and then as I recall there was another screw in the upper left quadrant of the aiming ring that screwed back into the facia itself. The lamp then came free enough to reach behind it and turn the wiring connector to remove the bulb socket. I think that the lamp assembly hanging from the top vibrated too much while driving, and the engineers put the other screw back into a plug in the facia to take out the vibration. Just a guess. This all was 3 months ago, so I'm kind of fuzzy on the exact details. Good luck!

attym, If the oil leak is onto the timing belt or front half axle shaft boots, then you need to do something about it, as the oil will destroy them. Anywhere else is just a nuisance, and only you can decide if it drives you crazy enough to spend the money to fix it. Be aware that the leak fix could run to several hundreds of dollars. My 300ZX has had a small leak out the back seal of the crankshaft for 10 years. It leaves a silver dollar sized oil spot on the garage floor every month or so, not enough to even have to top up the oil between oil changes. To fix it is a $40 seal, and the labour to drop the exhaust system, pull the prop shaft, drop the tranny and the clutch to get at it, then reverse the procedure. To me it isn't worth fixing, considering that it could cost $300 dollars or more. I'll live with the leak.

chilly b, Always the practical one, so daddy told me, I'd go for the one with 40 000 less miles. That's 2 full years of driving that the other one's already had, considering that all things are equal.

ericem, Try hooking the motor directly to a 12 volt source to see if it works. If it does, then you know that between your switch and the wiper motor there has to be a problem. The difficulty here is that unless you can get your hands on a workshop manual (Haynes, Chilton?) and see some wiring diagrams, you can't really know where to go from here. Maybe someone else has here has a source? Good Luck!

oldberkeley, Add these easy jobs to your list. There are no specialized tools to buy, but you will need some antiseize compound for bolt threads and pad slider channels in the calipers, silicone grease for slider pins, spray on brake cleaner, and the correct DOT brake fluid. Here in Southern Ontario, Canada, we use a lot of salt on our roads in winter, and it takes its toll. Twice a year I remove the pads, calipers, rotors and rear parking brake shoes, clean and lubricate all parts, and rotate my tires at the same time. This way I am on top of brake pad wear limits, and tire wear. Every 3 years I replace and bleed the entire braking system with new fluid, as well as flush and refill the cooling system with new antifreeze. There is lots of help on procedures in the archives, and lots of "feeling good that I did it myself". Good luck!

NewSuby, My guess would be that the fuse is gone, the bulbs themselves are burned out, or that the connector to the panel lights is loose. The fuse panel is an easy enough fix. To get at the harness connectors and the bulbs you have to remove the instrument panel to get at its back. Disconnect the battery and wait 20 minutes for the airbags to leak down their trigger voltage. You may have to remove the top and bottom case panels that wrap around the steering column and ignition switch, in order to get enough room to remove the instrument cluster. Next you pop the trim panel surrounding the instrument cluster using a taped screwdriver (so as to not scratch the panel). You may find a screw or two to remove in the upper part of the surround that have to be removed first. Then about four screws hold the instrument cluster in place. Pull the cluster towards you, reach behind and disconnect the three or four harnesses, and its free. On its back you will find a printed circuit board with thin copper lines that lead to all of the bulb sockets. They just unwind a quarter turn to come out. I'd check the harness connection first, then each of the bulbs, ending by reconnecting everything up and reconnecting the battery and switching on the lights, staying clear of the airbags. Good luck!

murphsubaru, Depending on how grooved the pads are, and you should be able to eyeball them while they are off the car and know if they are salvageable or not, I would think that you could resurface the pads adaquately enough using a belt sander and say a 120 grit belt. If your results are satisfactory, the pads perfectly flat with lots of material and thickness left, reuse the pads. BUT>>>>if you have any doubts as to whether the pads will be safe to use when you finish the resurfacing....spend the money and buy new pads! Saving a few dollars may prove to be a bad mistake.

