trevize1138

I need to get in at the multifunction switch on the '00 Legacy. To do so I believe I need to take the cover off the horn/airbag area, disable the airbag, take off the steering wheel and then finally be able to get at the switch. According to the Haynes manual I should disconnect the negative battery cable first and wait at least one full minute so that the airbag doesn't go ka-blooey in my face while I'm working and whistling the "CHiPs" theme. Anybody got some advice or soothing words to put my mind at ease?

That's what I was wondering: are the valves self-adjusting to the point where you really don't need to do an adjustment? Is that why it's only recommended every 100,000 miles?

What is the difference in sound between piston slap and valve tapping indicating a need for adjustment? Or, perhaps I should ask, would the valves make a tapping/rattling sound when the engine's cold if they needed adjustment?

EDIT: Oh, hey, check out this thread I totally missed right by mine! http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57601 Or, read on ... According to the Haynes manual I have the valves should be checked and adjusted only every 100,000 miles. My Impreza has over 120,000 miles on it and I got it with just over 100,000 miles on it so I don't know if the valves have ever been adjusted. From the manual it looks like the covers are relatively accessible for getting at the valves. Do I need to bother with this or only if I notice a loss of power over time? Wait ... I know ... don't wait until it becomes a problem. I guess my real question is why you only have to check and adjust valves after 100,000 miles. My 34-year-old VW's boxer motor requires valves to be checked/adjusted every 3,000 miles! What newfangled technology takes this from 3,000 to 100,000 miles? Also, I know this is quite common and often nothing to worry about, but it does have that rattle in the motor on cold mornings. Sounds like valves ticking but I've also heard people say it's actually piston slap and some have recommendations for some oil normally used in diesel engines to quiet that. But, would a valve adjustment also quiet some of that?

I just did a quick search at autozone.com and there are three brands. The first two are Duralast and Bosch. Are either of those OEM or is there a better place to go for OEM wires? Got a good link for Subaru parts?

Cool! So, I just replaced the plug wires on my '72 Ghia and it was as simple as yank the old wire, plug in new wire (one at a time so you don't mix it up at the distributor, of course). Just as simple with the Subaru?

Hmm! Good idea. I'll try that.

I'm thinking this is where the issue is. I currently do park this car outside. The newer Legacy and the classic car get the garage. Yesterday I drove it after it had been sitting for a couple days. It's been raining here for several days and I go the bad hesitation again in the morning for the first couple of miles. I did some troubleshooting and narrowed down what I'm experiencing: * It will hesitate if I floor it. Push the gas pedal 1/2 or 3/4 of the way and accelerate at a moderate rate and it drives just fine. * Again, after initial problems for the first mile or so in the morning the car ran just fine rest of the day. * No CEL (just to keep you guys on your toes). Last time this happened the car had been sitting for a while, but I drove it immediately to the car wash two blocks away for a cleaning, vacuum and interior wipe-down. It was a sunny day, but after sitting for a few minutes after the car wash while I vacuumed it had the same hesitation. So, that and yesterday's rainy day experience seem to suggest a moisture factor. But, the hesitation happening at full throttle suggests a fuel delivery problem ... so ... anybody recommend some injector cleaner? I heard the label "Seaform" or something to that effect mentioned. Would it hurt to try that? If so, we'll see the results and if that doesn't do it move on to the next culprit.

I know they aren't the same hitch. Whenever you look up info about which hitch to use they give you a different one for the Impreza vs. the Legacy. I'm just wondering if, despite that, you can still make it work somehow. I'd just rather do that than buy another hitch ... if possible

Personally, I miss the '02 and '03 Imprezas. They were the best-looking of the new bunch. I liked the "bug eyed" headlights

I installed a hitch mount on our '00 Legacy wagon from eTrailer.com a few years ago. We don't have a trailer, I only use it to attach my rear-mounted bike rack. I'd like to have one on the Impreza instead as that's my car and I used to have one on an '02 OBS. Great thing about the Subaru hitch-mounted bike rack on the OBS is you can actually open the hatch without swinging the rack down. The Legacy's hatch isn't so convenient, and it's my wife's car so I don't get to use the rack much any more. But, I'll stop with the superfluous info and just ask: would a hitch mount that fits a Legacy fit an Impreza? So, then I could just take it off one car and put it on the other.

Congrats, dude =) I got my wife into the Subaru fold before we were even married. She had a '91 Saab 9000 and it was just falling apart. We found her '00 Legacy L wagon in '03 with 58K on it for only $12K

bump =) Anyone?

My '97 OBS gets driven about once a week in the summer now if that. It's got about 127,000 miles on it. In the last month or so I've noticed a rather annoying hesitation before the engine's warmed up but only after it's been sitting for a week or more. If I drive it the next day and the day after that there's no hesitation at warmup or after it's warmed up. Is this just gunk settling in the fuel from sitting that gets blasted out after a few miles of driving? Maybe I need new plugs and wires? Injector cleaner? I've searched the archives and come across people talking about a coolant temp sensor, I believe. Apparently that's a cheap and easy DIY fix like plugs and wires.

Ah ha ... that's what I thought. I wasn't sure, and they're a bear to get at. But, now that I know they're the key I know I won't be wasting my time there. Thank you!

I'm trying to install a new CD/MP3 player in my wife's '00 Legacy and there's one last spot on the console cover I just can't get off. It's the part right next to the ash tray. I can't tell if the housing for the ash tray is bolted onto something and that's what's causing it not to budge or if I just need to yank a little harder. Of course, I'm nervous about just yanking harder. Don't want to damage something! Anybody changed out the audio deck in these things before and got an idea?

Remember, folks, in an attempt to keep out the rif-raf and redirect them, snickering to themselves, to someplace worse, the old vikings called the warm island "Iceland" and the cold one "Greenland." From what I've heard, here in Minnesota we've got it colder than Iceland. So, Oskar, are you blonde? My wife and I had a brief layover at Keflavik airport on our way to London for our honeymoon and it seemed to us that everyone in Iceland was blonde! ... well, Bjork being the obvious exception ... she's still hot, just not blonde ...

Well, if you're really desperate I'll take it off your hands for $100 :-p

It's got to be all about the boxer, not just the VW . Check out the other guy's retinue of Porsches.

oooh ... baby! Yeah, your picture of the Outback and the 912 is one of the ones I've seen before that got me thinking about this subject. Those 912s are pretty sweet. The first of the "new" Porsche look after the 356 "bathtub" style but plenty of '60s styling, too. Doesn't look quite as pretentious as newer 911s. Maybe it's just me, but I seem to like older "sports" cars that have way more looks than performance.

I'm a member of TheSamba.com forums as well because in addition to the pair of Subarus I've also got a '72 VW Karmann Ghia. In browsing the photos both on here and at TheSamba it seems that once you've owned a flat-4 you never go back! Numerous photos on both sites show either someone's Subaru with an air-cooled VW in the background or an air-cooled VW with a Subaru in the background. How 'bout it, folks? Raise your hand (and post a photo, maybe?) if you've got an old VW/Subaru pair. (http://druckenghia.blogspot.com for info, pics of the Ghia. I'll have to get some up of our Subarus eventually)

Very interesting that everyone's recommending better suspension and handling but only caual mention of intake and exhaust. Sounds about right to me, although my only rally experience so far has been limited to Colin McRae Rally 2005 for the PC with a force feedback steering wheel. Still, the physics of that game are quite good and one thing certainly seems for sure: all the HP and torque in the world will make you faster only if you know how to handle the car. But, I've got the best speed on a couple of the twistier courses in a 100hp Mini in that game. Even when I can do the course faster in an STi it's usually only a difference of 20 seconds or so on a 3 minute course. Is this cyberspace assessment of handling over power just as true in the real world of rally? In other words, is the sport 10% vehicle and 90% driver?

Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue before. My wife's '00 Legacy L wagon's left turn signal is acting flaky. I finally figured out last night what the specific symptoms are: * If you sort of "hit" it down with a little force it won't signal, just click 2X more rapidly than it should and no dash or exterior lights. * If you've already hit it down with a little force, you can lightly jiggle it up and the left turn signal will work just fine. * If you push it down without much force it works just fine. Obviously, some connection isn't being made right or after years of perhaps hitting the signal arm a little too hard my wife has worn the connection a bit? I've got a repair manual for the '90-'98 Legacy and some stuff applies but just wondering if anyone's dealt with this issue before and tried to fix it by pulling the signal arm out or partially dismantling the steering column to get at it.

If you just bought this car and it's used I'm not surprised you've got a host of things to fix such as the ones you're listing here. It is a 10 year old car and depending on how the previous owner(s) drove it I can see how all those things would cause some issues. I got my '97 Outback Sport two years ago and knew right away it needed new struts and tires 'cause it handled like crap. That's why I bought it for $1500 less because I knew I'd have to put that much back into it to get it back up to par. It also had a slipping clutch which just needed a few turns of the wrench to tighten up. The previous owner must have been burning the clutch a lot on starts. Anybody else notice this about used, MT Subarus from owners who weren't, you know, "drivers?" Since then it's been gas and oil changes.

Bump? Anyone on this question?