Spacinjason

I was wondering where the fuel filter is located on my '06 Baja Turbo? Is it in the gas tank or mounted to gas tank, or is it under the hood somewhere? TIA for any reply. Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

I have a question about my '06 Baja. Does it have shocks or struts? I'm sure it has struts in the front, but was unsure as to what it has in the rear. I know I could just crawl under it and look, but I figured someone here would know. Has anyone upgraded to better shocks/struts and how did you like it? Thanks in advance for any reply! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT

Years ago I bought a 'low mileage engine from Japan' for a Datsun I had. I purchased it from GI Joes. The Datsun had sucked a valve @136,000 miles so I just decided to replace the engine. My Father and I put in the new engine, hooked everything up and when we filled the cooling system, coolant started pouring out of the head! Hadn't even started it yet! We were pissed! So we pulled out that engine and GI Joes ordered another one for me. They even delivered it and we lived way out in the sticks at the time. The new engine was awesome! We had a few problems with the smog control as it was a different set up then my 'American' Datsun, but once we bypassed most of it, the engine ran great! It had more power then my old engine and I personally drove the car for 3 more years with no problems. I saw the car around the Valley for about 3 or 4 more years after that. Just sharing my experience. Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

My wife has never been comfortable driving in poor conditions (rain, snow, etc.). I have taken her to empty parking lots and deserted mountain roads a few times to let her 'practice' and get a feel for what a vehicle does when 'out of control'. While I don't know if it has really helped her, she had a great time playing! One thing I have tried to teach her is how to 'push start' a manual trans car by letting it roll and pop the clutch. For some reason she just cannot quite get that one! We have been married for 17 yrs., and she still cannot push start a car! I bought her a Camry with an automatic for her last car! Glad to hear that no one was hurt in your accident! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

I haven't had any brake issues yet in my '06 Baja, but have had many warped rotor problems in the past with my last two trucks. A '94 Toyota 4x4 and a '01 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4. The Dakota's are infamous for warping rotors, the front rotors are just too small for that heavy of a vehicle. Anyway, I use to notice warping problems sometimes after heavy braking when it was real wet outside, or driving in the snow. Clearly it was from me getting the brakes too hot, then they would get wet while braking and warpage would occur. I was able to avoid more problems by pumping the brakes in wet conditions (to dry them a little) or just keeping the brake pedal pushed down a little after getting them wet while still driving forward (again to dry them a bit). Also trying to not keep the pedal pushed down for a long period after a hard stop. The pads will hold the heat on that part of the rotor while the exposed part of the rotor is cooling down, thus causing warpage. Don't know if this helps at all, but just some stuff I've learned from personal experience. I finally solved the Dakota's problem with aftermarket rotors (can't remember what brand). It cost about $400 but was well worth it as I had no warpage problems after that. Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo:burnout:

Okay, so I have an '06 Baja Turbo. 2.5L DOHC intercooled turbo. Is that an 'improved' engine? This is my first Subaru, but I have dealt with HG problems before. failed HG on a '89 Mazda pickup (86k), and had a free replacement of HG on a '94 Toyota 3.0L V6 at 30k (recall for HG, those engines were prone to HG failure.). I know my Baja is a new car and should provide years of trouble free service, but I was just wondering. Thanks in advance for any response. Spacinjason:burnout:

Thanks for the replies! Spacinjason

8) I have a question regarding the ventilation system on my '06 Baja. It seems like when I open the vents for just fresh air (no AC or heat turned on) the air that enters the cabin still seems warmer then the outside temperature. Is there something on our Subarus that keeps the air entering the cabin at a certain temp? Sometimes I just want cool fresh air entering my vehicle and it seems to be warmer then it is outside. I notice this in the mornings when it is cold outside. I need to take a refrigeration thermometer and stick it in the vents and see how warm the air actually is. It feels like it is in the 60's, even if it is like 40 outside. Is it just my imagination or is this a Subaru characteristic. Thanks in advance for any replies! Spacinjason '06 Bja Turbo MT[/b]

I got the bed extender with mine, and it does give you a bit more room. I think it extends the bed to about 5'. That's almost as long as the bed on my Dakota Quad Cab I traded in for Baja. Also, If you open the tailgate and don't flip out the bed extender, it is very comfortable to sit back there with the bed extender as a backrest. My wife is in the process of making a cushion for it. Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT

Yeah, LSD is even listed on the window stickers under 'Standard Equipment' Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

I've had my '06 Baja Turbo MT for about 2 months now and I love driving the freakin' thing! I commute 70 miles a day (roundtrip) and it drives great, goes straight and of course the AWD handles whatever coditions are thrown at it (I live in Oregon). It's comfortable on the freeway, but the suspension feels a bit stiffer then the OBW's I've driven. I think it handles pretty well, but could benefit with some better tires. I enjoy it very much as my daily driver. My favorite thing about it though is the TURBO! Man it accelerates great, and will definitely *************** and get! It's hard to keep your foot out of it as it is just so dang much fun when the turbo is spooled up!Now to answer some of your questions.....You have to run Premium in it, or it will not perform properly. I don't really know if it will damage anything, but it's not going to perform well on regular. I average about 20 MPG, but have gotten as high as 24 MPG. I just can't keep my foot out of it, so my gas mileage suffers. Know what though? Don't care!!! It makes you smile everytime you punch it, so I don't mind paying a little more at the pump for the excitement it provides when you push down on that little gas pedal thingy. It's a great rig for my family (we also have a '98 Camry), we have 2 girls still in car seats, so don't really need a whole lot of legroom in back. I can definitely see why some people would prefer a Legacy or OBW, the bed is pretty small on the Baja and you could actually haul more stuff in a wagon. I personally prefer the versitility the Baja provides, and really want to have an open bed (even if it is small). I've always had 4x4 trucks as my daily driver in the past, and just love having an open bed to toss stuff into. Weather it's dirty, sandy toys, motorcycles, kids stuff, tools, wood, gravel whatever. I also don't want a wet or dirty dog inside my car. My favorite use is dumping the front lawn clippings into the bed, driving around the house and dumping them into my mulch pile. No wheelbarrow needed, and way easier on my back! I wouldn't want to do that kind of thing in my nice Legacy or OBW, It does surprisingly well off road, but the approach and departure angles leave a bit to be desired and seems like it wouldn't be to hard to break some plastic. It would be great to have a 4LO option, but at least they have LSD rearends. It's really fun in the snow, that is were Subarus really seem to shine. All in all, I really like the Baja (we call it the Ca-truk). It's definitely one of the funnest vehicles I've ever had. So fun to drive! Seats are very comfortable. If I could change anything, I would like to see it built on a larger platform (Forester maybe?). It is a little small inside, but it is kind of a sports car and they are usually small. Cupholders get in the way of the shifter. Make the pass through from bed to cab larger (like the Avalanche), or get rid of it all together and have a power rear window. I would prefer that myself. The negatives ars so minor though, they are hardly worth mentioning. If you buy one, get the Turbo. My nieghbor has a '03 Baja and it isn't nearly as much fun to drive. His non turbo gives up 44 HP. Plus you don't get the cool hood scoop and roof mounted antenna. Not to mention the cool red shading around the Baja logo. If you go for a leather edition, you may have to get an AT. I personally would want a MT with any turbo vehicle. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and hope I was able to provide a little 'insight' to the world of Subaru Baja's! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT

Hey all- I want to install an all weather 12V outlet in the bed of my '06 Baja. I was thinking of installing it on the right side towards the back of bed, and wanted it to be flush mounted, not just screwed down. Any idea of clearance between the plastic bed liner and body of truck? I think having a power outlet back there would come in really handy for camping and tailgaiting. I found an all weather unit at Bi Mart for $10, but it looks to be designed to screw down to a flat surface, and could get damaged loading and unloading the pickup bed. I want a clean factory type look. Any idea's or advise would be appreciated! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

I want to see some pics of your rally Brat! I wanted one of those so bad when I was in high school (20 yrs. ago!). I like your new ride though, you should do well with it. Good luck! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

Yeah, I had the same smell from my '06 Baja Turbo for quite a while. Especially when driving in the mountains. I would get out of my rig and ''go what the heck is that smell?" Smelled like hot engine or tranny. Seems to be going away now that I have 5k on her. Like the other guys said I don't think it's anything to worry about. Good luck and enjoy your Baja, I sure have enjoyed mine! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

Thanks Kurt. Maybe that was where I saw it? Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