Midwst, You answered your own question. If you're selling the car, and the pump must be replaced to sell it, get a used one. Why spend the extra money for the benefit of a complete stranger? If you're keeping the car long term, replace it with a new one. The only time I would replace it with a new one otherwise, would be because I'm selling the car to a friend or relative.

ericem, We need more to go on. When does the wiper motor click? Does it click at the end of what would be one cycle back and forth, or at the end of what would be each sweep? Does it click when you turn on the switch? Can you get the wiper started by turning the switch on and physically grabbing and forcing the wiper to sweep back and forth? It may have a stripped gear, a corroded electrical connection, a seized or almost seized drive shaft, or none of the above. What more can you tell us?

Pyromanic, The brakes are a snap to do. Just be sure to bleed each of the calipers afterwards to remove any water that has entered the sytem. Actually on an 03, its about time to flush the entire system anyway, to get rid of any water. Be sure to check the master cylinder reservoir when you push in the piston of each caliper, to ensure that the fluid in the reservoir doesn't overflow and rundown the firewall and remove the paint. You can remove any excess fluid with an old turkey baster. Good luck.

05blusub, You've had the car for a little over 2000 miles....and it has a broken inside door latch.....which most likely will be fixed by the dealership under warranty....at no cost to you.....and you want to know if you've bought a lemon....and if this is some sort of harbinger of worse things to come????!

Gentlemen, On my 02 OBW I couldn't find the wiring harness plug that the factory trailer hitch installation manual said was there, behind the panel of the rear wheel of the driver's side. It was on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR, behind the passenger side rear wheel. Does the same thing apply to your Legacy?

Olnick, I've seen similar results on automotive electrical circuits over the years. You may have had a bad connection from the start, that finally corroded enough to create enough resistance and heat to toast the connector. Find another in a junk yard and graft it onto your headlight wiring. I did the same thing with a wiring connector to the rectifier on my garden tractor earlier this summer. Its not a big deal to replace. Good luck!

Midwst, Daddy said it best...."When in doubt..don't." There have been enough threads on this topic to convince the wary that you should look for another car, unless you can absolutely steal this one. Its not worth taking a chance IMHO.

Geoff4130, Yes you can still drive the car the way it is, but....... keep your speed down until its replaced! You will not have anywhere near the emergency manouvreability, because the car will roll and sway uncontrolably if you are going too fast and have to turn or swerve quickly. Been there, done that in a 280 Z with a rear swaybar missing both end links. I think my fingerprints are still embedded in the wooden steering wheel 20 years later, after trying to avoid a dog. Get it replaced as soon as possible. DO NOT TRUST your temporary fix.

Slegacy96, In 97 my wife bought a new Lexus ES300 and I purchased a new OBW LTD. Now she has an 04 ES330 and I drive an 02 OBW LTD. The 2 Lexus ES's have been flawless, requiring only the usual oil changes, brake jobs, wiper replacements, etc. Neither one has had a wrench on them otherwise. They are as good on fuel as the Subies, but far nicer to drive and cruise in, and will suck the doorknobs off the Subie (no surprise there, a 6 versus a 4). On a long trip they were the vehicle of choice. But if you were antique hunting, getting gardening supplies, or driving in less than ideal winter conditions, the OBW's were unstoppable. They did and do require more attention in the mechanical areas, ocassional wheel bearings, stalled power antennas, head gasket replacement, piston slap, and all of the usual required areas of maintenance. At present, we require 2 vehicles, but very soon when my wife retires, we'll be able to get by on one, and hands down a Lexus all wheel drive will be the one we go with. What would be really nice would be a Lexus wagon all wheel drive!

fbcbass, I've many others apart, but not the one on my Subie, but most have a button that is screwed on like a nut. You push the button onto the threaded shaft that holds the spring, and wind it on until its tight. I'd go to a junkyard and see if you can find and remove just the butto you need. If not, you may end up having to get the entire handle. Good luck!

