Car runs great, but I think my Autozone is broken!

[VinnyVinnVinn]

So I went down to my local parts store and tried to get a few basic maintenance parts for my 2000 Subaru Legacy Brighton Wagon (2.5 SOHC).  Wanted to buy spark plugs, oil filter and brake pads and shoes.

 

Problem one: I refered to the Haynes manual for the correct spark plug and the manual lists it as NGK BKR6E-11.  They looked up my car on the computer and said the part listed for my specific car is NGK BKR5E-11.  Are these plugs interchangeable?  What is the difference?

 

Problem two: Purchased oil and a filter to do an oil change.  Looked up the filter in the book and grabbed some oil and everything went great.  Sort of. When I went to take the old filter off it would not fit on my filter wrench, the new one did though.  Confused, I checked the two filters and found that the new filter was wider than the filter already on my car.  The new filter I purchased was a Bosch 3310, is this filter just wider on the outside than some other filters or is this the wrong filter for my car?  Any suggestions?  Anyone care to share what filter they use?

 

Problem three:  I went to price brake pads and shoes at the counter.  No problems looking up the front pads, but the computer system the associate was using did not have any listing for brake shoes for the rear brakes.  I have checked my car and it most surely has rear drums but the computer insists this cannot be.  Anyone have a similar car and have a part number for brake shoes?

 

I repeated this at another shop and got all the same results, same plugs, same filters, and no shoes.  The associate there did however run a check for 99 Legacys and found that some of them did have drum brakes in the rear.  Could my car be a 99 sold as a 2000?

[Rooster2]

I would not be concerned about the different size canister on the oil filters. I have encountered this many times. Different brands have different diameters.The Bosch filter should screw on properly, and work just fine. It will just take a different size filter wrench, or an adjustable type wrench to put it on.

 

Not surprised about plug numbers being different, After 10+ years numbers change, but I don't know if correct.

 

There is a very good chance that drum brakes for a 99 will fit a 00. I would bet they would work.

[nickb21]

The 6 vs 5 in the part number refers to the heat range of the plug. 5 is one step hotter. I usually use the 6's but my owners manual lists both as acceptable. If a plug is too cold it can get deposits on it, too hot detonation. Either is fine, I wouldn't worry about it. Others can probably explain better.

 

Even the OE oil-filters have changed sizes from large to small over the years. (I personally use either purolator or oe filters). I'm sure the bosch is fine though, they're a good quality filter.

 

Interesting on the brakes, I didn't realize they offered a brighton in 2000?

 

Edit: Learn something new, cars101 says 2000 was the last year of the brighton. I'm not 100% but the front discs on 2000 L models were the same size as '99, I would think it reasonable that the drums were the same as '99 as well.

Edited February 26, 2014 by nickb21

[Fairtax4me]

Heat range of the plugs is different. No big deal though, the ones you bought will work fine.

 

Oil filters are often different sizes as said by the previous poster. Again, not a big deal.

 

Brakes can be tricky.

I was not aware they even offered drums on the 2000+ Legacy.

The normal rear brakes for several years before that were a rear disc service brake, with a smaller internal drum for the parking brake, which can look like just a drum brake if you only glance at it quickly. Take a second look at those. More than likely you have disc brakes in the back.

[VinnyVinnVinn]

Thanks for the advice guys!  I will double check the rear brakes and double check if I have any isssues.

[lneulicht]

RockAuto.com lists brake shoes for the 2000 Legacy. Perhaps you could compare the part numbers with those for the 99.

[lewisd]

My 99 legacy brighton wagon uses a 2000 air filter. completely different size. also found out my 02 senors (and entire car emission parts) are California emission spec. Go figure, I bought it brand new in Norfolk VA and been on east coast since. No MAF sensor either.  NAPA has your rear brake shoes as well.

[tirod]

I've been selling auto parts for 6 years. 

 

Everything you described is entirely normal. I've run across the plug heat range issue before, I'm thinking it's slightly different because old worn out motors with a lot of oil in the cylinder and blowby need it. If you pull your present plugs and they are dark and sooty, a step up to a hotter plug might help. Then the issue becomes, did they ever actually make that plug? They don't make them to sell on speculation, they make them to fit a specific year make model. Never assume a hotter or colder plug is waiting on the shelf.

 

Filters, no big deal. it's all about the gasket diameter and threads. Those must match. The different sized cup wrenches to take off the old ones are a bit of a scam, I use a pair of filter pliers, they seem to fit a range without any difficulty. 

 

What exact build date is the car? Makers have an advanced numbering system for what "year" model they designate, it usually starts in August of the previous year. And then, they make running changes which are not even documented. Other previous owners do, too. As a point of discussion, it's never a guarantee you have exactly what you expect on a car - you have what you have, and that's what you deal with. I've frequently discovered that the car was not only the year the owner thought it was, it wasn't even the year option the factory discusses. It had the first few weeks of the next years parts on it. Confusing? You bet, but it goes to you have what you have. Doesn't mean a thing what either the owner or parts guy thinks it is. 

 

When you run across this kind of anomaly, the best thing to do is remove the part, get a drive down to the parts store, and show the counterman what you are working with. Much harder to screw it up - OPEN THE BOX and compare it. Even then things can turn out different. 

 

I'm no fan of the retail clerks they hire at Autozone, and my company is trending the same way - salesmanship over experience and education. Nonetheless, it's not that the store is broken - every disconnect I've investigated was based on a lack of knowledge about what the car really was. That's why we have VIN lookups, and you'd be surprised how often those are no longer accurate. A wreck or blown motor and a resourceful mechanic who knows his make can put together a good working combination the factory never made.