eseiler

My mechanic said he would replace the tensioner and 5 seals (along with the belt)....not sure which 5 he was talking about. Damien

Sorry I should have mentioned the motor type. It is an interference 2.5L engine...so if the belt should snap...I'm in the market for a new car (at least in 75% of cases I've read).

Hi Subaru folks! I will be getting my timing belt changed in my 1996 OB and I was wondering if, in addition to all the seals, what else ought to be changed while we're in that part of the engine. In particular, I was wondering if the tensioner should be changed. Thanks! Damien

My 96 outback will not burn a drop for 2000 miles and then all of a sudden lose a quart in 300 miles. Below I can clearly see that oil is leaking thru a gasket on the front passenger's side of the engine. In fact, it splatters all over the filter when it gets bad. How are your feelings about an oil additive to deal with oil leaks? Something that is supposed to soften up seals and such.... Thanks for any input, Damien

It's got about 130K miles on it....I have no idea how old the clutch might be.

Hi, My dad has a 2.2L 95 Legacy manual. Shifting or downshifting results in grinding the gears unless it is done very gently. Doesn't matter if car is hot or cold. Any ideas? Damien

Hi Subaru folks, As part of the doing-everything-beneficial-as-I-can-given-tools-nerve-and-expertise to my 96 automatic outback I figured I'd give the Seafoam stuff a try given the hesitation I was experiencing. I added a third a can to my crankcase.....a third thru the PCV valve...and a third to the tank. For starters the idle was lowered to 600rpm.....pinging I would hear going up hill disappeared.....and when I drained the oil after 200 miles it looked like crude oil. It was scary to see all that crap come out of the pan. The only odd thing was the horrendous squealing noise I heard when taking it for a spin after sucking in the seafoam thru the pcv valve and idling for 15 minutes....my guess was that it was freed carbon deposits getting between some moving parts.....its disappeared after a few minutes, tho. That in combination with new plugs and wires made a heck of a difference in this 150k mile outback...neither plugs nor wires had been changed in 150k miles. She gets 26 highway with lots of pickup and power. One word of warning......the pcv valve burped on me when the engine stalled spraying the seafoam everywhere.....including my eyes. I don't know if the valve is faulty or what........I sure wasn't expecting that. Be careful. Damien

Hello Subaru folks, I have a 96 2.5L Outback. I hear what sounds like a grinding noise...not unlike the sound of tire on gravel towards the rear of the vehicle. The strange thing is that it only occurs when going fast enough and only if the pedal is depressed a certain amount...any more or any less...noise stops. My guess is either that it's a CV joint in the rear (which are getting old) or it's the exhaust from the engine that is particularly noisy when the throttle is open a certain amount. I don't think its vibration because it's independent of engine RPM and somewhat independent of vehicle speed. The only thing I've done back there lately is change the diff fluid. The fluid that came out was old and full of shavings (along with a piece or two of metal stuck to the magnet). Otherwise car runs beautifully. Any ideas? --Damien

Not to be a wiseguy....but what then would I be buying for 26 bucks from AutoZone? --Damien -------- CHAMP TRANSMISSION FILTER (A/T) for a 1996 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK Unit Price: $25.99 Part No.: T692 Weight: 0.6 lbs. --------

Hello, I have a 96 Outback with the 4EAT auto tranny. Recently I noticed that the AT Oil Temp light flashed after a start so I checked the fluid. It was getting brownish (and burned) so straightaway I drained the fluid not once but twice to refresh it (with the Valvoline ATF for older transmission). The tranny now shifts much more smoothly, leaks seem to be halted and otherwise all is well. The AT light has not flashed since. What I'm trying to avoid is swapping out the filter. I've read a) that you don't really need to do it.... only if the ATF was burned c) every 15,000 or whatever miles. Can anyone offer their opinions? Thanks much! --Damien

I figured this one out...I realized that the vacuum hose from the MAP (?) was disconnected to wherever it was connected. I am guessing that this is what was causing the PO106 code. D

I posted earlier about an automatic 96 outback with the CEL light on. A friend of mine grabbed the (only) code from the computer and it yielded PO 106 or in layman's terms: Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Circuit Range/Performance Problem. After clearing the code so far it stays off but is this something to be concerned about if it comes back on again? What does the result mean? Thanks for your input, Damien

HI, I have a 2.5 96 Outback and the engine idiot light comes on and off intermittently. A couple mechanic buddies say this is typical in high-mileage Outbacks and can be safely ignored. Is this true or should I make my way to an Autozone to get the stored codes read? The car runs excellent with great gas mileage. Thanks for any idears, Damien