Dealership recommendations (really?)

[jseabolt]

2003 Baja : 79,000 miles , Bought new in December 2002. The reason for the low mileage? I have a bunch of collector cars I drive in the summer.

 

I finally took it to the dealership to have the defective passenger side airbag replaced. Turns out mine did not have the Takata airbag after all but they gave my car a free inspection.

 

Here's what they told me:

 

The timing belt needs to be replaced every 10 years or 105,000 miles along with the water pump. I know why it's a good idea to replace the waterpump since it's driven off the timing belt and you might as well replace it while doing the timing belt but does the timing belt really need to be replaced every 10 years? I believe mine has the 2.5 liter SOHC engine. Are these interference engines? I've heard the DOHC turbo engines on 2004 and up models ARE interference engines.

 

Any reason why I can't push it to 100,000 miles? I mean I don't want it to break on me but if it does, I'll just have it towed to my house and fix it myself. But if it is an interference engine, then it probably wouldn't hurt to go ahead and change it before winter.

 

I keep a log on everything I do to this car.

 

At 68,500 miles, I heard a squeak from the brakes and thought I might need new pads so I went ahead and bought some new ones from Advance. When I pulled the calipers off, the front pads were 5.5 mm / rear was at 4 mm . The new pads were 10mm / 8 mm . So if OEM pads are the same thickness, then the pads are only half worn and won't need to be replaced until around 130,000 miles. I don't brake hard because mine is a 5 speed so I typically don't hit the brakes until I'm coming to a stop.

 

The dealership said I needed new brake pads and front rotors. The steering wheel does vibrate a bit when I hit the brakes so I'll buy that but do I really need new pads at this stage?

 

From some odd reason, the battery was dead on this car when I started it. It's been in my garage since April hooked to a trickle charger. I have a BUNCH of old cars like a FIat Spider, Citroen 2CV and Trabant I drive during the summer. I typically only drive my Subaru from November to April or May and usually only to work. You know just in case it snows.

 

I did top the battery off with distilled water one day while checking the water in the batteries of some of my other cars. Up until a month ago, I think the battery was still OK. This makes the second battery I've put on this car since I bought it new in 2002. But batteries are junk these days so it doesn't surprise me. I think the battery I put on it was a "Seconds" Interstate I get for $50 from this alternator shop. It's been hit or miss with these batteries. I've got it hooked to a charger and will monitor it.

 

I told the service manager that I did all my own maintenance to my vehicles but he quoted me some prices "just in case" I wanted them to do it for me.

 

$170 for a new battery.

$780 for a new timing belt and water pump. I don't know if that included the serpentine belt or not. He said there was a second belt for the AC.

 

I've done several timing belt changes on Fiats DOHC and SOHC engines in the past so I don't think a Subaru would be any different. Just make sure all the pulleys are aligned.

 

Well the thing, if I paid someone to fix everything that needed to be replaced or repaired everything on my cars, lawnmowers, house, I'd be broke.

 

OH get this. I told him I checked to see if the cabin filter was clogged a couple of years ago and it was all for naught. 2 hours worth of work for nothing. I found no cabin filter in the car, just a bunch of leaves. He said all Subarus in 2003 came with cabin filters from the factory. I thought cabin filters were an "option".

 

But he says the second cabin filter is the engine filter! Is that true? I can't find any hoses leading from the air cleaner to the cabin.

 

They also wanted mentioned something about installing new tires and wiper blades. Well I put new wiper blades on the car last November and new tires 10 years/ 34,000 mile ago and they are only half worn and still pliable. However I do like to keep better tires on my Subaru because tires with thicker tread does go better in the snow.

 

I know dealerships push work but could most of it be unnecessary? 

 

$800 for parts on labor for a timing belt when I get the parts for $230 and do it myself?

 

I feel sorry for people who are not mechanically inclined and have to pay the dealership for maintenance items like brake jobs and timing belts.

 

I'm not a master mechanic but have been lucky NOT to have to have a dealership fix any of my cars including my 98 Chevy van.

Edited July 20, 2017 by jseabolt

[Gloyale]

It is an interference motor.  But the belt should still be fine.  They don't break unless an idler seizes.  replace it at 100k.  $780 is resonable considering their parts markup and labor rates.  Although that said I do them all the time for about $500 including all idlers, cam and crank seals, and waterpump.

 

Brakes if they have pad, run em until they don't and then replace rotors unless the shaking is bothering you.  If you do new rotors, you must get new pads or they will ruin the new rotors.

 

$170 is steep for a battery.

 

Tires are fine if you think they have enough meat still.

 

To my knowledge Cabin air filters for "legacy" based subarus started with the redesign in 2005 

[lmdew]

Yep, take care of the T-Belt yourself.  No need to do the water pump unless it's leaking.  Subaru Water pumps are very good.

 

It is an interference engine so you don't want the T-Belt to fail.

 

Brake rotors will rust from non use.  The rust will glaze instead of coming off clean.  Drive it once a week to prevent rust.  I have used a wire brush on a 4" grinder to remove the rust from cali

[idosubaru]

That's the norm now. Half the blame at least has to go on consumers in my opinion. I wish it was at least more honest and robust in the market place, but ita not. I'll just take note of how the market works and leverage that to my advantage.

 

I'd Replace the belt and pulleys/tensioner. These belts are far more robust than older stuff and ray to let go without issue, not likely to fail but materials do degrade and idlers do seize as they run out of grease. Given your current usage youre going to do one timing belt change and theyre super easy, might as well do it now and avoid degraded pulley grease. It can be done in an hour, call it theee for a first timer. Yes it's interference.