PetterFan, If the unit is working as its supposed to, up and down, but is very noisy at its extreme limits while the timer runs out and turns off the motor, the antenna gearbox has a small piece of the geared whip, or a gear tooth broken off that is interfering with the clutch assembly. Or the innerds are in need of a good cleaning and regreasing. It is not a big deal to remove the whole assembly from the car (when its down), take the whip assembly out of the gearbox, and disassemble the gearbox. It won't take an hour start to finish, its all pretty intuitive, unless you find broken parts that you want to replace. In that case, you may want to just live with the noise (since the unit works) rather than buy a new one, since I'll bet you won't be able to get individual parts anywhere. Good luck!

Brettm57, You've been given good advice by Brus Brother, but May I add one small change? Once in the back of the car you can just grab the tailgate panel and pop it off its plug fasteners....along its sides, across its top, and on the two or three that are in the middle of the panel....but not across its bottom. You won't be able to get to those plugs until you get the door open, since they fasten into the bottom panel of the door. BUT you should still be able to get inside to the lock mechanism to unlock the door after the top, side and middle plugs are unfastened, just don't bend the panel back too far because of the bottom plugs. You sure don't want to break the panel. Good Luck!

Still Thinkin, I have to agree with SWC 7916! I've owned 2 OBW's since 97 and I LOVE THEM. They are the ride of choice when winter comes, even over my wife's Lexus. BUT...my nephew, another Subaru freak, has gone the Honda Odessy route for the arrival of his new daughter, and I have to agree. Its built like a Swiss watch and has powered door acess to both rear sides. Not only that, but while driving, his wife can get out of her seat to attend to the munchkin if need be, by walking between the front seats to the back. Try that in the Subie. Yeah! There's no all wheel drive, but it is front wheel drive with a bullet proof power train. They aren't cheap to buy, but are rated as the best minivan going. My advice.....try out the Honda in a test drive, and try the car seat issue by fastening one into the van. Then do the kid in and out of the seat (even if you use a doll) in as many senarios as you can think up. If you still feel the Subie is the way to go, you really couldn't go wrong with either the Forester or the OBW, but at least you'd know for sure whether a van should have been your first choice or not. Good Luck! and CONGRATULATIONS on your new arrivals! You must be excited as hell?

BigMfer, The symptoms you describe could be due to a sticking brake pad on one side of the rotor, or as suggested, a wheel bearing. If its a wheel bearing, in a safe place, accelerate to speed and swerve the car from side to side. The noise should take on different tones and volumes when driving straight ahead, versus turning right or left, as the loads are shifted to the sides of the bearings. Try the driving test first, and if that's not it, pull the wheel and check out the brakes. Good luck!

Ironboy789, The only problem will be if the 15 inch rims will clear your front calipers. If they do, and the new wheel offset is the same as your 16 inch wheels, then you're set to go.

2000outback, I'm surprised by your question. My 02 OBW LTD has the same dual sunroofs. You have to open the front sunshade manually, but the rear sunshade opens when the rear roof is opened, and in my car the rear sunshade has a recess like the front one, and can be opened manually while the rear sunroof is still closed. Does your rear sunshade not have the hand recess like the front one?

fstour, Nope! I've owned 2 Cressidas, 2 300zx's, 2 OBW's and 2 Lexus es300's that all have the same rear brake shoe setup inside the rear rotors.....and I've never had to do anything with the emergency brake shoes in order to get the rear rotors off the car...other than make sure that the emergency brake is disengaged. Its not a big deal at all. Just be sure to use the antiseize compound to make the job easier next time. Incidently, I pull the calipers, pads, caliper mounting brackets, slide pins and rotors off our 2 daily drivers twice a year. I clean everything, use antiseize on all sliding parts (silicone grease on the pins), the hub faces and bolt threads. It gives me the chance to check pad wear, paint the calipers and rotors, and stay on top of maintenance issues that can cost big money if neglected. Besides, what's a retired guy going to do with his spare time anyway? Good Luck!