Evenstar

I thought it was my imagination when happening to me, until my friend drove my car to the airport today. When on the highway at a highway speed, when applying brakes in an unexpected having to slow down situation, it almost seems as if the car speeds up rather than slow down when applying brake. In town it's not so obvious. But sometimes while applying brakes with clutch in it seems to speed up instead. Is it just brake pads or is there other brake problems I've never heard of . In the summer when I got the car I saw the front and rear brakes and it looked like the pads still had time left. Please reply because I need to deal with it in the next couple of days. Is there and honest reasonable mechanic in Boulder Colorado or is that an oxymoron?

My 97 Legacy Outback when idling between 500/600 usually and it sounds strained like it wants to go higher. Tonight when idling it went to over 1000 and then came back down to 500/600. It never used to sound strained like that. They checked/cleaned the air control valve. Today a friend said he thought the clutch was not good. It grinds when going in reverse. The lying snakes I bought the car from supposedly put a new clutch in but now we wonder. Is there an easy way for someone to see if there is a new clutch. The car used to be totally silent when idling. I had new timing belts/water pump/head gaskets/PCV valve a month ago. Terrie from Boulder

I don't really know how to measure how high, but it sounds really high when starting but not every time. The air control valve has been checked. What is a K&N air filter. I was told at last oil change that filter was fine. I have a new one to put in but not K&N. No engine light problem at this time. It did come on a month or so ago and it stalled out so bad I almost didn't make it home. Then the day I drove it to the mechanic it was fine. They ended up putting a code in that fixed the problem. Can the new head gaskets or new timing belts have anything to do with the idle?

I have another question. I just had the PCV valve done. I don't know if it is the answer until I put some miles on it. If it isn't and it is the rings (there are no leaks to be seen). What happens if I don't get the rings done? I'm not going to put a few thousand more into this car. Or what else could be wrong to burn oil. No smoke at all is coming out of the tail pipe. What is the purpose of the rings?

Can anyone shed light on it idles really high when I first start it and then when sitting at a light, etc. the idles sometimes is high then calms but not totally quiet like when I first got the car in July. Does the timing belts or head gaskets have anything to do with this. I just had both done. Thanks

Thanks so much everyone who replied. This is a website is a great service. I am taking it in tomorrow to try the PCV valve. They are going to re-check for leaks and they are going to check the Air Control Valve re: the revving. I bought this car from an exceedingly sleazy used car dealer in Boulder. I bought it because I was able to track down the originial owner (one owner) and he had $5,000 worth of work done last year. So I thought I was home free. I think the poor guy was getting ripped off everytime he had his car fixed by the people he took it to. So in inherited his mess (hopefully I'm at the end of the worse of it). I do think SuperRupair is reputable, I hope anyway. They do seem to have expertise on Subarus. I don't think they ripped me off with their repairs. But I think they should have been able to see more since they had the engine out. Thanks again everyone!

Please Help! I just had head gaskets timing belt rear main seal and water pump done. I thought since they had the engine out, they would have found all the problems. I had all their recomendations done. But now, it has been down one quart of oil, twice since I had the work done Sept. 1st 2005. They think it is an oil burning problems and are talking about a "short block" $2,100 just for the block not labor. And they also thought it could be the PCV valve which I pray it is of course. And the engine has been revving intermitently when idling. I don't know anything about cars. What do you think? Thanks!!!