shaggywerewolf

New tires for a northern climate. Wouldn't surprise me if the OEM tires are still on the vehicle. I live in Michigan, and the OEM Potenzas on my '03 OBW absolutely stank in any kind of snow/ice.

Hey all - My roomie is looking at potentially buying a 2000 OBS MT w/ 60K on it. Dealer wants 10K, but he thinks he can talk them down to 9k. I told him he needs to look for the standard Subie stuff - ie. matching tires, torque bind, etc. If I'm not mistaken, this is the 2.2L engine, is it not? So it should be due for a timing belt, right? Anything else he should be looking out for? If he tells me he's serious about making an offer, I'll probably be back to see if anyone with a Carfax subscription would be willing to help out, but he's still shopping at the moment. Thanks.

Should be on the driver's side, just medial and deep to the washer fluid reservoir. It's kind of hidden down there, and you'll have to navigate some hoses.

Meh....it's a large displacement, pushrod engine. Wasn't designed for efficient power generation; just lots of power generation. It wouldn't be "classic american muscle" any other way

You don't say in the original post, but is this the 4EAT or the 5EAT? The 5 speed AT calls for ATF-HP (Idemitsu), not Dexron III. Not sure if it's OK to mix the two; although it seems prudent to follow whatever the factory specs call for, at least while the tranny's under warranty.

I don't know if it's due to the difference in perpsective in the 2 photos, but the '08 looks way more "curvy" than the '07. The '08 looks ok on its own, but seen together with the previous generation, I think I prefer the more defined edges of the '07.

So have you actually set off the metal detector in the airport? Most surgical hardware is non-ferrous; usually titanium so they're not supposed to set off detectors..... Yeah, the bike looks to be relatively unscathed, at least grossly. The Legacy looks like it's in a salvage yard - was it totalled? Modern vehicles wreck so easily....just like they're designed to. :-p

I kinda like the new hatchback models.....not sure if I'm ready to trade in my OBW though.

2000 Legacy GT Ltd. should have the Phase 2 2.5L. http://www.cars101.com/legacy2000.html T-belt interval on the Phase 2, IIRC, is 105K. So you're due for it in about 10K if it hasn't been done already. Engine is interference so neglecting it can be disastrous if the belt fails. If you have to do it, there are a bunch of other things that should be addressed while you have the covers and belt off. (search for t-belt on forums) Other issues that pop up often are torque bind (is this an auto or manual?), and head gasket leakage. These have been talked about to death here, so again, I'd do a search since they've been explained far better than I could in a single post. Also check out the sticky FAQ if you haven't done so already. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51554

The exterior of the Tribeca is "polarizing" hahaha....that's an understatement. When do we get to see these over here? http://www.subaru.co.jp/legacy/sicruise/lineup/03/

Maybe he's referring to one of these:

The second to last vehicle (before the sedan; then the fire dept. shows up) is an outback. Don't know what the first one was, but I initially thought it looked kind of like a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something....that guy was out of control. He should've just stopped after he hit that telephone pole but instead he punches the throttle - where did he think he was gonna go, especially after running into a bunch of cars beforehand? I must admit though, the result was quite impressive.

The system traditionally works on a type of thermal switch where a resistor expands and shrinks to modulate completion of the circuit when you apply current. Therefore, the system is sensitive to the amount of current that gets drawn through it. Too much current (too many bulbs, wrong wattage bulb, etc.) and the resistor expands and contracts rapidly. Too little current (ie. burned out bulb) and the flashed blinks slowly, or may not blink at all. I'm with the "wrong bulb/socket" camp on this one.

