hop Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 It's clean, 124k, just had 120k service done. 2.2 auto tranny. According to the (2nd) owner, the only problem is that "it sometimes smells like oil". They're asking $4,300. I'll see if I can deduce what the mysterious oil smell is. Apparently "it did this when we bought it and we heard it was common... we never did anything about it but apparently there is something you can do to fix it." I figure whatever would be causing this might have been noticed at a 120k service done by a dealer. Hmm... Head gaskets, anything else I should look for? Timing belt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rweddy Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 It's clean, 124k, just had 120k service done. 2.2 auto tranny. According to the (2nd) owner, the only problem is that "it sometimes smells like oil". They're asking $4,300. I'll see if I can deduce what the mysterious oil smell is. Apparently "it did this when we bought it and we heard it was common... we never did anything about it but apparently there is something you can do to fix it." I figure whatever would be causing this might have been noticed at a 120k service done by a dealer. Hmm... Head gaskets, anything else I should look for? Timing belt? If it is a 2.2 you do not need to worry about Head gaskets. Smell might be torn cv boots? Did you drive it in tight circles and listen for noise?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop Posted June 1, 2004 Author Share Posted June 1, 2004 According to the records from the 120k, the leak was found to be the "baffle ___" which is located above the tranny somewhere. Estimated cost for replacement=$525. The owner has never had to add oil or or noticed any lack of oil in between changes. I assume this should be fixed, but it sounds like it's not the death of the car since it has been noted and not taken care of. The engine itself is clean except for a bit of oil residue on the bottom where the leak is. A co-worker ('94 GL wagon) is telling me to steer clear but then again he just spent a ton of money re-sealing his car and may be a bit sensitive/paranoid. He figures that if one thing is leaking then other seals and gaskets can't be far behind if they haven't been replaced at 124k. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance. Oh yes, what about the 2.2 makes me not have to worry about the head gaskets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rweddy Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 A co-worker ('94 GL wagon) 94 GL Wagon?? Are you talking about Loyale? The older generation Subarus with 1.8 leaked a lot and even after you fixed the leaks they tended to come back, esp with the oil pump. Legacies do not tend to have this issue. Oh yes, what about the 2.2 makes me not have to worry about the head gaskets? The 2.2 does not have the headgasket issues. The 2.5 is a bored out 2.2 that has head gasket issues. The 2.2 is considered to be the best or one of the best motors Subaru has made and will go 300,000+ miles with no issues. The 2.2 is a much better choice than the 2.5 IMO . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam888 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 A few months back I bought a 96 legacy that also had a oil smell, a burnt oil smell to be more accurate. The smell was most noticeable when i was at a standstill while idling. When I took a look from the bottom of the car one things I noticed was that there was oil(not much) dripping and accumilating on top of an exhaust part. I'm not sure if it was the catalitic converter or the heat shield. In any case the oil even though it was a little would cook on the muffler and give off a burnt oil smell. A trusted Subaru mechanic had a look at it and did not see any mayor problem with the amount of oil leaking. At the time he suggested I get the car steam cleaned and then keep an eye on it to pin point the origin of the leak. Since it wasn't a constant dripping type of leak he didn't see the need to take immediate action. I decided to wash the engine and the underside at my local coin up car wash and that seemed to eliminate the burnt smell. I no longer own this car, I passed it on to my father inlaw but my wife drove it a few days ago and she says she didn't notice any oil smell. I aggree with previous 2.2 is the way to go. I owned a 85 1.8 and now I own a 91 and a 95 legacy with 2.2 engine and my personal experience is that there are alot less oil leaks on the 2.2's. A leak is not a mayor issue unless you have to fill the oil resorvoir every time you fill up with gas. Or you leave a puddle of oil every place you park. I personally do not like the smell of burnt oil in the passenger area while I drive. I recommend you take it to a mechanic you trust and have him take a look at it first before you buy. There is a good one in Seattle I know of if you are in that area. Good luck. Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostamojen Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 $4,300 seems high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop Posted June 5, 2004 Author Share Posted June 5, 2004 $4,300 seems high. Someone else didn't think so! I guess it wasn't meant to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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