Tommymc

I really don't know. The shop I went to has specialized in Subarus and Saabs for at least 25 years and is reputable. They were trying to save me money by using aftermarket cats. When the aftermarket cats failed almost immediately, they took them back under warranty and put in a Subaru part. This was in 2003. Two years later, (after ~25k more miles) the engine was replaced, (my daughter didn't notice the car overheating until too late when the water pump failed.) and shortly after that the cat went again. The shop theorized it might have been damaged when the old engine blew. Now here we are after another 25k-30k miles and it's gone again. I've got it in a different shop and they are telling me the same story: "we see it all the time." Subaru is the unofficial 'state car' of VT so they are seeing a large sample. BTW, does that 8yr/80k warranty apply to the replacement cats too, or just new cars? That's why I'm looking at alternatives....so back to my question about o2 simulators and turning off the CEL. Do any of the simulators get the job done, and is there any way to reset the CEL without a scanner which I don't have? Thanks.

I had the car into a shop that specializes in Subarus. It was their call that the converter is shot. The other times the cat went, the sensors were replaced too. I went through 2 or 3 aftermarket cats (under warranty) and finally had to put in an OEM part before the problem was solved. Two different shops have told me this is a real problem with Subarus. Has nobody else experienced this? Anyway, I picked up a pair of spark plug non-foulers and assembled the 'extender' for the o2 sensor. 18mm is the correct thread. The CEL is still on, so either the fix isn't working ($3.97 down the tube) or I need to reset it. Any suggestions on how to do that without a scanner would be appreciated.

My CEL went off and is indicating the catalytic is shot in my '96 Legacy wgn. This will be the 3rd or 4th replacement and I think enough is enough. The aftermarket cats don't work at all, and I only get a couple of yrs out of the OEM ones. Sooooo........I'm looking at DIY alternatives and have a few questions. I thought the first and easiest 'fix' would be the mechanical one using spark plug anti-foulers:http://www.importpassion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15507 1. Has anybody tried this and is 18mm the correct thread for Subaru? 2. Assuming it works, will the CEL go off after enough cycles or is there another easy way to shut it off? 3. O2 simulators...a bit more expensive. Has anybody had luck with them? Thanks.

Thanks for the replies. I took a trip to the local dealer and they identified the part: Drain valve filter. It would have cost $70 if they had one but they couldn't even locate one. They were kind enough to refer me to a local garage who has a lot of used parts and I got one from them. Well, there was a clunking in the back every time I drove on bumpy roads. I finally located the source, and it was this drain filter. It's supposed to be bolted down with a huge clamp which had rusted off. I was jostling it while trying to figure a way to clamp it, and one of the hoses came off: the fitting was rusted and snapped. The entire can was one ball of rust. If you own a car and live in VT, there's a lot of durable items that just rust off.

96 Legacy wagon, in the passenger rear, aparently part of the evaporative system. There is a shoe box sized plastic box, and tucked just above it is a small metal can about the size of an oil filter. It has 2 hoses going into it....well one nipple is rusted off so only one hose now. I'd like to know what it is so I can sound halfway intelligent when I go to buy a new one. Sorry, no pics.

I'm sure the constant drag is an issue with pad life, but I was referring earlier to the rotors themselves. I think that they are more exposed to the elements and prone to rust to a greater degree than drums. Since the rear does less braking, the difference in performance isn't as much of an issue as with front brakes.

Tires don't always wear evenly. That's why we're supposed to rotate them. But in the real world, I wonder how many average folks really do rotations. Is the Subaru tranny/differential truly unable to cope with differences in wear with the same size and make of tire? This isn't just a rhetorical question. I found myself in a similar situation a few years ago and went the 2-tire replacement route, using the exact same tires as what was on there. I'm still running them...the fronts have roughly 80% tread left to the rear 40% I don't know if that falls within the 1/4" tolerance but I'll measure. It's a standard transmission BTW.

I've got to agree with Steve on this. Sure, maybe rear disc brakes are better than drums, but how much better do you need? My '96 Brighton stops just fine with rear drums. Remember that most of your stopping power is being done by the front brakes anyway. And if funds are tight, think about this....I've replaced my front rotors several times, and had to have them turned because of warping or rust. In the same period, I've probably put one set of rear pads in and never touched the drums. So if I were in your shoes, I'd be thinking 'don't fix it if it ain't broke.' OTOH, I've got a 1960 Chevy with drums all around and no power assist. THAT might be worthy of a conversion, at least in the front. You've heard the term 'stand on the brakes'....well thats how you make that baby stop and don't even mention the fade when they get wet.

Well, I pulled the brakes apart and checked the front end, all looks normal.....for an 11 yr old VT car. BTW she just passed a state safety inspection today which included the regular shaking of the front end. Lug nut torque....I don't have a torque wrench. Lug nuts were all tight but not overly so. Are you thinking that too tight could be a problem?

I thank you for the replies. I don't see how this can be a tire/balance issue because it is intermittant. Usually the tire thing happens consistantly at one speed. Oh yeah, this is a Brighton model=no ABS. For all the world this feels like warped rotors....when it happens. But there again, warped rotors always pulse to some degree, just worse when braking at high speed. My daughter recently drove the car from VT to Boston at highway speeds and had no problem. The car sometimes will sit for a week or so without being driven, so I thought the calipers might be sticking. I can picture a stuck caliper making a pad drag on the rotor, causing it to heat and warp. What I can't make sense of is why the rotor would return to normal when it cools....with no permanent damage. My experience with rotors is it doesn't take much to ruin them. Tomorrow I'm going to pull off the tires and snoop around. I just wonder if there is anything else that might mimic a warped rotor.