My 1 week loaner had a 5 speed sportshift while my OBW was in the shop. Drove it about 600 miles during that period up to the northern LP and back. The loaner wasn't a Subaru, but I can't imagine that the experience would be significantly different if it was. The novelty wore off pretty quick, and shifting became more of an annoyance rather than a necessity. Even when passing on I75 it felt unnecessary - the vehicle had enough power to be pretty responsive anyway. And it still feels like an automatic when you shift. The only interaction is to nudge the shifter up or down, so you might as well leave it in D. At least that's how I felt about it. Maybe it's more fun with a turbo under the hood. :-p

Well, I own a 2003 OBW, and I'm quite certain that there's no mention in the manual regarding the addition of any kind of conditioner when changing the coolant. I can double check, however, to be sure. I had the car in a month ago for the 30K service, and they indeed put the conditioner in as part of the coolant change. Up until now, I was not aware that the conditioner extended to my MY; I was under the impression that the conditioner was supposed to be added up until late MY02.

Used to have Regatta IIs on my old Saturn. They were prone to leaking air, likely due to a bad seal as well. Radial pull.....pardon my ignorance, but can that exhibit itself as a drift to either the right or the left? A quick Google search seems to say yes. I always noticed that the Saturn wanted to go off to the right on flat stretches of road.

This is a long shot, but does anyone in the SE Michigan (Ann Arbor) area have any reccommendations for a good body shop? Some idiot tried to turn left from the center lane on a 3 lane, one way street (I was in the far left lane) and basically resulted in me performing a pit maneuver on him. The car is practically new; 2003OBW with 30K on it - so I want the repairs done right. anyway, thanks in advance.

Unlatch the hood, exit the car, arm the system. Then open the hood and drop-shut it like you normally would. That ought to set the alarm off and tell you if you have the shock sensor. Works on my '03 OBW.

And using a copper bottom pot to boot.....only the best for the Subaru I see....

Well, someone should give that dealer a medal or something. Was the piston slap particularly bad? Seems like Subaru SOP is to say "it's normal operating noise" as long as the slap goes away once the engine has warmed up. I've heard of dealers doing something about the slap if it persists after the engine reaches operating temperature. But $100 for doing major engine disassembly? Damn.

Nice engine compartment. It's all shiny and new Looks like a tight fit though

Well I guess we now know why the 2nd owner "upgraded" to a Forester. Maybe he had one of those turntable things like Batman has for the Batmobile to get it out of the garage every morning.

D'oh...now I see your profile... :-P Yeah, I'm pretty satisfied with my 2003, other than the little man banging on the cylinder walls in the morning. As along it all checks out mechanically, it sounds like it might be a good buy

I have a 2003 with 27.5K I bought late last year. The phase II 2.5L (like the one in the car you're looking at) addressed the main potential problem of an internal head gasket leak with a redesign. However, there are still some engines that develop external leaks, which Subaru addressed with a recall that involves spiking the coolant with a special stop leak, which will have to be done each time the coolant is changed. The other thing that stands out, at least to me, is the cold piston slap the 2.5s are known for. I'm not sure how much it's warmed up in PA, but if it's gotten over the 40s lately, the amount of noise you hear will not be the same come winter when the temperature drops.

I'm inclined to agree. If I'm not mistaken, a lot of other countries require aspiring drivers to log a minimum number of instruction hours before receiving their license; in addition, I believe there is a component of driving school in many nations, where drivers are taught the basic mechanics of cars. (ie, how a piston engine and transmission work, etc.) The bottom line is, compared to other industrialized nations, it is ridiculously easy to get a license here in the USA. But I guess this is a tradeoff, as we live in a nation where for the vast majority of citizens, public transportation may not be a practical option. And denying or making it more difficult for those folks to access personal transportation would be VERY unpopular. I would personally like to see at least bare minimum amount of required training in dealing with emergency handling of a vehicle - sudden stops, maneuvering, what to do if you have a mechanical malfunction, etc here in the US. I don't know about other states, but in Kentucky, where I first got my license, there was no such requirement. There was minimal information in the driver's manual, but unfortunately, most of this stuff is learned out in the field, as opposed to a controlled track environment. I know I didn't learn most of that stuff until AFTER I received my license.