What is this part?

[Tommymc]

96 Legacy wagon, in the passenger rear, aparently part of the evaporative system. There is a shoe box sized plastic box, and tucked just above it is a small metal can about the size of an oil filter. It has 2 hoses going into it....well one nipple is rusted off so only one hose now. I'd like to know what it is so I can sound halfway intelligent when I go to buy a new one. Sorry, no pics.

[86BRATMAN]

Its the evap canister. They moved them back there in 95 with the model change.

[Gnuman]

I second the evap canister. This is a durable item (it does not wear out). Why do you need to replace it?

[Tommymc]

Thanks for the replies. I took a trip to the local dealer and they identified the part: Drain valve filter. It would have cost $70 if they had one but they couldn't even locate one. They were kind enough to refer me to a local garage who has a lot of used parts and I got one from them.

This is a durable item (it does not wear out). Why do you need to replace it?

Well, there was a clunking in the back every time I drove on bumpy roads. I finally located the source, and it was this drain filter. It's supposed to be bolted down with a huge clamp which had rusted off. I was jostling it while trying to figure a way to clamp it, and one of the hoses came off: the fitting was rusted and snapped. The entire can was one ball of rust. If you own a car and live in VT, there's a lot of durable items that just rust off.

[OB99W]

[...]If you own a car and live in VT, there's a lot of durable items that just rust off.

Unfortunately, there's no need to go as far north as Vermont. What bugs me is that Subaru touts their cars for snow-country performance, but doesn't do nearly enough to minimize damage from salt, which often follows the snow in many places.