Rob Kuhlman

My son from whom I purchased this '95 Legacy wagon 6 weeks ago reminded me a week ago, "By the way, the high beams stopped working last fall." Here's what they do: I can flash them by pulling back on the switch lever, but pushing forward on the lever doesn't illuminate them. In browsing through the Haynes manual, I sensed the '95 Legacy has a relay for each side but not a special relay to power the high beams. Is that correct? And, if so, am I looking at a defective switch lever assembly? It seems unlikely to me that both sides' relays could have gone belly up at the same time. And...the relays light the high beams when I pull on the lever to flash them. That's why I'm thinking switch. Rob Kuhlman

OK, next question: Several folks have mentioned they'd removed their luggage rack. Given what gas prices are doing it, I figure I fill the car's tank up far more frequently than I put something on the roof, so I'd like to remove the stock roof rack. What do you do with the holes in the roof? Does Subaru make a plug kit? (Volvo had one to offer for castrated Volvos) Rob Kuhlman

My 'new' Legacy wagon came shod with alloy 15" wheels and 195/60 mud and snow tires. I want to order up another set of four wheels/tires to use for the non-snow season, and since Tire Rack is offering some Chinese alloys for nearly the same price as steel rims, I thought I'd go with them. Their alloys don't come in 15", so I'm looking to go up +1 to 16" and they recommend a 205/50 tire size to fit. I was hoping to get a set of Yokohama Avids because I've used them for years on my old Volvos, but they only come in 205/55, not 205/50. So...Kumho Ecstas is where I'm heading I think. Here's the question: I sense there should be a distinct handling benefit from going from 195/60X15 to 205/50X16, but what kind of gas mileage penalty will I experience from having a wider contact area? negligible? 20%? Rob

That's exactly what I've been doing for a number of years with my old Volvo 240s. I don't have any problem with leaving the lights on. Thanks everyone for your input. I've been running this 'new' Legacy with the lights left on, but I wondered if there was another way to skin this cat -- particularly with what seems to be the inordinately short lifespan of the climate control panel's light bulbs. If I could leave the headlights on without illuminating these panel's bulbs, it would seem to be a neat improvement. Just wondering if anyone has come up with a way to splice DRL capability in. If not, then I'll just leave my lights on and replace the climate panel's bulbs every 2 years. Rob

I live in a congested suburan setting and prefer to drive with my headlights on during the daylight to enhance my visibility to the idiot drivers. I miss having daytime running lights on my 'new' 95 Legacy. Has anyone ever done this and submitted instructions to the board? Or, are there later Subarus which have DRL capability whose relays & wiring I could install? Thanks in advance! Rob

It makes no difference in which order you replace the wires, but the important thing to do (unless you've got a splendid memory) is to replace them *one at a time*. If you pull the wires off the plugs all at once, them remove them all at once, then, if you're like, me, you're in trouble with regard to hooking them back up to the proper plug. If you replace the wires one at a time, then you'll run no risk of getting them mixed up. The insulation of old worn out wires can leak voltage, and eventually lead to misfires, particularly on humid and damp days. I always had trouble with Bosch wires in my Volvo days. They'd crap out and get leaky after about 18 months. There's an active post here about a fellow who just bought a Legacy with a terrible misfire -- turned out to be, as I understood it, a dead or unconnected wire. Rob

Rats -- I have to work on the 22nd. Otherwise I'd be up for it. Rob Kuhlman

You might want to give these folks a call: https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/index.php ...and ask them to build a 'kit' for you. Rob Kuhlman

I'm in SE Penna. as well, and Subarus are very pricey around here. Yesterday I looked at the prices on the Welsh Subaru (Collegeville) ad and just about croaked. But I agree -- a little patience will turn something up in a private sale. What you need is someone with a 95 or 96 wagon 5 speed with teenagers about ready to get their licenses -- they'll unload the 5 speed and purchase an auto for the kids to learn on. Sunday Inquirer, Cars.com, Craigslist -- you'll find something soon. Rob Kuhlman

Chef -- Do what you want to do. From reading your earlier posts on your current car, you seem to be looking for a reason to get a new one. If you can handle it financially, then do it. Rarely does it make sense economically to give up on an old car, unless rust rots it out. But car purchasing rarely is sensible; it's emotional as well. So how much is the emotional lift worth to you? If it's worth the extra ~$5000, then go for it and don't look back. Whatever you do, do it with a mindset of 'no regrets'. Rob Kuhlman

Here's Shorty's web site: http://www.shortysupullit.com/ They're located on 541 Flint Hill Road, and the postal address is King of Prussia, though they're really located in the community of Swedeland. It's between West Conshocken and Bridgeport; Flint Hill Road parallels Rt. 23, River Road (also called Conshohocken State Road) one block up from the Schuylkill River. If you're near the Phila. Inquirer/Daily News printing press facility, at the intersection of Pa. Rt. 23 and Rt. 320, you're a stone's throw from Flint Hill Road. GlaxoSmithKline has a major facility right around there as well. Coming up from Wilmington, Del., if you were to go up the Blue Route, get out at Conshohocken, get onto Rt. 23 north (or west -- I can't remember which), head to the light with Rt. 320, turn left, go one block and turn right onto Flint Hill Road and Shorty's is on your left in about a mile. Shorty's is kinda funny. I go there because it's close to where I live. I used to have a number of Volvo 240s, and I'd pull tons of parts from Shorty's. I could run over after work before dark and grab a part. But, in the last 2-3 years, they've gotten into the habit of crushing the cars prematurely, in my judgment. I guess the price of scrap steel which the Chinese is paying is too high to hold onto the cars. Harry's up near Pennsburg, PA has a much better inventory in my view, but it's farther for me to go. Shorty's also doesn't seem to put the current models 'on the floor'. I've only seen one Volvo 850 in my life, and that was just the other day. I suspect they cull the current models themselves and sell the parts internally. Also, Shorty's is really heavy on Detroit; the foreign cars aren't as abundant. I'm just getting into Subarus after many years in Volvos, so my knowledge of the different models is pretty pre-schoolish. In addition to this '97 RHD Legacy Outback wagon there were two other Legacy wagons, a '90 and '91. There was a Legacy sedan, but I can't remember its year -- but it was pre-'95, I'm certain. And there was a much earlier wagon -- mid-late '80s body design (pretty boxy)? By that time I got distracted by a '95 Volvo 850 from which I started looking for parts for my two 855s. Hope that helps. Rob

Meant to pass this on the other day after I visited Shorty's Pick-n-Pull outside Bridgeport, PA. There's a white '97 Legacy Outback, which is a right hand drive, being parted out. The tailgate is missing, and the RR corner was bashed, so I suspected it was totaled after a rear end hit. Air bags were deployed, so maybe it got pushed into something immovable. What was fascinating to me was how perfectly the mirror image symmetry was preserved. The driver's electric window switches are reversed; even the climate control mini-cluster is a mirror image of what we LHD folks are accustomed to. I'd be curious to learn this vehicle's story -- I've never seen a RHD Subaru on the highway before -- the odds of finding one in a pick-n-pull are slim indeed. If you're in the area, stop by and have fun browsing it over. Rob

I'm in Norristown, about 30 minutes (depending upon traffic on the Blue Route) from Swarthmore. I'm hoping to get to Carlisle. I've attended several times with my Volvo; I'd show up with the Subaru this year if I make it. It seems that Mother Nature saves the heaviest rains of the summer for the Carlisle weekend. Rob

I'm shortly going to be purchasing four summer tires for my 'new' Legacy wagon and was initially intending to get them mounted on steel wheels to enable the summer/winter swap to go more easily. After browsing the Tire Rack website, I noticed a lot of alloys available for not much more than the price of steel wheels. At this point, I've got two questions: -- What's the difference between ~$80 alloys and ~$180 alloys? Is it quality ("you get what you pay for") or is it China vs. US/Euro manufacturing costs or is it aesthetics? -- or a combination of all three? I guess I'm wondering is there something I should be cautious about...a brand I should stay away from...a price point I should stay above? -- Stock is 15" with 195/60 size. I know that 'wider is generally better' with regard to handling, but I'm also concerned about negative impact upon gas mileage by going to a lower profile with 16" wheels. Advice? Thanks in advance! Rob

