heartless

None what so ever, unless you like wasting money. all engines are engineered to run their best with specific plugs - those are then recommended in the owners manual. proper gapping is more important than spending more money on a non-recommended plug. You can get good timing kits with all the necessary items for under $200 from online sources - ebay, amazon - even rockauto.

#4 - agree with the KYBs - best ever for a Subaru. Do a little research to get the correct part numbers for your car. I ordered my most recent set from PartsGeek.com - great prices, and pretty fast on shipping, too. Just make sure of what you are ordering - have heard thier customer service is a nightmare - I personally have never had a problem with them, tho. The KYBs I ordered actually cost less than the Monroe versions... Springs - I got a set of OE springs from Park Subaru (http://www.parksubaruoemparts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=215943) they had the best price I could find for those. You might also be able to get King Springs to fit - but those are not cheap. #7 - "timing belt might be original." Plan on getting to that ASAP!! in fact, I would make it job #1 - and at 154K, yes, you probably should do the idler pulleys and other related items as well - look at it this way - do it all now and have peace of mind for around 100K, or do the job again in 10-20-30k, when something fails and breaks the belt - potentially causing even greater headaches (interference motor). The complete timing kits can be had fairly cheaply from several sources (under $200) and there are lots of threads and articles posted on how to do the job. Miles Fox has some great videos posted on his YouTube channel ( ) . it isnt all that difficult, just a bit time consuming if you have never done it before. There are also plenty of folks here that will help you out if you arent sure about something. "Car starts everytime but the first crank struggles..." Check the battery for a date sticker, or a date engraved into the top - it sounds like it may be getting old and due for replacement. also check the cable ends/terminals for corrosion...

no, i didnt actually go to the ad posting... I was going by what you shared, which was a fair amount. Rear diff does not have a dipstick, sorry... there are two plugs on the back side, one for draining (lower one) and one for filling (upper one) to check fluid level, pull the upper plug and stick your finger in - fluid should be just about even with the bottom of the plug hole.

personally - I dont consider 154K to be "high mileage" on a Subaru. Every one of mine had around that, or more, when I bought them. With good care and maintenance you can easily double that. If that is an EJ22 (check the casting on the block) then it is definitely worth the $2200 - car looks to be in fairly good condition for its age and location (altho I find it interesting there are no pics of the drivers side of the car?) Struts should be a pretty straight forward job - probably around $75-85 each. you may want to consider new springs for the rear as well if the current struts have been worn out for a while... Wheel bearing - it could last a while yet, it could give out next week - being on the front, it should probably be changed sooner rather than later. and I agree with john in KY - unless they can provide documentation on when the timing belt was last done (and exactly what was done - idler pulleys, water pump, etc), that would be my number 1 priority.

the GMB idlers will be fine - have used them on several cars with no issues thus far

that does complicate things a bit...

2.2 timing belt jobs are relatively easy - changing the water pump does add a bit more time to the job, but still not that difficult. This would also be a good time to put new radiator hoses on it as well. A good timing kit, with all idler pulleys, new tensioner, and an Aisin water pump runs around $175 - $200. Someone with experience can do the job in about 4 hours, give or take - takes me a little longer with frequent breaks to allow my back to relax (at 50+ it doesnt like bending over cars anymore)... Getting all the air out of the cooling system is the biggest issue with this job. Back-filling the block through the upper radiator hose is the best way to accomplish this task.

There are several things that can cause the timing belt to jump out of time a weak tensioner can allow slack in the belt, causing it to skip. damaged/missing teeth on the belt itself bad bearings on one or more of the idler pulleys water pump beginning to seize up/fail the above potential issues are the reason most of the folks here will change all of the idler pulleys, the water pump, and often the tensioner with at least the second recommended timing belt change interval, even though the service manual does not call for it.

1996 Legacy manuals can be found here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy%20Outback/1996/

what year and model Subaru do you have? ^ ^ ^ This is a very true statement. Before changing out other things that may, or may not, be related to the sluggishness - I would change the sparkplugs back to the recommended version and see what happens. That said, yes, a cracked knock sensor probably should be changed.

Unless the owner's manual specifies iridium plugs, they are a waste of money, imho. Look in your owner's manual and see what it recommends. I have never used anything but the stock NGK plugs in any of the 3 Subarus I have owned, and never had an issue with any of them. you didnt specify which year/model you have, but it is highly unlikely that you need the iridium plugs. if you dont have the owner's manual, check here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/ choose your model, then year - most have the owner's manual in there.

under $200 for parts - labor is the one that will get you if you dont do things yourself, and that is going to vary depending on local shop rates.

Like Miles, most of my experience is with the older versions - late 80s to mid 90s. My significant other has a 2006 Outback wagon, L.L.Bean edition that, so far, is a great car (only had it since May). Ground clearance is good, drivability is very good - could use a little bit stiffer springs imho, as it has more body movement than my Forester strut lifted 95 Legacy does, but otherwise a very comfortable car to ride in and drive. The newer cars have more electronic controls than the older stuff does, but they are still quite reliable and durable cars when given proper care and maintenance. to add to the capabilities stories - some years ago I had spent the day with my mother in the hospital after her heart attack - it started snowing around mid morning and kept it up all day with high winds, too... by the time I headed home (around 5 pm) even the main roads were a mess, the plows couldnt keep up with the amount of snow coming down and the all blowing & drifting. When I turned off the main road, and got out of the little town there, the road looked like no one had been down it for hours! (I live in the boonies in Northcentral Wisconsin - mostly farm fields - nothing to stop blowing snow) a couple of miles outside of town, even I wondered if we were going to make it home - still had about 7 miles to go. The snow was drifted and wind packed across the road, so deep in some places that I had to drive on the wrong side to get through - the only thing that kept me on the road was the fence posts sticking up through the snow in places and the power poles - you couldnt even tell where the ditches were anymore. I was plowing with the front bumper & dragging the undercarriage almost the entire way, but we made it home. This was driving my stock height 1990 Legacy wagon with stock 14" wheels/tires - and all season tires at that - I didnt have snow tires. This was my first 4spd automatic, AWD Subaru, too - I did drop the gear selector to 3rd, and kept an even throttle the whole way - except when we had to turn corners - but the car performed beautifully - beyond anything I had expected or anticipated. If I hadnt already been a fan of Subaru capabilities, that drive home would have made me a believer. The car never faltered, never spun a wheel, just kept pushing thru that hard, wind packed snow like it wasnt even there.

