Subarunation 713

You know how when Homer eats a donut he has that infatuated voice that says "Ooooh, Dooonuts". Well I put new pads, rotors and calipers on my wifes 96 OBW yesterday and I feel like Homer. Ooooh, New Braaaakes!

I just got rotors for our 96 OBW from TireRack. They are vented Brembos. $44 each. I am spoiled as I can stop by their place on my way home from work and not have to pay shipping. 2 rotors, a set of Satisfied OEM material pads and tax came to $121.09. I am not pushing the pads, they were a couple of bucks more than AutoZone, but I only had to make one stop. Greg

mattocs If this is a 2.2 then investigate further. IMHO if it is a 2.5 keep looking. The price is a touch high considering the visual issues you mentioned. 90,000 miles is nice. Our 96 OBW has a 2.2 5 speed. It won't win at the drag races (unless I am racing a Justy!!) but it isn't too bad. The car will get 29-30 on a trip and 26-27 driving around. In our neck of the woods that car brings $5,700 if she was cherry and I have seen them as low as $4,800 if they have over 120,000 miles. Tops for me with what you have described assuming all mechanicals are top notch would be $5,000. Will you do carfax and all of that happy crap? Good luck, Greg

As for the Legacy the model is on it's 15th year! How many model years for the Loyale? That many more Legacys means that many more parts. What viceversa failed to mention was how many of those 600 hits are for parts and how many are cars for sale. And of all those parts how many are for those stupid blue headlights or goofy exhaust tips! A 90-98 2.2 legacy is still a very solid hard core Subaru.

I should have asked "replace both calipers"? not replace both rotors. Duh... I will replace both rotors.

Time to replace the front breaks on the 96 OBW. One of the calipers is sticky so it needs to be replaced. I will put new rotors and new pads on while I am at it. The car has 152K. Replace both rotors or just the one with problems? The other one works fine. BTW the car has ABS ( but don't all Outbacks?) Calipers are about $50 each in my neck of the woods. Does anybody elses neck of the woods have better deals? Recommend ceramic pads? $56 for the front set from TireRack. New front rotors, new ceramic pads, new calipers and make this the last breakjob on this car? First set of pads lasted 75,000 miles and this set with 77,000 is still ok it is just the stinking caliper. Rotors are SPENTas they were turned at 75,000 so these are the original rotors. I think I got my $$ worth!! The rear breaks are fine. Your thoughts? Greg

As far as the antifreeze, I have been doing it for years. A 12 oz bottle of isopropyl in a 13 gallon tank of gas should not produce vapor lock. If it does, I will take the car out back and shoot it! Still can't figure out the #4 cylinder code and nothing else. Greg

It has been a while since I have posted. I have made great use of the search on my last few issues and didn't have to bother the group. This one however has the mechanic and me a little perplexed. My wife's 96 OBW 2.2 5 speed 152K miles had a CEL come on. It ran fine but had a little hesitation occasionally. I made an appointment with our mechanic but since the car wasn't dead with it's tongue hanging out we kept driving it as we need 2 cars. The light was still on hesitating occasionally and sometimes the CEL would blink. Just to make sure the mechanic got the codes pertinent to our current problem I disconnected the battery to clear al the codes. The CEL came back on and we dropped it off at the mechanic. He checked the code and it was a cyl 4 misfire and that was it. He checked injector resistance, pulled the plug and it was as clean as could be (only had 4,000 miles on the plugs, air filter, PCV, and fuel filter). He cleared the code and let it idle waiting for it to come back on. He let it idle for 2 hours and it never came back on. Frustrated he told me to pick the car up and see if it would come back on again. Seeing that the plug wires were original I stopped at the stealership and picked up new plug wires, what the heck it was beyond time anyway. The car ran fine for about a day and the CEL came back on. Same code. That was Saturday so we drove it for a couple of days. Just for giggles I put a bottle and a half of isopropyl gas line antifreeze in the tank and topped it off. (As a habit I put a bottle of isopropyl gas line antifreeze in the tank about every 2 to 3 weeks year around). I told my wife I wanted to drive her car and see what was going on myself. I drove to work Monday and the car ran rough and the ECL light blinked as I drove it. After about 20 minutes it smoothed out and has been fine ever since. The ECL turned itself off after 3 cold starts and has been the smooth running machine it always has been. Now, the $64,000 question. Why only the #4 cylinder misfire code? Obviously it was bad gas. The mechanic asked that early in the problem but I had told him no, it happened before the previous fill up. I was wrong (not the first time)! Why not #1, #2 or #3 cylinder misfire? Why always #4? The important thing...the car is now running great! Thanks for any input, Greg

Isn't it kind of ironic some are giving advice about oil and such to a guy who has 338,000 miles on his engine? If it aint broke, don't fix it. Dude, if you used butter and pancake syrup or whatever combination in your crankcase and got over 300,000 miles on an engine who am I to suggest you should try something else! Keep on driving it and see how far it will go and then let us know.

