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?

The cams did get turned 5-10 revolutions during the course of the job. What's the fix if the hydraulic lifters leaked down? Is that something that might fix itsself with time?

Hey all. With your help, I completed a timing belt replacement on my '96 Legacy 2.2. I did the timing belt, new idlers, resealed the cam shafts, resealed the oil pump, and installed a new water pump. After reassembly, the car runs perfect, but when cold makes a strange noise I am having a hard time locating. It almost sounds like a belt is hitting the plastic cover, but it goes away after 2500 rpm, and is gone after 5 minutes of run time. Anyone have this happen? Ideas on what I did wrong?

Just been playing with it for one evening. Barely begun to figure it out, lotsa features. So far, I like it. Note there is a firmware update for it on the Pioneer website. Without that update, the unit was extremely slow, and would take a minute and a half to fully boot up when you started the car. With the update, the boot process takes more like 30 seconds now, and the unit just works better. The process is explained pretty well on the Pioneer website & is easy to do. I paid $300 for it off of Craigslist. It was used for about 9 months by the previous owner, and removed because she wanted something that would play DVD's. Installation was a snap. I had a subaru wiring harness adaptor. Start to finish (including completely updating the unit) took about 3 hours.

Seeing as everyone was so quick to respond, for the record it fit perfectly.

I have a '96 legacy LS, and just got a deal on a double DIN navigaton touchscreen. Here is the website. http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Support/CarAudioVideo/In-Dash/GPS-Navigation-Systems/ci.AVIC-F700BT.Support I can't get a clear answer whether or not it will fit in the car. It sure looks like it will, and pioneer says it will, but not Crutchfield. Anyone have a large unit like this in their car? Any problems getting it to fit?

One other thing to take a good look at with such low mileage and with its age are all the rubber hoses (vacuum, fuel, coolant, brake flex lines) on the car. They stand a good chance of being original, and could be brittle or dry-rotted depending on where the car lived. Generally easy and cheap to fix, but a real problem if one goes in the middle of nowhere. Basically just flex the hoses with your hands and look for cracks, brittleness, etc.

Regarding the emery cloth - it might help for a very temporary fix (couple hundred miles). If your rotors are near new, you can turn them and take a couple thousands out and it might help, but eventually the rotors will be smooth again, and the squeaking will likely return. When the rotors get polished smooth, the pads are also polished smooth, and that is what will invite the dreaded brake squeaking. You never addressed the quality of the brake pads you installed. If they are low grade, that is likely the problem right there. -Cheap pads generally squeak.

Unfortunately par for the course with disc brakes. The only thing that has helped for me is to always buy the top of the line brake pads, never a mid-or-low grade. They usually have better vibration isolation (AKA squeak control) backer pads, and have higher quality materials used in their construction to help stop squeaks. They can be aftermarket, but top of the line is important (I have had good luck with Napa's premier line). Afterall, what is more important for a car-being able to move forward, or STOP. Never skimp on brakes. One other thing that can sometimes help is a spray on brake stop squeak (you put it on the back of the pads) but I have had varying luck with it. The other thing that can help is getting the rotors turned or replaced. The polished surface your old pads left will take longer to break the new pads in. The rough surface of new or turned pads is there for a reason. As soon as the rotors get polished and smooth, the brakes can start to squeak. Truth be told, if they are working fine, I would just live with the squeak until you need new pads, then replace them with good ones.

Aha. Now it makes sense. I was under the impression there was a seal and o-ring on both the passenger and drivers side, on the front. Thanks for correcting me.

Allright, I'm nearly through on this one.. I can see how to remove the drivers side cam seal and replace it and its associated "o" ring (looks like you remove the camshaft support 2-3 bolts). The passenger side has me stumped. The Chilton's is totally worthless. It says to remove the passenger side camshaft support, which I do not see on the front of the engine. It appears the passenger side camshaft seal is pressed directly into the head. Is this correct? I know you can get these seals out other ways (careful use of a screwdriver or pick), but is there a better way?