excalibur5

I have a '95 legacy wagon with the standard passenger side airbag. I also have the need to carry one adult and three children (2 in rear-facing carseats in the back seat, and one 4 year old in a forward facing belt positioning seat). The subaru is just not big enough for 3 car seats across the rear, and I would like to put the 4 year old in the passenger seat. These models don't appear to have a easy way to disable just the passenger airbag. Has anyone done this? How can you disconnect the passenger airbag and leave the rest of the system functional? Even better would be wiring a switch in the system to "arm" or "disarm" the airbag if a adult or child has to sit up front.

Pretty sure it's not wheel bearings, I've had those go out, and it is a continuous noise (does not matter if power is being applied or not), and much lower in tone (a growl instead of a higher pitched whine), and they would not go away the faster the car goes. Good news is the local scrap yard has a few used diffs for $95. They look like they'd be pretty simple to swap out, as well.

I have a '95 legacy L, AWD, Auto, 110K, and have what I believe is gear whine coming from the rear differential. It shows up at 50mph, gets louder until 65, then goes away if you go above 65. The noise also goes away if you take off power (lift foot off of pedal), and comes right back when you reapply power. I am suspicious of the rear diff. I changed the fluid out hoping it was dirty or low, and that didn't help. It is getting annoyingly loud. Anyone encounter this one? I have a feeling I might need to replace the diff with a used one.

One other simple thing to check; if you hit a tree that hard you would likely have tripped the fuel pump reset switch. Turn the key to the run position, and make sure you hear the fuel pump cycle for a second. If it does not, reset the switch (not exactly sure where it located on these cars, usually under a plastic panel in the rear, or in the passenger kick panel).

I ran by yesterday. Not just oil filters, but all Napa Gold filters (air, fuel, oil, etc). All were 40% off. I stocked up!

I probably used the wrong terminology, I have no intentions of a "flush" per se. I will drain out the ATF in the pan by removing the drain plug, then remove the pan to change the filter, reassemble and refill. (my understanding is that this can be caused by a old or partially clogged filter - when the oil is cold and thick, it does not pump up as quickly as it should, and the pump makes noise.) I know what you mean. Sometimes upsetting the balance can throw a AT out of whack really quick..

Well, looks like I figured out the problem. Seems the tranny is allowing the fluid to drain back out of the pump when it sits for a while, causing it to act like it is sucking air for the first couple minutes after startup (particularly when cold). When the weather gets warmer, I'll try a fluid flush, and change the transmission filter during that time, hopefully it'll help. FYI it sounds just like a Power Steering pump low on fluid for the first 30 seconds of runtime when it is first started in the morning. It goes away quickly. Anyone see this problem before? Recommendations?

Thanks, but yes, I know how to check the fluid. It was fully warmed up (just driven), on a level surface, and I had run through the gears to make sure all passages were full, and yes, it was idling in park.

Just bought a '95 legacy L, with an Automatic Tranny, and AWD. When I first test drove it, the AWD was not working at all. The PO took it to a tranny shop and had the duty clutch solenoid replaced with a new one, and replaced a leaky pinion seal while they were at it. They topped off the tranny fluid, and after checking, it appears about 1 quart overfull at the moment. The problem: When it is cold, and the car is cold (15-20 degrees, and for the first 5 minutes of driving) there is a whirring noise coming from right under the shifter, especially when the AWD is having to work a little more on snow. The AWD is now working perfectly. I know I need to drain off the extra tranny fluid, and plan on doing so tonight, but any ideas where the noise is coming from? FYI 107K total on the car, and no torque bind.

That makes sense. I was not aware of the mandatory 50/50 split in 1 or R. Where is the master connector for the transmission wiring harness located? I didn't go very far with the diagnosis last night as it was late, and I had a screaming kid in the back seat. I do know about the FWD fuse, and did not bother to check it.

Rear CV shafts, yes, rear drive shaft - didn't check. Did not try it in 1 or 2. What's the reason for the lower gear?

I just test drove a '95 legacy L with 107K on the clock. It was rock solid, and drove really nice until I tested it on a patch of ice. It would spin just one front wheel, and didn't appear to engage the rear tires at all. (yes this one has the optional AWD) It looks like a real "creampuff" and well taken care of otherwise. My thinking is that this is likely the duty clutch or the duty clutch solenoid. Anyone have any experience with this one? If that is the case, how bad is the fix? The FWD light was not illuminated on the dash. Like I said it just didn't "feel" quite right, and my daily driver is a '96 legacy LS, so I do know what it should feel like.

Definately not interested in HID. Most kits are illegal, anyway.. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

I have a '96 legacy LS, completely stock. I have noticed the headlights are considerably lacking in their performance (and yes, the lenses are clean). They just don't seem to perform nearly as well as my other cars. It appears they are dimmer and don't penetrate nearly as well on a dark night. Does anyone have a recommendation? I know the outback ran driving lights, which I'm sure helps quite a bit.. I would just prefer to put in brighter bulbs, if that is an option, and still legal to do. Any suggestions?

I have a '96 Legacy with a 2.2L. Runs great, but idles a bit low. It recently had the check engine code come on, scanned it and P0115 (coolant temp sensor). It came on when the weather was very cold (around -10F for a week), and as soon as it warmed up outside a bit (25-35F), the check engine light went out again. Now that it has cooled outside again (around 0F) the check engine light has come back on. Replacement looks simple enough http://www.lovehorsepower.com/SubaruDocs/CoolantTempSensor.html but I am just wondering if it is really the problem. It does make some sense that it is having issues when the temperature really drops, but wouldn't it be having issues the rest of the time? Also, anyone have experience with aftermarket replacement sensors? any good?