daehttub2000

Everybody loves their new baby (remember that infamous Seinfeld episode about the ugly baby:lol: ). I’m happy for you Bucky but here’s another gem of an article from my favorite scribes at Car and Driver Magazine: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/hatchbacks/subaru_wrx_sti_vs_mitsubishi_evo_gsr_vs_vw_r32_comparison_test+page-2.html “ …the STI wins the ugliest-car-on-the-planet contest…”

Thanks to this folks at USMB, I used Jason at Subaru of Auburn, WA at 1-866-528-5282 and spent only $126.96 for an OEM Subaru rebuilt alternator WITHOUT core exchange and WITH shipping. That's less than the Autozone POS WITH a core exchange. Real Subaru parts for less money for do-it-yourself repairs. By the way, 10-15 minutes run time doesn't help you if you're in the middle of nowhere, where a lot of us Subaru types go with our Subies:dead:

Oh, to be 19 again with all the time and not a care in the world... 91Loyale, I find it absurd to replace an alternator every 2,300 miles (yes, that’s two thousand three hundred miles) and risk getting stranded not knowing when the POS alt will die on me. I guess I have higher expectations and demands for my hard earned money.

Thanks Hanko, you're keeping me up at night thinking about that belt... I did follow the Haynes manual with the 1/4" deflection...).

To the general USMB board: After some out of town business trips and a few Chicago Ice/Snow storms, I finally went 15 rounds with Autozone and got my money back (less a core exchange). Thanks again to all the gear heads in the USMB community that helped me out on this. It was a tough lesson to learn on reman’d parts. I’ll stick with OEM stuff from now on. I’m really worried about my reman’d Pep Boys CV joints now …. Here’s a bit of a horror/comedy recap: After 8 months and 2,300 miles (my “beach/ski/mud” car) the POS alternator failed and took my battery with it. In fact, it failed on my first trip over 3 hours. I replaced it with a Subaru alternator and went to Autozone to get my money back. I tried to be reasonable and polite but had to get a little angry to get my money back after the manager displayed his complete lack of professionalism from the get go. The last straw that ended the “nice guy” routine was when the Autozone manager told me that a) I wasn’t an ASE certified mechanic and I could have installed the alternator wires wrong. At that point, it was pretty obvious to me that this idiot never changed an alternator in his life. I could see the other Autozone guys (great guys by the way who know their stuff) just cringe at their idiot manager who looked like the youngest guy in the place. Factory car BATTERIES cost $400 so I can’t expect his $75 car batteries to last as long (defending the fact that his junk alternator killed the new Autozone battery I bought at the same time). There were far too many gems of horse manure to post here but you can just imagine the song and dance he was giving…

Sounds like there is still a Gomer or two on the assembly line at Subaru’s Lafayette, IN plant (probably a Notre Dame graduate:lol: ). Sounds like you picked up a “Monday Morning” car. Years ago, I had a somewhat similar experience with my brand new 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon a few days off the lot. I drove to a store and when I got back to the car (dry day) everything was electrically dead. No lights, no radio, no click when I turned the key. It was a weekend and no service help was available so I just popped the hood and started fiddling with the fuses under the hood. Well, one or two were loose. Everything was perfectly fine after that. I wonder how often this has happened to other folks. There was a thread earlier on the board about a similar incident. Good luck and keep us posted...

Those switches require a delicate touch to get the bulbs out. Here's a thread that will lead you to everything you'll need to know about the stupid little bulbs (faulty in mid 90's Legacies). There are links to to other sites that will eventually show you pictures:banana: Good luck... P.S. I assume you've disconnected the battery to avoid a possible airbag surprise:lol: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2498&page=1&pp=10&highlight=clima te+control+backlight

Thanks everybody for all your input and fast responses. I wasn’t able to make it in time to Autozone today so I’m going to give them a try tomorrow. I’m a real noob when it comes to remanufactured parts and I’m learning a tough lesson I guess. My previous cars had alternators that literally lasted forever. Only one required an alternator replacement and the replacement lasted until I got rid of it. I thought that a lifetime guaranty alternator should be expected to last a good long time. If this alternator would have lasted a few years before it failed, I would have been disappointed but willing to do an exchange. I just don’t think 8 months is acceptable for such a critical component given the price and the not-so-subtle marketing of the “lifetime” guarantee. It they would have charged me $50, maybe I’d be willing to bite the bullet on this POS. However, at +$160 with a core exchange, one expects a certain level of quality. One thing for sure, I’m never going to purchase a remanufactured critical component from Autozone again… P.S. Hanko: LOL. Do you still have your eyebrows? What do you do with that nasty wall plug setup when you’re not frying alternators? I'd like to use it on the Autozone parts manager...

