remarcable

No, it isn't the fans since the sound continues even with the key out of the ignition (plus I know how the fans sound). The sound very well could be coolant or another fluid being sprayed inside of the engine. This would also explain my difficulty in pinpointing it. I have been concerned about the 2.5 headgasket issue since I first heard about it a year or two ago, and will try and find someone to do a hydrocarbon test on the coolant tomorrow. Thanks for the replies and I suppose we'll see how the test comes up tomorrow. Oh, in regards to temp, the idiot gauge says normal and I've never seen it rise above midway during the time I've had the car (bought w/ 48 miles on it in june 99).

I just changed the oil last weekend and noticed nothing unusual about it.. no milky color, no water droplets... just normal slightly used mobil 1. I've been avoiding the local dealership since they are incompetent, deceitful, and did I mention incompetent? I've modifed the intake (snorkus removal) and I have a 2.5 stromung muffler on the car, held on by 14 gauge speaker wire in place of muffler hangars (ghetto, but effective.) They see this, they see all the dents and scratches (which all happened while the car was parked with nobody behind the wheel - hit and runs) the perma-stained underbody from the local red clay, and they assume abuse. The car has been over some rough roads and seen an autocross or two but I have in no way abused the engine and try to take very good care of it. The suspension on the other hand.... I wouldn't make a warranty claim on the suspension. I'm an honest person. I'd also rather not drive it there (1 hour away to the nearest dealership) and have it be something like the battery or IAC. I'll replace the battery tomorrow; it has some nasty corrosion on it I don't like and cleaning the posts works for about a week then it comes back. I even stripped the cable back some to get fresh wire, and now that too is corroded. Looks like fluffly blue salt structures. So you think it could be something OTHER than a Headgasket Failure? It has leaked small amounts of coolant (I top off the reservoir w/ 50/50 mix every few months, it never gets too low) for about a year now.

To get things started here is the car: -1999 Legacy Outback -56,000 miles -4EAT tranny -I use unleaded 87 octane fuel -original battery, alternator, plug wires -ECU reset last week after this started -Unidentified minor coolant leak from behind the timing cover, has had it for over a year I had a problem where #3 cyl was misfiring and the car was undrivable along with belching plumes of white smoke. I took it back to the mechanic. They said it was a loose vacuum hose and that had caused the plugs to become fouled. They cleaned the plugs, replaced the hose, and all was well (for $400). It started doing it again a month later and I found that a plug boot was loose, so I popped it back on and the car was fine. Now, this month, the car is stalling when braking to a slow stop and in neutral/park the idle fluctuates and bounces and the engine feels much rougher than usual. Normal idle after warmup is 500rpm which I don't see. It stays around 500 for awhile then drops and bounces up to 1500 and repeats. This problem is worse when the vehicle lights are on. The lights dim when the car is stuttering at a full stop. The car drives fine at normal speed. I also notice an unusual harmonic HUMMMMMMRMMMRMM noise that sounds somewhat electrical from under the hood while the car is driving and for about 2 seconds after the car is turned off. I have not been able to pinpoint the location of the sound, other than that is seems to be in the middle of the engine bay and is audible from inside the car. Can anyone help me with this problem? I'm tired of hearing the headers go SPANG off the skidplate(stall/restart) and then have everyone around me at the intersection give me a :madder: look while I try and keep the engine alive until the light turns green.

I have a set of nice formerly-cadmium-plated slotted rotors which look really cool. The slots do help keep fresh pad material on the surface and prevent glazing, which is a problem I had with the 99 outback's factory brake setup. I'm also using a set of KVR semi-kevlar pads in the front and stock brakes in the rear. My rear pads have lasted 56k miles so far and still have some life yet. I've also found to my delight that mud and grit from offroad adventures get cleaned off the rotor and pad area much faster, along with water. Avoid cross-drilled unless you pay more than a few month's rent for them, but slotted rotors do have function.

I've used the Mobil 1 75w30 in the rear differential for over two years with no problems. The power transfer is smoother and I get less binding in turns when the tires are out of measure with each other. I use valvoline synthetic in the front diff because subaru suggests something a bit thicker than 75w 90 in the front differential. I forget the weight, 85w 90 or something similar. I use regular ATF fluid because it is cheap and I hate my transmission.

The forester is (or was, have they updated?) built on the impreza platform, and handles better than the outback. That was true in the 99 model year anyway. I would personally opt for the turbo charged forester over the wrx wagon any day. Sleeper, anyone?

I get around 300 miles to a full tank of 87 octane in my 99 OBW (4eat) if I drive like grandma. Normally it is between 200 and 260 miles per tank when I drive like I usually do. I do have a chopped intake silencer and a 2.5" stromung muffler which tends to make the car run a bit rich, and doesn't help mileage. Sounds nice though.

There is no way in hell I would choose a Kia over a Subaru. The difference in build quality and reliability is astounding. Choose Kia ... Your mechanic will love you!

A cop hit me with instant on radar doing 10mph over the speed limit but he pulled over the Avalanche that was in the lane beside me (i was passing). I think he pulled them over instead because of how incredibly ugly those things are.

I in no way meant to insult anyone and am simply trying to keep things working smoothly with the least amount of idiocy and excessive wasted space. If you feel offended enough to leave then you are, of course, welcome to do so. Assuming those long lists of credentials and acronyms are to be trusted, you are also more than welcome to stay and share your wealth of knowledge with people still learning. It's just an internet message board. I've never understood how or why people get so worked up over this type of communication. Your post was reported because of your signature, and I was merely acting on the wishes of other members of the community by asking you to do something about it.

Import Racer, could you please refrain from posting your signature in every post you make? Some people may find the content offensive, and I find it to be rather long. Street racing is rather juvenile and dangerous to other drivers on the road. Please don't buy/build a subaru for racing on public streets. Enjoy your car by all means, but keep racing for track days. I suggest joining a local car club and attending their autocross events where subarus generally do well when driven properly.

I find it easiest to remove the battery + battery tray along with the windshield washer resevoir for the driver's side. Some people find them easier to get at from underneath the car after you put the car on ramps.

Subaru used to offer a stripped down version of the legacy outback for police or emergency services use. I believe it was available in white only and came with a no frills package for several grand cheaper than the regular outback.

Due to an incompetent mechanic my Hella Supertone horn's grounding wire was ripped and then reconnected very poorly. The first time I noticed this is when I honked my horn, got a *blaaat* noise then nothing. The fuse had blown. I replaced the fuse, got a short tone, and the fuse blew again. No biggie, I'll just go get some new fuses. When I went to put the car in gear, the shift lock would not disengage. I could hear the solenoid clicking but the shifter would not move out of park unless forced. After I made and soldered in a new wiring harness for the horns and replaced the fuse, the shift lock once again disengages properly. Pull the 20A horn fuse and a screwdriver is needed. Does this seem weird to anyone else? Why is the horn and the shift lock tied together like this?

I recently had my car serviced because I was in a hurry and had no time to do it myself. Problems- * they put all 6 quarts of oil I gave them in the engine (max. fill capacity is 4.8qts according to subaru) * they used cheap rump roast autolyte plugs instead of the NGKs I brought * they broke the mounts on my driving lights by leaning on them, paying no attention to the fact I suggested they go at the plugs from underneath the car for easier access. * they ripped the ground wire for my horns when they removed the battery and washer resevoir to do the plugs * they left the idle air control vacuum hose loose, and it fell off while driving. *I also had two spark plug boots pop off during driving Due to the overfilled oil the plugs became fouled after less than 100 miles and I ended up replacing everything myself. No way am I ever letting Waynes Automotive in south carolina work on my car again. They were worse than the subaru dealer, but at least were polite about their mistakes. The nearest subaru dealer is over an hour's drive away and incredibly incompetent so it's not really an option to go to a dealer.

Whenever I've had a tire low on air or punctured I notice the torque bind before I notice the low tire. Make sure all four tires are of the same circumference and have the same air pressure. I filled the front and rear differentials with synthetic gear oil of the appropriate weight and it really smoothed things out.

Tint the windows dark, at least in the back. The car will look so much cooler (and stay cooler!). Also it has been my personal experience that the outback is low on the list of cars police like to pull over... I've never been pulled nor have I ever seen another outback getting stopped. One thing you might want to do is replace the 18mm rear sway bar with a 20mm or an adjustable swaybar. It will improve handling quite a bit for about $100.

It doesn't really have a transfer case like a 4WD truck, but there is a good chance damage or excess wear has occured. An AWD subaru should never be towed unless on a flatbed or dolly. NONE of the cars wheels should touch the ground. The FWD fuse turns off power to the rear wheels but they are still connected to the drivetrain. Thus damage occurs when towed even with the FWD fuse in place. The FWD fuse is also only functional on models equipped with an automatic transmission. The fuse is there so you can use the donut-sized spare tire for short emergency trips under 50mph. I believe a manual tranny subaru can be towed with all four wheels on the ground for short distances at low speeds when in neutral. I've never owned one (MT subie) though so I may be incorrect.

You should check in with the Older Generation board to see which model is best for you to get. I'm not sure which year Subaru switched from 4wd to AWD - it's mostly marketing speak for the same thing unless you're talking about the subies that came with a hi/lo range. I wouldn't mind finding one myself.

I like the look and can't wait to see what refinements we can make. It's also certainly alot faster than the ezboard servers, but VBB is notorious for having problems with large loads. I doubt USMB will see any problems for awhile yet since we tend to be one of the more low-key subaru boards. I also want to give a big thanks to all the people involved in getting things running. Nobody is getting paid to spend long hours setting everything up nor for server overhead and bandwidth costs. Without their generousity this place wouldn't exist right now. Great job! I'd list names but I tend to forget names within 10 seconds of being introduced... so could you people who've spent alot of time on this project please step forward? Post here so we know who you are and can give sufficient praise. Also, how come Josh has his old post count but I'm at 3? This is a serious oversight that must be corrected! Actually I could care less, no bigge. Post counts should be hidden anyway to prevent post-count-related issues.