I recently came across a thread where someone posted pics of thier silver Baja with powdercoated baja bars. I cannot seem to find it again! It looked really nice as I don't care for the chrome look all that much. My question is how difficult is it to remove the baja bars and can you drive your Baja around without them while they are being powdercoated? I heard that they are part of the structural integrety of the vehicle. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance. Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT:burnout:

Great advise! I tried it in my '06 Baja, and now I don't have to listen to the seatbelt chime everytime I move my vehicle around my property! It just chimes about 6 times, then stops. I drove around my land without seatbelt, and while the seatbelt light stayed on, it never chimed. Thanks, that has been driving me crazy! Spacinjason '06 Baja Turbo MT

I have a new baja, and was considering having the 'roll' bars in the back powdercoated as I don't care for the chrome look all that well. Has anybody done this? I know the bars are an intricate part of the car and willl have to be replaced before driving vehicle. How hard are they to remove? Thanks in advance for any reply. Spacinjason

elcaminokurt- What year Dakota did you have if I can ask? I too traded in a Dakota for my Baja. It was a '01 Quad Cab Sport 4x4 with the 4.7L V8, MT, and 3.55 LSD. I liked the truck but the mpg were killing me! I like my Baja better, it's faster and easier to drive. The only thing I miss about the Dak is the V8 rumble! Spacinjason

Hey all- I have an '06 Baja Turbo, and was wondering if anyone knew of any 'bull bars' or light bars or anything that are available for my vehicle. Any pics would be great. Thanks in advance! Spacinjason

How much did your tint cost you if you don't mind me asking? I've gotten some quotes for tinting the windows in my Baja (rearwindow, front doors, and sunroof). I've been quoted between $170-$230 which seems reasonable to me. I plan on getting it done real soon. In Oregon you can 'legally' go with a darker (Limo type) from the front doors back on trucks and SUV's (the Baja is classified as an SUV). The rear window seems to have some sort of factory tint on it already, but it is not dark enough for my taste and it lets in to much headlight glare. Does anyone know if it will be a problem to tint over that, or is the factory tint actually in the glass? The factory tint on the rear doors looks good, so I will leave it alone. I've had tinted windows on my last 3 vehicles, and it's driving me crazy not having my privacy glass in the Baja! Fnlyfnd your Pontiac looked awesome. Wasn't it a little difficult to see out the windshield at night? Did the police ever harrass you about the windshield being tinted? I notice in a lot of car ad's and brochures that the windshields are blacked out. Looks cool! I actually had a cop ask me to see paperwork for my tint in my last rig (Dodge Dakota Quad Cab) when I got pulled over for speeding. I had paperwork from local company stating it was a legal percentage of tint, so I was good on that. Did get a $201 speeding ticket though:mad: Spacinjason

Hey all- I bought an '06 Baja Turbo a little over a month ago, and just had to say how much I love it! I've put 2700 miles on her with no problems. I have a couple of interior rattles that the dealer will fix when I bring it in for first oil change. This vehicle is great! Good performance, and good looks. I get a lot of stares from people. Either they hate it or love it, I'm not sure! I know I like it and that's what counts! I had a Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 with a V8 and MT. Great rig except for the gas mileage! I mainly use my rig to commute in (70 miles a day) and the Dakota was not the best rig for that. Poor mileage, plus it drove like a 'truck'. I find the Baja is a much better rig for my everyday use, plus it's kind of quick with the Turbo. This is a great forum with lots of info. Thanks to all! Spacinjason

Huh? Spacinjason:burnout:

Well, I have to agree with most of the other members. I personally would never buy an ex rental car. I know how I treat them! Drive them like I stole them! I know some people who have bought them though and have had no problems. I would have a Subaru tech check out the tranny before you buy the car. On the plus side, the car should still have about 1 yr. left on it's factory warranty, maybe more left on drivetrain warranty? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Anybody notice that the original post is about 1.5 yrs. old? He's probably either bought that rental car or something else (hopefully a Subaru!) by now. Spacinjason:burnout:

Hey SakoTGrimes, is that your Subaru on it's lid in the snow? Kind of looks like a turtle that got flipped over onto it's shell! Hope nobody was hurt! I noticed you're living in Medford (at least for a little while!). I live in Grants Pass and work in Meford! Small world! I will have to deep an eye out for your Subaru. Where was your Subaru rolled at, the picture kind of looks like it might be 140, but not sure. Have a good day! Spacinjason:burnout: