oldgray1

Where is the fuse for the cargo light. My light doesn't work. Replaced bulb, even though the old one looked O.K. Is there a switch somewhere that is activated by the door? I didn't spot one. I confess that I haven't done any voltage checks. I was hoping someone could point me towards some obvious places to check. Thanks in advance.

Might also try alldatadiy.com. You can get a service manual to view on-line for about $16.95 a year. Great thing about them is you can print out drawings for whatever repair job you're doing. They also offer a five year subscription for a little more. It's a great thing to use if you are a multiple car family. Additional subscriptions are discounted. Worth a look. A lot of independent service shops use the professional version to access any brand and model of automobile.

Also echo what samneric said. The Haynes A/C book is good. Gauges are a definite plus, too.

Do you have a Firestone store or Pep Boys store in your area? For basic A/C service like charging, they aren't that expensive. Also, if you have an auto parts store near you, buy a copy of Haynes service manual Subaru Legacy '90-'98(I think). You can also order the book from amazon.com, too.There is a section in there that deals with charging the A/C. You really need to open the hood of your car and get your hands in there on some of that Subaru goodness! These early Legacy models are great cars to learn on. The parts to upgrade your refrigerant to R134A are not that expensive.

Seems like a good compromise on this issue would be to learn all you can about your automobile. Try to do what you can, within your ability. Buy a reader/ scanner. Like another poster said about working for free......Do you work for free?

Removing and cleaning the oil pan shouldn't be necessary. I've seen it mentioned several times on this site that removing the oil pan often leads to oil leaks. Someone with first hand knowledge chime in on this.

Sounds like he is describing charging into a vacuum or evacuated system using a gauge set. With the engine not running, sounds reasonable. I would echo the above statement about not getting into the habit of charging into the high side. I would imagine that over the years many DIY A/C charges have ended in disaster for that reason. Probably the reason the home kits for 134A have only a low side connector.

Also, make sure your A/C evaporator drain is not clogged. Should see steady drip of water underneath the car when using the A/C on hot steamy days. If not dripping freely, the evaporator can hold a bit of water that can get nasty and harbor mold and funky odors.

Same thing happened with my '01 LLBean Outback with the O2 sensor. I found the exact replacement through amazon.com. The listing was under the Bosch brand (I figured 'What the heck, I have 140k miles, probably won't hurt"). When I removed the sensors (probably original) I saw that they were ND (Nippon Denso) brand. When I opened the Bosch #15926 packages, I saw that they were identical to the ND brand that I removed!! Seems like the price was around $50 each. If yours are original, use some PB Blaster or other loosening agent on the sensor threads so you don't strip them out. Amazon lists the price for Bosch #15926 at about $83 now, but it's still worth considering.

I know you don't mention this, but once you get all the oil questions sorted out, be sure to pull a vacuum on the system and charge the R134(or R12) into a vacuum. I did a R134 upgrade on a '90 Legacy four years ago and the system is still blowing cold. I didn't replace the compressor, so I did a "guesstimate" on oil amount. Be sure the oil you add is compatible with whatever be left in the system. Thanks for reading.

Thanks. I'll probably go ahead with KYB struts as well. Should I use the KYB mounts, or will other brands work as well? Thanks in advance.

I thought I'd chime in on this one. A few years ago I had a VW Passat that needed attention to "check engine" lights a little too much. I bought the OBD-II dongle from Ross-Tech. They had a great system for all VW / Audi- does everything a dealer scanner would do. In looking back, it probably was overkill, but in those days the scanners at parts stores weren't that cheap. Nowadays the scanners are everywhere-auto parts stores, Walmart, Black & Decker outlets, Ebay, Craigslist, pawn shops, etc. They all pretty much do everything and they're not expensive. Sometimes the laptop route might leave you with software that may not work on every car (the Ross-tsch software worked on VW/ Audi only). When i moved to a better automobile (Subaru!!), I needed a scanner eventually and bought an Actron brand at Advance auto parts. It's help me repair Subarus, Dodge trucks, Chevy trucks, and others. You can't go wrong with these scanners. Advance Auto Parts had some killer deals on th Actron brand recently-maybe it's still going on. Thanks for reading my lengthy rant.

Can strut mounts be replaced without removing the bottom strut bolts? Probably a crazy question, but I think my strut mounts are creaking and clunking. The struts don't seem to have any issues- ride is still firm and handling is good. Car is 2001 H6 LL Bean with 144k miles. Thanks in advance.

I have a 2001 H6 LLBean and the FWD fuse slot is in the under hood fuse box. The fuse box is on the left in these models.

Make sure it's the same for the H6 engine.

Here's another wild one. Had a Dodge Dakota with a "turns over, but no fire" symptoms recently. Went to the forums for information... Heard everything..plugs, wires, coil/ coil pack, cam sensor, temp sensor, fuel pump , etc. Turned out to be the crank sensor. Don't know if our Subarus work the same way, but the computer on the Dakota won't send a signal to fire the coil and get the whole thing going without that signal input from the crank sensor. You could crank the engine all day long and it would never start. I'm certainly not much more than the average shade tree guy on this stuff, so thanks for reading. By the way, the actual crank sensor itself was not bad. turned out that a mouse, or some other marsh rodent, had chewed through the wire and made the sensor useless. So, in support of all others who suggested checking wires, connections, etc., it's all good . It makes you feel pretty good to solve some of the real tough ones without just throwing parts (and money$$) at it. Just my 2.5 cents!!

To Dave, I seem to recall giving more throttle did not help.

I may be way off base, but my 2001 LLB had the same (or similar) symptoms, but I remember it threw a code..forget the code number..that pointed to the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve. Ordered a new valve and gasket; installed and started right up. Cleared the code with a scanner, no problem after that . Also not a bad idea to shoot some Seafoam or other throttle body cleaner into the throttle body and get that whole intake cleaned out. Mileage was about 155000 and 6 cylinder, auto, etc.

I strongly agree with all the posters' comments on this thread, especially the one about buying a Haynes repair manual for your model. A lot of car repair tasks can seem overwhelming at first if you're not used to servicing your own cars. I could also suggest opening an account at alldatadiy.com to get a more complete service manual for your vehicle. They go much further into detail than Haynes, including dealer "book time" for estimating labor charges and part numbers and prices for repair jobs. Using alldatadiy and the Haynes manual, I was able to do a timing belt and water pump replacement on a '90 Legacy. Never done those in my life, so it can a real good feeling of accomplishment to conquer those jitters about doing a "big" repair job. Routine maintenance should be a piece of cake--just get in there and get 'er done!! Thanks for reading my 2 cents worth of cheerleading...Good Luck and Welcome to the best bunch of Subaru enthusiasts in the world!!!

Maybe I missed something in all this. No one mentioned the belt tensioner. Its pulley is the same as the idler. In my situation (2001 H6 Outback wagon-140k miles), the tensioner pulley seized up and threw the belt. My car had the same symptoms as the original poster. A year later on another 2001 H6, I heard the tell tale "chirp" of a belt slipping on a pulley and knew that tensioner or idler pulley failure might not be too far down the road. This time I changed the tensioner, idler, and serpentine belt. Fifteen months later and no problems. I kept the old tensioner because all I have to do is replace the pulley or bearing and I have an emergency spare. Anyhoo, that's my story. Thanks for reading.

I second the recommendation for B F Goodrich T/A series. When I first got my 2001 LL Bean Wagon, it had some kind of Michelin "rain" tires on it. They might have been okay, traction wise, when they were new, but they were pretty bad as they wore. One key thing that a tire dealer pointed out to me was be sure to get a tire that's rated for your car. I believe the 2001 LL Bean requires an "H" rated tire. A lot of "all-weather", high mileage touring type tires are not "H" rated and can get real sloppy on you after a few years. I don't know what all goes into the letter ratings, but when I bought the BFG H-rated tires, It immediately felt like an all around better ride. Try Costco for good deals on tires. If they don't have your size in stock, you can buy them on-line from Costco and have them delivered to your local Costco, shipping and mounting included. jusy mt2 cents. Thanks for reading...

Are you sure about that voltage? Seems like the coin sized battery in mine is only about 1.5 volts (type #2032). If you have a Subaru dealer nearby, they may reprogram it for you for no charge. My local dealer did-probably a goodwill gesture- and didn't charge. Just a suggestion-call and ask for their help.

I've had one of these for about a year. Bought it with about 148k miles on it. This car is great on the highway--mpg should be >25 miles per gallon. Ditto on all the other comments. Be sure to check that serpentine belt--my tensioner broke and could have left me stranded. Maybe the serpentine tensioner pulley bearing can be lubed or replaced. If not, be sure your local dealer has it in stock. Wish I could have found an LLB with less than 60K miles on it !!! Good luck on a great deal.

Anybody still use Tripledge? They work great in coastal areas and last a long time.

Also check stopshopanddrive.com, especially for older Legacy parts.