Can you recomend online Subaru parts stores?

[Superjew78]

I dont want to go to a local auto parts store or a stealership. I am personally a Volkswagen man myself (dont hate me). My Mother has a 96 Legacy Wagon and the catalytic converter is going. Local places are quoting her 1 thousand dollars for the repair with parts. I am just wondering if you guys can recommend some online, reputable, stores where i maybe able to purchase the part and do the work myself. She isn't into modifications or anything like that so she doesn't need a high performance or a full exhaust system. Just an OEM grade cat converter would be great.

 

Thanks in advance.

[johnceggleston]

first, what makes her think the cat is going bad. it maybe, but dealers like to say that when you get a cel code p0420, which is usually a bad front o2 sensor, not a bad cat. who said her cat was bad and why?

 

second:

 

https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/oe_parts_cat.html

 

http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/

 

http://www.1stsubaruparts.com/

[Superjew78]

Thats what i told her, it is a p0420 code. I told her before she goes and spends the money on a cat to try the Bank 1 oxygen sensor first. some "Mechanics" told her its the cat. I work on my VW as a hobby. I dont own a garage. As for why they said the cat over an o2 sensor? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Thanks for the Links. I found a place that sells Eastern Catalytic converters. It was 158 bucks but i was a little leary. I never heard of them before.

 

Edit: This is the one i found.

 

http://www.car-stuff.com/carparts/subarulegacy19951999easterneast40273109006.html

Edited January 19, 2009 by Superjew78

[davebugs]

Do some searching around here.

 

I'd try seafoam.

 

Then the front O2 sensor.

 

Then a Subaru cat. One of the first 2 has always cured it for me but lots of threads here abotu only Subaru cat's working.

 

Where are you located?

 

How many miles?

 

Dave

[Superjew78]

I live in PA. I am always hesitant to use Seafoam. The Car runs fine, doesnt idle rough, she does say she can smell rotten eggs which leads me to believe the cat is failing. She complains about low gas mileage. I have a Scan Gauge but it failed to clear the code. So its still active.

 

Have you ever heard of Eastern Catalytic? Its a direct bolt on cat, not a universal.

[davebugs]

PA is a large state.

 

What's your issues with Seafoam through a vacuum line? Other then the white smoke? It's less than 10 bucks and easy to do.

 

Some folks who need to pass emissions have had luck with a product called "Always pass" or "never fail" by either CRC or CRL (great memory). But that was to pass emissions and not actually clean things up enough to clear a CEL.

 

And the miles are???

 

Dave

[Superjew78]

i cant remember exactly. I want to say around 130k miles. Seafoam can be a pain to deal with. You dont know my mom. If she sees that seafoam is made for boats she will freak if i put it in her car. Even though we both know its harmless if done right threw a vacuum hose and done slowly. Once she sees white smoke i will never hear the end of it. I am not hesitant to use it on my car, just on hers.

 

I live in Scranton, PA. Not a major area like Philly or Pitt.

 

The "Mechanics" she talked to, told her to leave it not to worry. I told her i dont think it would pass emissions, they said it would, even with a bad cat.

[davebugs]

If the cat is smelly I doubt it will pass - but you'll know soon enough.

 

If you Seafoam it take it somewhere else - it does smoke a lot. It seems to help the O2 sensors and cats. She may care less if it saves her several hundred dollars - she may get over it rather quickly.

 

Perhaps someone is near you that can point you somewhere that works frequently on Suby's.

 

Dave

[bulwnkl]

IShe complains about low gas mileage.

 

Though a failing (in terms of being plugged) catalyst can cause this, the likelihood is that the O2 sensor has failed and it'd dumping way too much fuel. This in turn causes much more odor from the exhaust, especially if your fuel there is relatively high sulfur (that's what makes the smell).

 

Still, if it's a catalyst no matter what, I'd try what you found. There are a couple things I tend to buy from Subaru (more accurately: from the manufacturer no matter what brand I'm working on), but frankly it sometimes seems that with any part Subaru puts their own name on one hears that only the Subaru version of that part will work. While possible, I say B.S. on most of that.

[Superjew78]

One of the guys she went to supposedly works on Subaru's all the time. Personally i told her to try the 02 sensor. She doesnt want to listen so i am about to wipe my hands clean with it.

 

She had a VW before her subaru and she didnt listen to me with that either. She had a constant buzzing with it when she hit 2k rpms, She took it all over, spent tons of money. People saying it was the oil pressure sensor, saying it was an electrical issue. Every time the buzzing went away for like a week or 2.

 

Finally she listened to me, Changed the oil using a thicker oil and an OEM filter and the buzzing went away for good. (VW's are picky with Oil filters, something with the back pressure) I know it sounds unbelievable about it being oil and a filter but it worked.

[bulwnkl]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

 

Hope she gets the issue(s) straightened out.

[OB99W]

[...] She complains about low gas mileage.

Poor gas mileage in combination with the P0420 code makes it much more likely for the problem(s) to be due to a bad O2 sensor. At 130k miles, cat efficiency can be down, but unless it's also causing an exhaust restriction, gas mileage doesn't suffer. A new cat, which could be more efficient than the one currently on the car, might handle things for a while, making it look like a bad cat was the cause even if the front O2 sensor is the real culprit.

[Rooster2]

Sounds like you are caught between a rock and a hard place. Your mother sounds "hard headed," and won't listen to you, frustrates you, but you hate to see her waste her money with shops that charge big bucks and don't fix the problem. That is a difficult tight rope to walk. I don't envy your situation.

 

I was a VW man for many years before migrating to Subaru. I have wrenched my own cars for many years now. I always liked the way VWs ride and handle. Their motors are "bullet proof" strong, but poor quality electrical and mechanical parts turned me off. I was always running to a wrecking yard for some part. In my opinion, Subaru has much better quality. Things don't break very often. Ez to work on the motor.

 

I still own an 87 Audi 5000, which is simply a large VW. Love the way it drives, but dislike the repairs.

 

Check out the Subaru engine conversion to Vanagan buses. Do a "search" on this forum to see how it is done, and the results. Good reading for a VW man.

 

Hope your get your Mom's car running. Keep us posted on results.