I’d like to share a REALLY BAD Autozone experience with the board. I just replaced a defective Autozone rebuilt alternator with a wonderful OEM Subaru one from Jason Douglas at Mike Scharff Subaru of Auburn (866-456-3025) which was delivered on time today for a total no-core-exchange price of 126.96 (95 Legacy 2.2) which included shipping (Thank You USMB!). Before I ordered the OEM alternator, I called Autozone and they told me they would refund my money. Now, the knuckleheads are saying: 1) They will NOT refund my money but will give me another alternator. The first POS alternator they gave me lasted 8 months before it started screaming like a banshee (it’s also throwing a CEL but I think it might be my O2 sensor freezing up in cold weather again). The night manager wasn’t surprised at all that it failed after 8 months. Not a good sign… 2) But first, to add insult to injury, they said that they would “test” my alternator and if they determined that it was O.K. they would not give me a new one. That really got me going… Why the h____ would anyone return a good alternator??? 3) Finally, when pressed very hard, he said that the day manager might give me a prorated refund since I had used the alternator for eight months. I calmly pointed out the absurdity of prorating a LIFETIME WARRANTY alternator. He didn’t get it. Lights on, nobody’s home… 4) Regardless of the outcome, I will NEVER buy another remanufactured alternator from Autozone. I don’t have time for this nonsense but I’m going back to Autozone tomorrow to see what the Day Manager says. I’ll keep you posted. Of course, had I checked with this board prior to my first alternator replacement and listened, I would not be in this predicament:dead:

LOL. You’ve run into the curmudgeon of the Car Talk board, OK4450. Think of an Andy Rooney with good days and really bad days. I’ve encountered him on that board before. He’s one of the most prolific and opinionated posters on that board and is helpful most of the time. He also divulged that he has an old Subaru 4WD in a recent post so beware, he could be lurking around here someplace:rolleyes: . He means well and does really try to help people, however, he does have his off days (as you have noticed:lol: ). Unfortunately, you get so many people on the Car Talk board that you have to separate the wheat from the chaff. You’ll find some really loopy stuff posted. The USMB is, IMHO, a very select group of Subaru fanatics who really know their stuff. This board should be your first stop for anything Subaru.

Cool Pictures:banana: Thanks Porc. Now only if Haynes & Chilton used color pictures... I've ordered the OEM alternator from Jason at the 1-866# in WA. I'll let you know how it goes. $126.96 without the core trade-in with shipping. $67.50 otherwise plus shipping! I'll get it in about a week. The local Subaru dealer is such an ___________... Once I get it installed, I'll get my money back from Autozone when I return that POS "rebuild". I hope I don't get stranded over the next few days (Not funny Nipper...) and I hope it's warm enough for me to work on the old wagon outside without getting frostbite. It's 8 degrees right now and the windchill is -3. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again to all the USMB regulars out there for all the info and help.

Price Check in Aisle Subaru: The Pirates at the local Subaru dealership are charging the following for an OEM alternator rebuild for my 95 Legacy 2.2L: $128.75 + $50 Core + $16.53 Sales Tax = $195.28:mad: It comes with a one year warranty. I'm going to start checking the online sources that were mentioned in a recent post. How long can I drive on a noisy alternator before it dies on me:rolleyes: ?

Limey Alert:grin: : Since it's a UK mag, I'm afraid the gallons are IMPERIAL, not US. So you knock off about 20% off the UK mpg figures... Sweet car though. As much as I love the new Legacy(er, Outback) turbos, I couldn't accept the abyssmal gas mileage my leadfoot driving would product. This oil burner looks promising. Hopefully the torque will makeup for the lower horsepower figures. I just hope Subaru doesn't pull an Oldsmobile, for us older farts who remember...