Thanks to all who have replied. One thing that runs through most of the responses is that the OEM battery has done a decent job for most people. Who makes the OEM battery? I would pay 25% more and buy the battery from the dealer if I knew I were getting the same one that came in my car to begin with. Otherwise AutoZone or Sears will do just fine. I am cheap but not so cheap as to run the risk of leaving my wife stranded as 99obw mentioned. To bad, as I would like to just run the battery until it bleeds and then run it because it bleeds! and see how long it will last.

How long can one expect a well maintained battery to last? Our 96 OBW has the original battery in it. I keep the water level up and keep the posts, cables and terminals clean. We have had 0 degree whether several nights in a row and it spins over and starts right up every morning. Granted I have a block heater on the car but not a battery heater. I know all good things must come to an end, but does anybody want to predict the end? Very happy with the life of the battery if it died tomorrow so I am not complaining in any way. Thanks in advance to all would be prophets, Greg

Ah c'mon Hogsubie! Why do you want to bring reason and clear thinking into the argrument! Where is the fun in that? I just want a good reason to hate the GM/Fuji union. Didn't mean to be a jerk on the whole thing, I REALLY dislike the General and that is where all my whining comes from. At the end of the day I thank God I drive a Subaru and not a Cavalier!! Enough from me on this issue, Greg

The Brat used the opposite technique. In order to avoid tarrifs they put the seats in the bed of the Brat and called it a car. Not so bad as they had to do better environmentally to be a car rather then a truck. This time around they turned a car into a truck to avoid being environmentally responsible . Subaru is still a great car, no argument, but they are a poor global neighbor. I am somewhat proud of having SUV poor weather abilities With my Legacy L while being environmentally responsible. What will the Volvo and Honda weenies call us now!? :-)

This type of move looks very General Motors. Subaru of yesterday wouldn't do this crap. GM on the other hand, well this is business as usual. I know GM is only a percentage player at Fuji but it disappoints me that Subaru decided to go this way. I am not a full blown tree hugger but I don't want to be wasteful either. The auto industry has made us too dependent on oil. Really now, how many SUVs get less than 18 mpg highway? Too freekin many! And city, heck AutoWeek got 9 mpg out of the Durango when the test drove it for a week. NINE! And lets not even talk about the Hummer 1 or Hummer 2. How small must some man's "unit" be so that he would buy a Hummer to compensate? If you live in Wyoming or Montana and your nearest neighbor is 15 miles away then heck, that is big SUV territory but suburban Average Town, USA? No way! Shame on Subaru for making this an alternative to better fuel efficiency. Now tags will cost more, insurance may go up, so owning a new Outback could cost more than the extra $$ to get better mileage. Subaru and GM need a divorce!

I have a question for Legacy owners who have over 200,000 miles on their car. I realize nothing is exact and no 2 situations are identical but just some general information based on your own experiences. I am good with maintenance and I drive like a sane and normal person. SW Michigan is fairly flat and my commute is 75 miles a day roundtrip. 30 miles country roads, 38 miles highway, 7 miles city. My 93 Legacy L 2.2 AWD wagon has 170,000+ miles. I am the second owner. I purchased the car with 136,000+ miles. The previous owner had EVERYTHING done by Becker Subaru in Allentown PA including oil changes and tire rotation every 3,000 miles! When I bought the car they gave me the repair history and it was VERY thorough. This car has been and continues to be trouble free, thank God, but I know nothing last forever. The belts, timing belt and hoses I can figure out. The waterpump was new 100,000 miles ago. How long do starters and alternators last? What about wheel bearings? Rear ends? Rear CV joints? Front axles? Ball joints? Transmission input and output bearings? Clutch? Power accessories? (I had one auto seatbelt motor go bad at 160,000+ on another Legacy) Wiper motors? This car has not had any of these issues. I just want to be able to put a few $$ aside so in the event there is a problem I can anticipate approximately when. I know you can't say "At every 194,327 miles the "left front fender bearing" will go out" but if alternators are going about every 210,000, give or take, that is good enough for me. Thanks in advance for your help, Greg

The CD/cass/am/fm/weather band unit in our 96 OBW has a clock. If it doesn't maybe I have been too close to Santa and his majic dust :-) seriously though it does have the clock. The unit is from a 97 OB. It is a Panasonic P117. Still waiting for some snow! Greg

Did you buy this car new or did you buy it used? It sounds as if you have a 2000 or later model CD player. 2000 and later do not have a clock in the radio, as someonelse has mentioned they are elswhere. You can find double DIN CD/Cass/AM/FM and in some cases weatherband units. They are factory and look good in the car. Used from $125 on up. The cd is a single unit, no the 6 CD changer. Just my 2 cents, Greg

I have a Draw-Tite on my 96 OBW. It was installed for about $250. Included the wiring and ball. It is rock solid, no problems at all.

Just a thought on the mileage. When was the last time you changed the upstream and downstream O2 sensor? Another thought would be an induction system cleaning. The local dealership does them for about $150. I have seen posts about some of the do it yourself products. Do a search and read up as some peopled have screwed up their catalytic converters. Last thought is that jumping your mileage from 20 to 25 MPG may cost about $250. Other than the environment taking a hit, how much gas can you buy for $250 and how long, at a 5MPG savings, would it take to recoup that cost. Does your county have emissions tests? and if so do you pass?

