A few issues with my 98 Legacy Outback

[ldkenned]

This message board was very helpful when I had a previous problem, so I'll voice my recent problems:

 

1) I thought I was going to have a new car by now (of course the money situation hasnt worked out that way), so when I went to replace the tires, I got used ones for cheap, re-used the valve stems and put the tires on the rims myself at the local DIY shop.

Now a couple of them have been going flat periodically. Specifically the rear left tire will go, overnight, from looking full to completely flat, rim sitting on the ground. I made a note of which way my tire was facing when it happened the last time so I try to have the other side up when I park. I dunno if that matters.

 

I tried putting soap and water in a spray bottle, spraying them and looking for bubbles but didn't see any. Some people have told me to use fix-a-flat, but I also heard that its bad for your tires and I would like it to last as long as possible. Questions:

a) Is fix-a-flat bad for your tires?

How long does it last?

c) Any other suggestions besides fix-a-flat?

If fix-a-flat is just good for like a month I'm just gonna get new tires cause I hope to keep this car another year.

 

2) If I turn the car on and really quickly shift into reverse, I get a loud thud and the car jolts.

 

3) I think my heater core is going out. The heater core died on my previous car (91 legacy) and the symptoms were water dripping into the passenger side carpet, that weird smell, the windshield would fog up right at the windshield vents, and the car would overheat.

Right now in my 98 all I'm getting is that musty smell. Questions:

a) Is it probably the heater core again?

Are there any preventative actions I can take to prolong its life?

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

[Manarius]

This message board was very helpful when I had a previous problem, so I'll voice my recent problems:

 

1) I thought I was going to have a new car by now (of course the money situation hasnt worked out that way), so when I went to replace the tires, I got used ones for cheap, re-used the valve stems and put the tires on the rims myself at the local DIY shop.

Now a couple of them have been going flat periodically. Specifically the rear left tire will go, overnight, from looking full to completely flat, rim sitting on the ground. I made a note of which way my tire was facing when it happened the last time so I try to have the other side up when I park. I dunno if that matters.

 

I tried putting soap and water in a spray bottle, spraying them and looking for bubbles but didn't see any. Some people have told me to use fix-a-flat, but I also heard that its bad for your tires and I would like it to last as long as possible. Questions:

a) Is fix-a-flat bad for your tires?

How long does it last?

c) Any other suggestions besides fix-a-flat?

If fix-a-flat is just good for like a month I'm just gonna get new tires cause I hope to keep this car another year.

 

2) If I turn the car on and really quickly shift into reverse, I get a loud thud and the car jolts.

I can help you with 1 and 2.

 

1. Fix a flat works as long as the hole is fairly small. It lasts as long as the tire lasts. It's not bad for your tires, just nasty for the person removing the tires when you replace them later. If you can find the hole, you could patch it with an internal patch, that would last as long as the fix-a-flat.

 

2. As the auto ages (I'm assuming auto), the valve body starts to work a little slower. Simple solution is give the car an extra 30 seconds to warm up and then shift into reverse. In addition, don't immediately give the car gas until you can feel that it has dropped into gear. That should eliminate your clunking issue.

[logic23]

the loud noise could be the rear transmission mount. The mount has separated into two pieces and is letting the transmission jump up and hit the stop. Pretty easy to fix.

As far as the heatercore...check the connections at the firewall in the engine compartment. It could be leaking there and seeping into the car. if it is the heater core they aren't that hard to replace. The dash comes out pretty easily.

[nipper]

This message board was very helpful when I had a previous problem, so I'll voice my recent problems:

 

1) I thought I was going to have a new car by now (of course the money situation hasnt worked out that way), so when I went to replace the tires, I got used ones for cheap, re-used the valve stems and put the tires on the rims myself at the local DIY shop.

Now a couple of them have been going flat periodically. Specifically the rear left tire will go, overnight, from looking full to completely flat, rim sitting on the ground. I made a note of which way my tire was facing when it happened the last time so I try to have the other side up when I park. I dunno if that matters.

 

I tried putting soap and water in a spray bottle, spraying them and looking for bubbles but didn't see any. Some people have told me to use fix-a-flat, but I also heard that its bad for your tires and I would like it to last as long as possible. Questions:

a) Is fix-a-flat bad for your tires?

How long does it last?

c) Any other suggestions besides fix-a-flat?

If fix-a-flat is just good for like a month I'm just gonna get new tires cause I hope to keep this car another year.

 

2) If I turn the car on and really quickly shift into reverse, I get a loud thud and the car jolts.

 

3) I think my heater core is going out. The heater core died on my previous car (91 legacy) and the symptoms were water dripping into the passenger side carpet, that weird smell, the windshield would fog up right at the windshield vents, and the car would overheat.

Right now in my 98 all I'm getting is that musty smell. Questions:

a) Is it probably the heater core again?

Are there any preventative actions I can take to prolong its life?

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

 

!- bad bead sela or porous wheels. A shop can test this in a water bath, it is a common issue with these kinds of wheels with all mfg's. i have it too and it is annoying. Some shops have a few tricks to try.

 

2-Why not wait and make your tranny last longer. It is most likely your rear tranny mount.

 

3- Heater cores work greta and are almost bulitproof in these cars. The drain to your HVAC may be clogged. Unclog it. Spray it with lysol via the air intake under the hood and run the HVAC through all the selections. This is just plain old mildew. Nothing to get excited about here.

[davebugs]

A good tire shop will wire wheel the rim then put bead sealer on it when dealing with an alloy wheel that old. Also new valve stems are like a buck. I beleive you may be shooting yourself in the foot.

[Fairtax4me]

Make sure the valve stem core is tight.

Have you mounted tires before? If not done properly you can cut the bead which will create a leak where it seals against the wheel.