If the car drives well, tranny shifts good, and the fluid looks ok (a little bit darker than new is ok), then I would not be overly concerened on a Subaru. If the fluid is very dark and/or smells burned, then yes, there is a potential for failure. If the fluid looks brand new, I might question when & why it was changed - is it just a maintenance change or trying to cover up a problem? or was the tranny recently replaced or had major work done to it?

again - if the timing belt isnt turning the pulleys, the sensors are not going to be set off - check the timing belt before spending ANY money! pull one of the outer timing covers (three 10mm bolts), have a helper turn the key and make sure things are turning like they are supposed to before you do anything else. Also be aware that it is possible for the belt to be turning, but could have jumped time - but in that case you would still get spark, just at the wrong time. the cam & crank sensors on the EJ22s dont fail often - yes, it does occasionally happen, but not often. Timing component failure is much more common. a failed toothed idler pulley bearing or seized water pump are much more likely than cam or crank sensor. a worn out, weak tensioner causing the timing belt to jump time is also more common than the sensors failing

with no service history any car is a gamble - even a low mileage one. that said, i purchased a 95 Legacy wagon last year with 206,000 on the clock (cheaply, as it had been abused & had a bad tranny) Tranny replaced, all basic maintenance items brought up to date - full timing service, plugs, wires, filters, etc - and it has been running & driving just fine for almost 10k since I got it on the road in November of last year. take into consideration the average number of miles put on the car per year. Most people do somewhere between 10-15,000 a year - some more, some less...divide the mileage on the car by its age to get an average per year. then look at the general condition of the car in comparison - does it look good for the miles, or rough? other factors - tires - are they all the same brand, size, and wear pattern? Subaru trannies are fussy about tires. how does it run/drive? does everything work? wipers, washers, radio, cruise, heat/AC, etc...

i have a set of dedicated 14" stock steelies with 185/75R snows on them for my 95 Legacy - soon to be put back on the car...my summer tires are 205/65R15 all seasons. I am also running on Forester struts & springs, so have a bit more clearance for a bigger tire/wheel combo the 185/75s are a little taller sidewall than the stock tire size so they dont look too terrible on the car, but arent so big that you cant clear the wheel well either. you want taller/narrower in the winter, so I personally wouldnt go with a 205 anything... if you want ot get a general idea of size comparisons, try this site: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Thanks Gary. as for using car-part.com - not real practical in this instance - not much for junkyards near me, most are 1-1/2 to 2 hours away or more. (the few that are close tend to send older stuff to the crusher rather than part them out) an OE replacement is nearly $200 (plus shipping costs) - my bank account just cant afford that. Of the 10 reveiws on the AA website for the one I am looking at - 9 people were happy with it, only one wasnt - I know the aftermarket stuff isnt always of the best quality, which is why I was asking iof anyone had any experience with this part.

starter crapped out on my 95 Legacy with 215K - no warning signs at all - worked fine one day, dead the next - nothing but a click when I turn the key. swapped in the one from my old 90 Legacy, and it works - for now - but it also has high miles on it - over 230K - so who knows how long it will last. Advance Auto Parts has a "Tough One" reman unit for $80 with a $20 core charge. Anyone have any experience with these? I dont have the time to deal with trying to rebuild - have way too many other things going on. would rather just put in a "new" one and be done with it.

my first check would be timing belt. if things arent turning, the ecu wont get the signals it is looking for to fire.

you can post in the "car parts" section of craigslist without having to do any actual parting out - just specify in the ad that it is for the whole car, as is, for parts - they either take the whole thing, or leave it.

yup, classic first failure symptom on an auto. My 95 had that problem when I got it - easiest fix is swapping in another tranny, as trying to rebuild one of these can get very expensive quite quickly. These trannies dont fail so often that you have to be afraid of getting another one with the same problem, but do make sure you get one with the same final drive ratio or you could create torque bind problems. up in your neck of the woods it should be fairly easy to find a decent used tranny - cost is going to vary, so use http://www.car-part.com to search and get an idea of prices near you. Labor rates also vary greatly across the country. When I had mine done, the shop ended up having to do the job twice (first tranny was junk) so it got a bit expensive. If they had only had to do it once, it would have cost me around $700 or so, plus the cost of the tranny.

that looks very much like the set we have, comes in a plastic storage case. I know there are those that will knock Harbor Freight, but some of their stuff isnt too bad.

Hate to say it, but this sounds like a classic case of a mechanic taking advantage of a woman to me (been there, done that, which is why I decided to learn more about cars in general, my Subaru(s) specifically) They are more than likely feeding you a line of horse biscuits in the hopes of making more money from you. As 1LuckyTexan suggested, get an oil change to eliminate the possibility of dilution from unburned fuel that may have gotten into the oil pan, and drive on.

a set of 'pass through' sockets is a worthwhile investment if you do a lot of your own work. saves wear & tear on the regular sockets.