Perhaps you checked already but what about something more simple like a CV joint. 5000RPM in 1st while turning tight might have given the CV joint a pretty good workout.

Actually the opposite reason for the tirade. I am thrilled with my cars. I think Subarus are built like M-1 Tanks and are nearly bullet proof but from reading some of the posts lately you would think Subarus are made of porcelin china! Some poor guy asked about mismatched tires and from the responses you would think his transmission was minutes perhaps seconds from falling out. Now I understand there are specifications and they should be followed but COME ON! From the way we piss and moan about our cars you would think we were all Honda LOVERS! Peace out, Greg

After looking at your website and reviewing your additional equipment as listed perhpas you can go by your local airport and swipe one of their auxillary power units. Hey, you have a hitch on "Flash", why not! :-) Warning Equipment Whelen 4 strobe Mini-Edge Bar with rear halogen flashers Whelen 90 Watt Strobe Power Supply Front Hideaway Strobes in Corner Lights Front Par 36 Grill Strobes Wig-Wag Halogen lamps in headlights Whelen Dual Halogen Dashmiser in rear window Whelen Air horn/PA Unit with 100 Watt Speaker Touchtronics 6 switch membrane control panel Communications Icom FT-2720 Dual band VHF-UHF Transceiver Maxrad Dual band VHF-UHF Antenna Motorola HT-1000 MTVA Unit with 25w amp Antenna Specialists UHF antenna Relm MS 2000 Mobile Scanner and antenna Nokia CARK 133 Hands Free Unit Driving Accessories 60 watt Halogen Driving Lights 150watt Halogen Driving Lights Whistler 3300 Remote Mount Radar/Laser/Safety Alert Detector Alpine 4x40watt CD FM Radio Priority Start Pro Series Battery Protector On Board Automatic Battery Charger 150amp Aftermarket Alternator Remote Starter/Light Control

Is my car really a pansy a-- piece of crap? I thought Subarus were like a Timex, they could take a lickin' and keep on tickin', maybe even tougher than a Timex! I realize people who post on this board are "enthusiasts" and with that comes "enthusiasm". Phrases like "Always", "Every" or "Never" make we wonder about what panacea Subaru engineers think my car will be driven in. I have read some threads that would make an outsider think twice about getting a Subaru if at all. Ideal World: I would buy matching make, model and size of tires and rotate them every other day and check PSI at every red light. Real World: I buy 2 tires and 2 months later buy the other 2. Same make and size but perhaps a different model. I rotate the tires about every 8,000 to 10,000 miles and check the PSI about every 3 weeks. I better not get torque bind if the tires diameter miss match by 1/16" for 8 weeks. (and I haven't) Ideal World: I would buy new rotors when replacing the brake pads every 30,000 miles. Real World: I have enough $$ to get pads and turn the "in spec" rotors. So what, at the very end of the pads life I have some minor shimmy while braking. I live with it and the car stops great. Could it stop perhaps 3' shorter had I bought new rotors? Sure. Is the auto parts store going to give me new rotors for price of turning the old ones on my looks? Sure NOT! Ideal World: I would change my oil every 3,000 miles. Real World: 3,600, maybe 4,600 if I am working all week and I don't get home until late every night and the night I have I just don't feel like it. If my car can't take a little abuse and still perform when called upon I might as well shoot it and put the car out of it's and my misery and go buy a Kia. I take pretty dog gone good care of my car. I drive it 80+ miles a day and some of that at 80mph. Unfortunately every once in a while I slam on the brakes and lug the engine until I cram the clutch in. So what, the car better suck it up! It is a daily driver not an F1 car. I switched from VWs to Subarus in 98. In that time I have had 3 Legacys and 1 Outback. They were all, and three still are, great cars. The 3 Legacys had 125,000+ when I bought them. ScoobySchmitty has one of my retired Legacys still going at 200,000+ and my current daily driver has 165,000+ and the Outback has 145,000+. All systems still work GREAT and repairs have been rare (knock on wood). I would check the oil, fill the car up with gas and drive to Seattle with any of my cars at any time if I had to. As the paraphrased song goes (apologies to Bruce S.): "Subarus like ours, Baby, they were born to RUN!" Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Cuz I am waitin' Greg :-)

Rob, If you are thinking of unloading the car I am interested. Is it AWD or front wheel drive? AT or 5 speed? Please email me at: usualsubjects@hotmail.com Let me know what you have in mind. Thanks, Greg

Oppie, On my wife's 96 OBW we have the Blizzaks. Stopping distance is INCREADABLE! This will be the 3rd winter for them. Wear hasn't been a real problem for me but I yank them off the beginning to middle of March. On my 93 Legacy L wagon AWD I have the Dunlop Graspics. GREAT PRICE and they work really well. Tire Rack had them CHEAP and what can I say, I am TIGHT with the $$ I have both sets on their own wheels. $20 bucks for rims from a junkyard. When mounting is $15 per wheel per time it didn't take my dim mind long to figure out separate wheels were the way to go. Good luck, Greg