No not AT certain speeds but after driving certain speeds. So I could drive around town all day and the front rotors feel smooth as silk. I could take it on the interstate and usually it feels just as smooth. Every once in a while, after driving at highway speeds, the front brakes will vibrate like crazy when I slow down to get off. For instance: today I drove to work twelve miles...5 miles on the interstate. When I pulled off at the exit, the brakes shook and vibrated the steering wheel. Everything I know about brakes says 'warped rotor'. Then I continue on to work and the brakes smooth right out again. On the ride home, reverse of the same route, I don't experience any problem. Whatever is going on seems to be triggered by speed, but isn't consistant. It may not recur for days.

'96 Legacy wgn. The brakes work fine, a little squeak now and then when I apply moderate pressure, but the rotors feel smooth. I replaced pads and rotors last year, and have put under 5K on the car since then. One little problem: sometimes I get a pulsation and vibration as if the rotors were severely warped. Big time. I travel about 5 miles on the interstate on the way to work, and the times I've experienced this is when I get off the exit and try to stop. Then the problem clears up and might not recurr for days. The only thing I can think of is if one of the calipers is sticking and causing the rotor to heat and warp.....but it returns to normal. I would expect warping that severe to ruin the rotor. Anybody experienced this or have any ideas? Thanks

Thanks....it looks like the same stuff I used when I replaced the glass in my outside mirror(?)

I'm repairing the inevitable rust on my 96 Subaru Legacy. The rear door has rusted under side trim/ door moulding where the clips go through the body. I've removed the trim which was held on both by clips and double sided foam tape, and repaired the damage with Bondo and Tiger Hair. The clips are all broken and I'm inclined to not put new holes in the door as that is how the rust got a foothold. Does anybody have suggestions on a good adhesive to just glue the trim on? I'm thinking about some sort of construction adhesive but don't know how it will hold up.

I live in VT...in the heart of the Rust Belt. I've seen and used a lot of different approaches to rust through the years. I would agree whole heartedly with the wire brush/rust converter/prime & paint approach. I've got mixed feelings about undercoating. The problem with rubberized undercoating is that if/when it fails, it creates a layer that traps moisture. A lot of folks around here swear by annual 'oil undercoating.' It's an environmentalists nightmare but seems to be very effective.

Our 1996 Legacy had the clutch go at 140k. I thought that was premature, but we have pulled a pop-up around some.

Yeah, I was thinking I might try that approach for the inside.....but the yellowing you all are speaking about is on the outside?

So let me get this straight, we're talking about polishing the OUTSIDE of the lens? Mine are fogging up, but I had assumed it was on the inside. Well, one of them has a small ding and has let condensation in, but they both are foggy and I assumed I needed to take the lens off.

Well, Bretm57 I know exactly the problem you are speaking of, because I just fixed that one a few months ago! I was able to sand it down and fill the area with a metal epoxy. It seems to be holding, and I can't detect any smell or leaking from there. Isn't it ironic that the cowling that is designed to protect the pipe is the cause of it's failure? Nipper, where is this purge valve? I don't smell anything around the outside of the charcoal cannister but maybe the fumes would exit elsewhere? If there is an actual fuel leak, I should think I would either see the wetness or at least smell it when I'm under the car...which is not the case. I know in the case of the filler pipe leak, there was no dripping evident because the packed mud was acting like a sponge...but the smell was a giveaway to the location of the leak. So this purge valve is making sense, but where does it 'purge' to, and how do I troubleshoot it? Thanks for all your help.

96 Legacy wagon, I'm getting a raw fuel smell in the passenger cabin. It is intermittant, I think worse in warm weather. As long as the windows are closed, I don't seem to detect it, but if I open the drivers window on a warm day, it seems to draw it in and circulate. When I stop and get out, I can't detect any smell outside the car. I've sniffed the area by the charcoal cannister and fuel tank, but don't smell anything. I took off the access covers over the fuel tank and everything looked dry and no odor. I'm suspecting something with the evap relay system, but can't seem to smell anything when the car is stopped. Any ideas are welcomed.

I have never done a wheel bearing, but I can add one observation. I live in the land of salt and snow, and have found that Subarus seem to eat wheel bearings. The local Subaru gurus have theorized that the interface between the bearing and the CV joint(?) gets pitted, and causes the bearings to fail. They get used CVs from California and replace them at the same time as the bearings. Otherwise the new bearings can fail after as little as 10k-15k.

Now that the warm weather is here in VT, it's time to catch up on repairing rust. I'm working on a 96 Legacy wagon. There seem to be regular places you can expect them to rust. I've been keeping up with the rear fender behind the tires, but now the back doors are starting. It seems that mud and salt works itself between the trim strip and the door and starts it's evil work. I can touch up the visible areas above and below the strip, but unless I can remove the trim, I can't get at the source of the problem. I have the door panel off, but there don't seem to be any bolts or clips protruding. Is the strip glued on? What is the best way to non-destructively remove it? BTW, I'm also treating the rust hole from the inside with rust converter and tigerhair.

I agree with Legacy777: bad connection somewhere. On my 96 Legacy, I had an intermittant headlight and found the plug on the back of the bulb to be bad. The connection must have arced or something because the metal connectors were weak, and the plastic housing was crumbling. If so, you'll have to replace the plug.

Anybody else noticed that Subarus seem to go through wheel bearings at about twice the rate of other cars?

Update: I took it to the local Subaru guys, and they ran the code. They say it's the sensor. I think I'm going to let them do the job...the labor shouldn't be too much and I don't want to end up replacing the sensor and then finding it's something else. Thanks for the help.