 

No need to replace water pumps but shops and dealers typically quote it for archaic reasons and consumers who regurgitate outfated ideas.

 

I wouldn't run 10 year old tires. You can google it but old tires do blow as rubber doesn't age well. Most places say 5-7 years and I've seen it happen. One member here blew two tires within a couple hundred miles on a car that had few miles, was rarely driven but had tons of tread because he usually only drives it to Subaru functions. Maybe coincidence but all the old tire blow outs I've seen have been on the highway and I think in the summer. Clearly I'm gun shy having seen it happen a few times, prior to those incidents I didn't even pay attention to tire age, tread and cracking tells all.

 

Brakes - you can simply have the offending rotor turned. I've done it multiple times. Pointless to do both. I'm not sure they're any better but it wouldn't surprise me if turned OEM rotors are better than most average aftermarket anyway. Or yeah just replace them, not like it's hard or expensive, I just turn them because it's easy for me.

 

It may be anecdotal but given that new cars generally don't have rotor vibrations I think not - but Now that I've been replacing pad clips at least once and use sil glide brake grease I haven't had any rotor vibrations for a few years. I used to get at least one vibrating rotor every 2-3 years in my fleet.

Edited July 20, 2017 by idosubaru

[1 Lucky Texan]

ever come across an old rubber band?

 

time takes it toll on fluids, rubbers, plastics and greases.

 

I did my WRX's TB at under 70K miles and 9 years, the toothed idler was wobbly and very rough/dry/crunchy. The tensioner had oil on top of it and another idler was rough feeli. glad I did it.

 

The maintenance schedule has a time side. a few things there make no sense - spark plugs for instance. But fluids collect moisture and can be degraded, oxidized or emulsified.

 

 

try left-foot dragging the brakes for 2-3 blocks at 40mph or so, making sure to cool them down for a mile. Or investigate doing a more aggressive 'bed in' procedure. Often, 'warped' rotors are just uneven pad deposits.

Edited July 20, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[GeneralDisorder]

As mentioned - timing belts are rubber. Replace it at the specified interval. The alternative is 16 bent intake valves which is far more costly.

 

Although - it's going to need head gaskets pretty soon. Might as well just do those now and get the timing belt job labor free.

 

Cabin filters were optional in 2003. And the engine air filter is not filtering any cabin air. That's absurd and the idiot that told you this should lose his job over such absurdity.

 

GD

Edited July 20, 2017 by GeneralDisorder

[jseabolt]

I made a mistake on the brake pad thickness. I like to use the metric system but sometimes get a decimal misplaced. I meant to say new pads were 10 / 8 mm and mine were 5.5 / 4 mm after 65,000 miles.

 

I mentioned something awhile back. I seldom brake hard and I always gear down going down hills so I know the rotors did not get hot. Someone told me this can cause them to warp or get out of round. I did try doing some panic stops to see if this helped. The problem is, it's kind of hard to do this where I live due to all the traffic.

 

My first car was a 1981 Prelude and that thing needed new front pads every 20,000 miles and it was a stick. Someone told me Subarus built around the late 70s/early 80s were hard on brake pads as well.

 

In contrast the right side rotor on my Chevy van has some purple areas and the brakes pulsate under hard braking but the steering wheel doesn't shake like the Subaru. It's a heavy conversion van and an automatic. I still try to gear it down going down hills but it's an automatic which are typically harder on brake pads. In that case I'd probably need to replace the rotor since it got hot at some point.

 

With the Subaru I might be able to just have the rotors turned.

 

I found rotors are like chainsaw blades. Once they get hot, they lose their temper and there is nothing that can be done with them.

[1 Lucky Texan]

it's true there can be 'cementite' formation or other locally altered temper to the rotor alloy under hot pads.

 

another source of vibration can be from sticking calipers - they must be free to slide.

 

rotors rarely 'potato chip'. They either have pad deposits on them in an uneven pattern or have altered alloy sitting 'proud' of the surface. If the latter, turning them may only help temporarily. If a bed-in procedure doesn't help or makes things worse, I'd just replace the rotor with Centric or other name-brand.

 

good reading; http://stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

[Gloyale]

iI'd just replace the rotor with Centric or other name-brand.

 

Centric is chinese generic garbage.  I use a set of rear wheel bearings from them on my wheeler and they were MASSIVELY failed within a few months of occassional driving.  Garbage.

 

I would trun the OE rotors or buy new OE from subaru.  They won't rust as bad, superior alloy.

 

Centric is EBAY bullshit I wouldn't put on my worst enemies car.

[GeneralDisorder]

Centric is chinese generic garbage.  I use a set of rear wheel bearings from them on my wheeler and they were MASSIVELY failed within a few months of occassional driving.  Garbage.

 

Centric is EBAY bullshit I wouldn't put on my worst enemies car.

 

Centric is huge. Some of their stuff probably is garbage but..... They have multiple product lines. Their performance division is Stop-Tech and they have some quite excellent products.

 

They rebrand some products and I'm sure some of those come from China. But a lot do not.

 

Worldpac's house brand, WBR is one I'm quite impressed with. They have really nice coated rotors and drums. Also have seen some nice stuff in the Autozone Duralast Gold line. 

 

Akebono is very good, as are Bosch quiet-cast pads. Brembo has a line of pads and rotors as well for regular (non Brembo) brakes.

 

GD