Hi. Newbie + 1997 Outback Problems

[redsoxhoney]

Hi. I'm new here, and I love Subarus .

 

I just bought a 1997 Subaru Outback wagon last Monday. Since I got it, it seems that there are all sorts of problems, and I was hoping somebody had some info for me.

 

1. It stinks! There is a chemical type smell that lingers in the car, and I don't have any idea where its coming from.

 

2. When I put the car in reverse, there is a big CLUNK, and it won't just go in reverse, you have to hit the gas

 

3. When I drive it, it feels like its stuck in all wheel drive, and the car shifts to the right...I feel like you have to wrestle with the wheel a bit.

 

4. When the windows are rolled down, I smell gas.

 

Otherwise, its a great car, I was just hoping somebody could give me an idea of what might be wrong.

 

Thanks!

[Meeky Moose]

to address these issues, here are my answers..

 

 

1. detail the car thouroghly, i mean shampoo the carpets, seats, etc..

2. check the motor mounts/transmission mounts for wear, also you do need to push on the gas to get these things to move in reverse, most of the time..

3. they are AWD vehicles, meaning they stay in AWD all of the time unless the FWD fuse is put in, then its not recommended to drive it in FWD mode all the time.. AWD in any vehicle is gonna be AWD all the time..

if the alignment is done to factory spec, they outbacks will pull to the right most of the time.. mine does it.. now some other folks here have successfully made some adjustements to compensate.. i don't know how to do it though.. maybe someone else will chime in.

4. if your smelling gas, you prolly have a gas leak under the hood, or a possible temp sensor flooding the engine. the latter would also make it run poorly most likely.. I'd check for leaks first..

 

otherwise, glad you like your Subaru i know i love the fleet i have..

[ndsnewleg]

My first thought is, did you have this car checked by a professional before you bought it? You need to say whether it is a manual or automatic. If manual, your clutch may be out of adjustment or the pressure plate or disk could be damaged. Check trans fluid level in either case of manual or auto. Open the radiator when the engine is cool and see if the chemical smell is the same. Check air pressure in tires. I like to keep mine at around 34 psi. Seems to me Subarus awd wears the outer edges first. Get a good quality guage, not a 99 cent slider. Gas smell may just be exhaust smell or rich running. You may need a tune up but look under the hood and see if you can see any obvious gas leaks. Check to see if your air filter is dirty. Good luck.