DOH!!! I feel like a real Homer Simpson now. Thanks for all your great replies and info. I was so turned off my my local Subaru dealer/parts departments that I assumed I'd get hosed by them. Autozone says they'll refund my money. I'll see what the local pirates, er, Subie dealer, quotes me on an OEM alternator on Monday. While an alternator change is relatively simple, it's something I don't want to be doing every 8 months. I also want the peace of mind of an OEM alternator that will hopefully last another 12 years. I can see the Autozone business model behind charging $160 for a $50 POS and giving it a lifetime warranty:Flame:

My 8 month old Alternator from Autozone is making a racket in 0 degree weather (95 Legacy Wagon). It's not just a noisy belt (I think:rolleyes:, I'm tempted to do the W40 thing...). At first I thought it was my heat shield getting worse until I finally turned off my stereo, stopped, and opened the hood. They said they'll replace it but I'm going to wait for a warmer weekend. I'm not happy about this. My first one lasted 12 years until I killed it with a dead battery:dead: . What kind of luck has everyone had with rebuilt alternators? This one cost me $158 before tax with the core exchange. I'm not looking forward to scraping my knuckles in the winter...

This board and its members never fail to amaze and impress me with all the "do-it-yourself" help and advice--and it even comes with pictures:banana: Anyway, my 95 legacy's low fuel light doesn't come on until I have to put in about 13.5 to 14 gallons gallons into my tank. The LFL doesn't come on with the rest of the idiot lights when I turn the ignition on. The Subie also has a "reserve" amount of something over a gallon in the fuel system so I've actually put in 15 gallons before. You really have to run it down to see the light. Yes, I'm the knucklehead who drives around with the low fuel light on and I do have that little jug of emergency gas substitute in case I really push it. My friends have learned to keep an eye on my gas gauge on long road trips:rolleyes:

Beautiful Roos. I was really puzzled by the Turbo Legacy and the agressive Impreza until I realized that you're from across the really big pond. You're rubbing it in to us Yanks knowing that we didn't get any of the good stuff until 2001/2002. Well, at least we don't have any WRX police cars over here so I still have a chance to pull off the old WRX smash and grab:lol:

The recall on my 95 Legacy had the front tow hooks cut off by the dealer. Seems that a few blokes were ramming steep ramps at speed and setting off their airbags. So, if anybody has a 95 Legacy and still has their front tow hooks, slow down when you make your mad lunchtime dash to your local fast food drive-thru entrance... When I still had them, they were wonderful tie down points for oversized stuff I'd load up on my wagon (kayaks, Home Depot & Lowes stuff, etc.). They looked pretty solid but I wasn't able to put them to any towing test. I was really bummed when I found out my local Subie dealer had cut them off during a routine service stop without my knowlege or consent:mad:

That's definitely a real problem with most car magazines. Of all the car rags, IMHO I find Car and Driver to be the toughest evaluators of cars. Sometimes I wonder why some car manufacturers still provide them with cars for testing. I actually enjoy the negative reviews the most because of their biting humor and sarcasm. On the otherhand, I've never seen a negative review in Motor Trend, known for their "Highest Ad Revenue" er, "Car of the Year" award... Anybody remember the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare Motor Trend Car of the Year:lol: If only Yugo had more ad money to spend.... Car and Driver has been quite harsh about the WRX/Impreza's new styling and taken Subaru to task for falling behind in the fun-to-drive and performance category relative to Mazda/VW/Mitsubishi/etc. Some of C&D's comments about the WRX styling have been pretty funny: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/12768/2008-subaru-impreza-and-impreza-wrx-official-photos-info.html Holy bejeebus—what happened to its face? The ’08 WRX will again be offered in two body styles, a sedan and a five-door. The five-door looks more like a traditional hatchback this time around, so fans of the old wagon might be disappointed. Disappointment only begins to describe our reaction to the new car’s looks, however: If the WRX was hoping to win us back with its exterior make-over, it can forget it. The styling can at best be called a derivative of a copy—check out the Sebring-meets-Saab-meets-smiling-samurai front end—and at worst a total disaster. The new sedan in particular is disappointing, with a rear end that looks like it’s in heat and a high beltline that screams cheap-rump roast econocar. Here’s hoping the new styling grows on us as quickly as the 2006 model’s Tribeca-inspired nose job did.

