2006 Legacy Maintenance 183k miles

[huffman142]

Hi everyone,

 

Let me first say that I'm a mail carrier and drive a Subaru 50,000 miles/year.  I wouldn't own any other vehicle for the job.  

 

My question is on my personal car, a 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5i.  It is right around 183,000 miles.  Last summer I did:  timing belt, water pump, timing pelt tensioner/idler pulleys, front cam seals, transmission service, new spark plugs/wires.  Mechanic said it has absolutely no noise in the engine.  Transmission shifts smooth.

 

I know I need to get the valve cover gaskets replaced soon, but I was wondering if there are any other things that I should be replacing at that mileage.   I'm getting ready to relocate to a new city and I'm going to lose my wonderful Subaru mechanic, so I'd like to get the car setup for a while before I go.  

 

The car handles great.  Steering is tight.  You could honestly cover up the 1 on the dash and convince me it had 83,000 miles instead of 183k if I didn't know any better.   It has high mileage, but they were all interstate miles.

 

I plan to drive this car for a few years, so I want to make sure it's ready for it.  I'm moving to a larger city, so mechanic labor is probably going to double for me.

 

Thanks,

Scott

[idosubaru]

1. valve cover gaskets, spark plug tube gaskets, spark plugs, adjust the valves

 

2. front differential gear oil (unless that was included in the "transmission service") &  rear differential gear oil.

 

3. reboot your CV alxes.  or alternavely check them.  not just for breakage obviously they're not broke or yo'ud be asking/fixing them but check for any cracking in the valleys of the CV boots - particularly the inner boots, they break often.  If the rubber is even partially aged, cracked, reboot them now with Subaru boots now that you have a good mechanic.  Lesser mechanics (which are common) routinely throw away your perfectly good Subaru axle and won't reboot and install inferior aftermarket axles which are notoriously problematic (any google or subaru forum search shows dozens and dozens of aftermarket axle issues). 

 

If i plan on running a car to 300,000 miles I like installing a new Subaru alternator. Unfortunately new aftermarket alternators (even with a "lifetime warranty") aren't terribly reliable so they're not an option in my book.  That's one item that may strand the vehicle and I drive a lot and long distances, so i replace my daily drivers between 150k-200k since i'm planning on about 300k.  Another option is to keep a used spare in the trunk so it's no worries, i do this on my older Subaru's where new Subaru alternators are not readily available or worth the cost. www.car-part.com if you want a used one in the trunk.  Subaru units will be very pricey, but that's the only way to get new showroom floor quality out of them.

 

Not a bad idea to change the brake fluid and power steering fluid once in the life of the vehicle, now may be the time.

 

Replace brake pads if they're low.

[huffman142]

Thanks for the info.   On the Forester I drive on the mail route, we replace the front axles at a rate of about one per year.  I'm too familiar with cheap axle problems. Of course they are the aftermarket ones and they are "lifetime warranty" so we just keep using them.  The warranty backfires on them when people actually use their vehicle every day, 150 miles/day.

 

How do the starters hold up on Subarus typically?  I ran a Toyota Camry for over 200,000 miles and the starter failed, but not the alternator.  We've had to replace the starter on one of the mail cars in a lifetime of 250-300k miles.  

[upnorthguy]

The contacts can and do wear out in the starter, but that is a pretty easy fix.  Usually you start having problems starting the vehicle (often times clicking or something like that, it is usually intermittent in the beginning).  A tap on the starter with a hammer (or just about anything) can often get it going again in case you are stuck, but it won't solve the underlying problem.

 

I'm not sure about the 06 style, but for my older Legacy a set of contacts was $15 and 30 minutes to unbolt and remove the starter and replace the contacts.

[nipper]

Everyone forgets the PCV valves, your seals will thank you. Use Subaru spark plug bucket seals as everything aftermarket is inferior and really doesn't last.

 

I have a 2005 with 191000 miles and I am replacing my front hubs as one just started whining (my 98 was about the same when they went bad), They are simple enough on these cars to replace. If one starts making noise I would replace both.

 

Alternators, i have done aftermarket, Subaru rebuild, and used. I found used worked out best.

 

I had a 97 and now an 05 Outback, and it seems the racks can start getting tired anytime around 200K (they usually leak first so no need to rush).

 

I agree with everything everyone says, including the rebooting of the halfshafts. Normally I say just replace them, but If you can do this before they crack, you can keep using the same half shafts. Aftermarket half shafts are problematic.

 

The only other thing that can wear out that befuddles people sometimes is the carrier bearing for the driveshaft. If you ever get a mystery vibration you can't seem to track down. thats where to look.

Edited April 30, 2014 by nipper