You folks have been terrific -- what neat insights! Just to see if the 'initial rich' explanation made any sense, I did what WaWalker suggested -- I floored it when I cranked it, and the lumpiness and mild surge/hesitation was almost non-existant. Fascinating. Here's what the owner's manual says, "In case of a flooded engine, turn the starter motor for five seconds with the accelerator pedal fully depressed. ...Release the ignition switch and accelerator pedal as soon as the engine starts." I wasn't aware of the computer's ability to detect WOT and make fuel mixture adjustments accordingly. Pretty clever. And pretty clever way to work around it. Thanks again for all your wisdom. Rob

I'm starting to work through the list of 'things to do' on this new 2.2L 5-speed Legacy wagon which I bought from my son, and am down to this one: Car starts right up when cold (teens to mid-20s in the mornings; 40s in afternoon), but tends to be lumpy for the first 3-4 seconds, then smooths right out. However, when taking off, for the first maybe 60 seconds, the pickup is mildly alternately surge-y and hesitant. If I didn't know better, I'd suggest one side is fighting the other. Once the motor warms up, it runs like a champ. No codes are displayed. Brand new NGK plugs didn't change the behavior. My son noticed these symptoms for about 6 months before he sold it to me. It's got ~120,000 miles. I can certainly live with these symptoms, but it's clear to me that something isn't right and its fix shouldn't be too ellusive. So I'm thinking coolant temperature sensor. Is there any way to test this with a VOM -- resistance when cold, for instance? Or is it simply a matter of swapping in a new one. Thanks in advance! Rob

Another newbie question: On the '95 Legacy wagon which I just purchased, the tires were underinflated. I checked the sticker on the door jamb which recommended 32(f)/30® for my 195/60-15s. This seems a bit low to me. I'm ignorant about the culture of corporate Subaru; is this really what's supposed to be in here for optimum handling, or is it purposely soft so the typical American driver won't feel every crack in the road? Any harm in pushing the pressures up 2 psi apiece? How about 4 psi? Rob Kuhlman

Jerry -- thanks for your input. However, I won't use a Fram. I had one fail on my VW Rabbit about 15 years ago. The rubber gasket split -- oh, maybe 1000 miles after it was installed -- and I dropped all the oil on the highway. I was stranded and had to walk to a local garage where I was able to pick up a new filter and some oil. Perhaps a rare and anomalous event, but I learned two lessons -- carry extra oil and a spare filter, and stay away from Fram. Rob Kuhlman

Newbie question here: I'm going to do my first oil change soon and intending to put in Mobil 1. In the Volvo world, Mann filters (who also make the Volvo 'brand' filters) are far better than anything else out there. Is there an equivalent in the Subaru world? I've seen the following brands listed on online parts dealers: Subaru 'brand', Denso, Bosch, NPN. Anything to recommend? Anything to stay away from? Thanks in advance! Rob Kuhlman

I've searched the archives for info on code reading and here's what I've learned so far: -- the '90-'94 is OBDI -- the '96+ is OBDII -- the '95 is 'not quite either' and hence code readers for one or the other don't work on the '95. Is this correct? And, if so, how then does one pull and clear codes on the '95? Thanks in advance! Rob Kuhlman

Another newbie question: During my decade of Volvo ownership I've been trucking out to Carlisle, Penna. for the Import show in mid-May (at least on those weekends where there hasn't been torrential rain...). I've never noticed, largely because I had no need to notice, but is there a Subaru presence at this show? If so, I may bring this Legacy wagon rather than my Volvo 855. It sounds like a good way for me to get immersed in Subarus in the flesh & blood. Rob

Wow, Mark! Small world! How about that. This was the AMM and the computer for an '89? So...as a Subaru neophyte, I'm intrigued to learn more. How does the world of Subaru compare with the Volvo world? Rob

Greetings, All! I'm on the verge of acquiring my first Subaru. My son is unloading his '95 Legacy L s.w., which he had in Florida for several years, due to his move to NYC (where he views car ownership as a liability). I come from the Volvo world (240s, 855s) and am contemplating unloading my '87 244 with 210,000 miles and replacing it with my son's Legacy wagon with 120,000 miles. I've done a ton of my own maintenance work on the Volvos over the years; I'm sensing that this Legacy is pretty owner-maintainable as well. I've registered with this group to get a sense of what's out there to support Subaru owners and am impressed with what I see so far. I'll be back. In the meantime, just wanted to say 'Hi'. Rob Kuhlman