badjer

Hi, Somewhere there is an awesome thread about replacing the instrument cluster bulbs- it had how to do it, bulb part numbers from Advance Autoparts, info about LED bulbs, etc... can anyone direct me toward that thread? I haven't been able to relocate it. Thanks! Badjer

Hi all, I know this is a silly little thing, but I love my 02 outback H6 except for the black fairing along the bottom of the windshield. it is missing 2 fasteners at the edges, so it begins to squawk like a bad harmonica at interstate speeds. Where is the best place to get those little fasteners? would a glass place have them? a body shop? or just go to the dealer? thanks! badjer

a wise one once guided me... cars101.com. I cannot see much of a difference in the 97s between an outback with some options and an outback limited.. although the gold badge appears important badjer

Not to bump the thread, but I wanted to give a thanks to all for their input! I am the proud new owner of an 02 LL bean Baru... it came with all the goodies.. subwoofer, window heater, etc, along with the not so goodies like wind noise from the mirrors! I am happy with the price.. it was under 8k and has under 100k miles so I am looking for a long life ahead. Thanks again all! Badjer ps... If anyone has a tan cargo cover they don't need..... I will listen

Ok, the cars101 was pretty helpful in clearing things up. thanks! I guess I need to decide which counts most.. cooler stereo, less miles, or 1000 bucks! I do know the LL Bean was in a fender bender 2 yrs ago... not sure about the VDC. How would you decide? thanks! badjer

Hi all, In my quest to rejoin the Subaru world, I have come across an 02 LL Bean with 97k for under 8k. I have not gone to see it yet, but I may go buy it tomorrow (I know that sounds a bit impulsive...). Anyway, it appears from the photos to be a very well kept one owner vehicle. Is it safe to assume that it has all the heated seats, heated mirrors, etc? What should I expect to find/not find (Edmunds shows it with the MacIntosh stereo). Anything to look out for? Any and all advice is appreciated! Thanks Badjer ok... I kept looking and found a 2001 H6 3.0 VDC with 166k. It is a 1000 less..... any thoughts on how these 2 compare?? thanks!

Yeah, it is at a good price-it is at a local buy here/pay here sort of place so there isn't much in the way of records. I am just wondering mostly about the head gaskets- If they were going to be a problem as with some of the other 2.5l of the era.. would they have been fixed by now?? Or have the HG proven themselves at this point so they aren't an issue. Of course, after 200k, no car part owes anyone anything so they are forgiven for random failures! thanks! badjer

Hi all, After a couple of years of missing this board and my 96 outback, I am tempted to leap back into the 'Baru world. I found a 2000 Outback limited 5 spd with 200k. Can I assume that any problems (like headgasket) would be fixed by now and that any problems would be normal for a car of that vintage/mileage? Anything to look out for? I sold my 96 with 250k and have regretted it since.. it was good to go for another 250K! Any and all thoughts are appreciated. thanks badjer

Wow, thats a pretty sweet car-- identical to the one I am looking at!! I stumbled on it... 71k and under $5000 - too bad the wife says its ugly. it says 22 records on carfax though.. makes me wonder. It might be worth the fight and the sleeping on the couch for a while though! Thanks for your thoughts! badjer

Hi all, Since selling my 96 OB last summer, I have been pining for another Subaru (believe it or not, a Toyota corolla just isn't the same!). Anyway, I have found a 2000 Impreza RS 5 spd MT, a little sportier than an OB, but with less than 100k and a good price. Anything to look out for with this car and year?? Also, anyone care to run a carfax for me? VIN = JF1GM6753YG402319 thanks! Badjer

those are good points!! and honestly, I am not sure myself why I am selling it, other than it is being obedient to 'she who must be obeyed' No rust, transmission replaced at 190k, new clutch at that time, new timing belt, water pump, and a new AC radiator thingy last summer that encountered a large rock on the road. Anyway, I guess I am thinking the car is a great one, worth a lot, but the reality of the market makes it tough to price it. Personally, I wouldnt mind driving it forever (and I make long road trips over 1000 miles regularly) but she who is to be obeyed is a bit nervous about that! thanks for the input! badjer

Ooops! good point on the location! I am in north georgia, which sort of reduces the demand for the heated seats and the winter package!! I do enjoy the heated seats in the winter, although down here there is probably not a big demand for them. thanks for the reply! badjer

Hi all, First off, I would like to thank you all for any and all advice I have gotten from you over the years. However, it is time to sell my 96 outback (5MT, 242k). So.. I guess I am asking about how does one go about selling a car with so many miles? Most people not familiar with the Subaru wouldnt even look (my mom thinks you need a new car once it gets to 60K). How do you determine a realistic asking price, do you use craigslist, autotrader, local paper, or what? Do people sell their Soob in the marketplace here?? i have checked KBB for value, but is that an accurate reflection of what I would actually get?? any and all suggestions are welcome, but if I cant sell it I think my wife would be more upset than I would! thanks badjer

Hey all, Thanks for all the help in the past! Here I am again, with an AC question. I like the thread about the window tinting- I wish I had done it a few years ago! These things are like a greenhouse at times! Anwyay, my AC compressor is whining and my trusted tech says it is on its way out. I trust that.. but.. is there a reason that it seems to cool really well when I am driving along, but whenever I stop at a red light or get stuck in traffic it stops cooling?? Are those things consistent with a failing compressor? I guess I am wondering if the lack of cooling at a stop is due to the compressor failing or is there something else not working- cooling fans, AC radiator, or whatever. thanks! badjer

Yikes!! I think the grimacing smiley face says it all!! badjer

and here I thought they were indestructible! http://www.katu.com/news/9094776.html badjer

Hi all, I have been following threads here a long time, learning a lot about my 96 outback, keeping it running, and benefitting from all that I have learned from the board members. I do appreciate all your help as I have enjoyed my Baru! Anyway... the wife is thinking it is time for the Baru to go, but how do you KNOW it is? Mine is a 96 5 spd outback with 240k on it (no rust, only 1 minor ding, shiny paint, with the winter package). At 190k it got a salvaged transmission, new clutch, new timing belt, new water pump so that stuff is good to go. This summer the speed sensor and knock sensor went out....so those have been replaced ($350 for the wife keeping track ) . Now the compresser for the AC is making loud whining noises and is probably on the way out. My shop dude says another is going to run $500 or so. It needs new tires too... Anyway.... wife has suggested the car has done its share of duty for me and it is time to move on... but then.. I am thinking... gee, its a great car and we have done all this stuff... its good for another 100k!! While I realize that this is NOT the place to look for unbiased answers, I would appreciate any advice/support thoughts from other members and how they might approach this.. thanks in advance! edit- oops.. also, how do you know what to ask for this car? thanks! badjer

Hi, I did a search on this but didnt find quite what I was looking for. I have a 96 outback, and the windows (windshield especially) tend to fog up as long as there is ANY moisture outside. Dewy outside? foggy inside... have to run the defroster. Drizzle outside? foggy inside... run the defroster.. rain an hour ago? well..run the defroster...even with the windows open!. Is this a normal subaru thing and should I just resign myself to running the defroster if there is humidity in the air? I saw that Rain X makes something called fogex.... does that really work? just curious as to what others have found! thanks badjer

Ok, on a simpler and luckier note... my 96 Outback does the exact same thing on occasion. One headlight out, but the brights work just fine. In my case, it is simply the connection from the harness to the bulbs. Mine actually look like they have overheated/melted at some point. Have him idle the car with the lights on and go remove the connection between harness and bulb... wiggle it... in my case it comes on like 99% of the time. Its irritating, but its cheaper to wiggle stuff than it is to replace it! I just figure its one more joy of an 11 yo car with 223 k on it! badjer

hi all after seeing how Honda has come up with a tiny FIT model, and Nissan has a Versa, and toyota has a yaris... is subaru planning on a Justy again? anything in the works along those lines? Just curious! badjer

wow.. I would jump at that! My 96 has 220,000 miles and is still going strong!! I wouldnt sell mine for less than 5k.... but would be happy to buy a new one like that for that price! badjer

Hi all.. thanks for the backup.. it will be fixed tomorrow by noon... and I am not gonna ask what all happened.. I just get my car back! badjer

thats a good point... even more frustrating is that the problem seems between my mech and the part supplier- why I am left with no car seems beyond me. Seems to me that he should get the car fixed first, then deal with the supplier! thanks for letting me vent.... its been there over a week awaiting a replacement condenser (the first one got there in a day) badjer

Hi all, My warrior of a 96 outback is currently in the shop with what my trusted indy mechanic calls a "object of large mass penetrating the AC condensor"..... in short, the condensor is worthless. No AC in Georgia in summer is a bad idea! Anyway, he ordered a new condensor and the one he got seems to be blocked- it isnt working correctly! Anyway, it sounds like this is a 'subaru only' part and that subaru is not happy about just replacing it with a new one. My car has been in the shop a week waiting for an outcome of the standoff: "the part is bad" vs "we would never send a bad part off". Any suggestions on what I can do to speed this up? Its been a week.. still no progress! thanks. badjer

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions and ideas. Anyway, I went back to it today with the idea of just running new speaker wires as needed. I figured I could hook up the power leads to the harness, then do the speakers individually with new wires until all were hooked up. Here is how things went. On the kitchen table, I hooked the new head unit up to the Crutchfield harnesss- I only did the power leads, the ground, and the power antenna. On a whim, I hooked up the leads for the L back speakers. Went back to the car, plugged it in, and VIOLA! the L back speakers made sound. Encouraged, I hooked up the R back speakers.. sound again! The R front speakers also worked on the first try. Last but not least, were the left fronts. I hooked up the black/white lead off the head unit to the white/black lead to the harness first and poof.. instant death of all sound! Turned off the radio.. back on again and 3 speakers were back so I tried again, instant death. Repeat once more, since I am stupid. Hook up white lead first to white lead.. no death.. then finally.. hook up the white/black to the white /black, and VIOLA! 4 speakers, all with sound. The rest was uneventful and I am just happy that it actually works. So, I guess I am not sure what this actually all means, other than I guess in my car the order of wiring things up makes a difference! thanks for the help! badjer