The Car & Driver article is on the website: http://www.caranddriver.com/roadtests/14455/full-test-2008-subaru-impreza-wrx-sti.html Here we go again... You left out the "dorky-looking wagonoid" quote. It's fugly. For looks, I'd pick the 02 bugeye or 07 pignose anyday over the Viagra Pill on wheels:Flame:

Looks like Toyota might take a page from Subaru with a BRAT-like "A-BAT" concept hybrid pickup. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/28/business/main3653196.shtml Given Toyota's partial ownership of Subaru, I hope this turns into an AWD hybrid BRAT...

My 95 2.2 Legacy wagon had a small external antifreeze leak at +137K. I had both head gaskets replaced as a precaution. The shop confirmed no internal oil or antifreeze leak. It was another shop that diagnosed the head gasket problem after a pressure test of the coolant system. I'm not sure how far I could have gone without replacing it but didn't want to take any chances.

Wow, there’s a discernible lack of humor on the part of one Old Gen’er here. I was just having a bit of New Gen fun with my facetious farm references to the Ford Pickup Truck 4WD locking hub system. My technical discussion was referring to AWD versus part-time 4WD, which is still offered on some 2008 SUV models (Jeep). I was under the impression that the older generation Subaru 4WD systems were similar part-time 4WD systems that are not to be driven on dry pavement for the same wheel skipping, transmission/axle killing reasons. A second opinion/flaming would be appreciated.

Wow, there were only 2 posts in New Gen on this thread. Here's my 2 cents from the New Gen Board: --------------------------------------- The choice between AWD versus the old-fashioned “locked hub” hi/lo 4WD depends on a few things. I think that the increasingly common addition of a limited slip rear differential to AWD cars have relegated the old-fashioned hi/lo 4WD systems to pasture (literally). Besides pulling tree stumps, tandem horse trailers in the mud, or climbing cliffs, I don’t see any advantages to the old system unless you like stopping, getting out, and locking your hubs in the mud/snow:lol: But seriously, IMHO, the new AWD systems with limited slip diffs are safer and more affective unless (as Nipper pointed out) you always drive in a straight line and never turn. Think of your old Red Flyer wagon and what happened when you turned/pulled around a corner too fast. The fixed axle causes the outside wheel on each axle to skid and lose traction. Remember those downhill wipeouts? If you were brighter than I was when I was a kid, probably not… However, AWD without limited slip front and/or rear differentials can leave you stuck or sliding down a slick hill where the old 4WD’s would grind it out. Think of it as having two separate 2-wheel drive systems when all 4 wheels are slipping on the ice and snow, the Achilles heel of the standard Subie AWD system. Now all we need are standard front AND rear limited slip diffs for us AWD gearheads:cool:

The choice between AWD versus the old-fashioned “locked hub” hi/lo 4WD depends on a few things. I think that the increasingly common addition of a limited slip rear differential to AWD cars have relegated the old-fashioned hi/lo 4WD systems to pasture (literally). Besides pulling tree stumps, tandem horse trailers in the mud, or climbing cliffs, I don’t see any advantages to the old system unless you like stopping, getting out, and locking your hubs in the mud/snow:lol: But seriously, IMHO, the new AWD systems with limited slip diffs are safer and more affective unless (as Nipper pointed out) you always drive in a straight line and never turn. Think of your old Red Flyer wagon and what happened when you turned/pulled around a corner too fast. The fixed axle causes the outside wheel on each axle to skid and lose traction. Remember those downhill wipeouts? If you were brighter than I was when I was a kid, probably not… However, AWD without limited slip front and/or rear differentials can leave you stuck or sliding down a slick hill where the old 4WD’s would grind it out. Think of it as having two separate 2-wheel drive systems when all 4 wheels are slipping on the ice and snow, the Achilles heel of the standard Subie AWD system. Now all we need are standard front AND rear limited slip diffs for us AWD gearheads:cool: