Lesbaru

Just had new cats put on my 96 Legacy, and I can already tell it's a happier car! I can zip up hills again, accelerate from stop lights, and don't watch my rpms climb a zillion times faster than my mphs. Filled the tank, and will have to wait until I use it up to see if Twobaru goes back to 24-26 mpg (it's been getting 18 mpg lately). ($508 at the Shoreline Walt's Auto Repair.)

Nope, didn't forget my favorite bunch of Subi-geeks! I just don't have a computer, except the one I can borrow at the library or quick sneaky uses when the receptionist is away from her desk at work. I miss you all... sigh.

Isn't it against the law or something to eat/drink while driving in Japan? So the cupholders were just added where-ever for the foreign market? That's the story I got from somewhere, don't remember where... could be completely wrong.

I would think bearings, even though it sounds like its behind the steering wheel. That's how mine sounded when it started going. Later it was worse, and sounded like I was driving a roaring set of snowtires.

Yup. The chickie is better than the pearl jam splat.

My left boot is torn and my CV is goopy. I get a clank (sounds like a rock in a hubcap) when I turn left at very slow speeds. I'm saving my money for new cats. Replacing my axle is kinda low on my list. Me bad.

My 96 Legacy is sqeaking when going forward at low speeds. Sounds like a noise the brakes make when they are wearing out, but the brakes aren't on. Please tell me it's not my axles dying (I need new boots).

catalytic convertors? Cloggy fuel filter?

My 96 Legacy only started doing that after I had my clutch replaced. Bummer, dude. I'm trying to live with it, because I can't get my old clutch back.

Oh, great and wise Subi-folk... enlighten me! I had a flange on the exhaust system of my 96 Legacy 2.2 MT repaired at Midas just before I left for a cross-country trip. Midas said my cats were fine then. During the trip my CEL came on and off a few times, then stayed on. I gave Carter Subaru a lot of money to find out it was the cats setting off the CEL. A few days later the light turned off by itself and has stayed off. But! Now I am getting 21 mpg city instead of my old 26 mpg city. The car seems to be lacking power, too. Could the cats have gone really bad? Would that make my milage drop and the car seem sluggish? How much should it cost to get a new exhaust system? Carter Subaru wants $2300, Williams Subaru wanted $1200, Midas says they can do it for $800. I haven't called Smart Service yet.

Can I have a white USMB sticker? (though, yellow would be very cool, to match the yellow older USMB sticker on my back bumper) I send checks through the mail, can you PM me your mail address? Thanks, Kaja

I had both a 96 Saturn and a 96 Legacy for a while, and I noticed the same thing comparing the two clutches. I just had a new clutch put in my Legacy, and it is pretty nifty, shifts more like my gf's 02 Forester.

Is that "rip stitch" only on the older seperate lap/shoulder belts? Do we know what years and models are effected? Not a pretty story...

I had one on my GL and one on my Legacy. I'm pretty happy with them. Haven't noticed them doing anything nasty to my mpg. Used to live on a dirt road, and they really helped keep the dust off the back window. (also help with snow)

Get ahold of Emily at CCR Inc. (www.ccrinc.com, I think) She's great.

I had a chip and got the epoxy-treatment before it turned into a crack. Did that about 2 years ago, and I haven't had any problem with it yet. The company (Guardian Auto Glass) will only do that to chips on the passenger side of the windshield. If it's on the driver's side, they say you should really replace the whole thing, because the epoxy does leave a little mark and distort your view a bit. Cost me $30.

watch out for the oxy sensors. My gf's 02 Forester had hers go bad twice.

Somebody said something about short piston skirts making the noise, and how only some tennis player chickie should have skirts that short, and I've always remembered it....

Garmin and Magellan make some set-ups like you're describing. To get some better info on them, go to the message boards at www.geocaching.com. They have a technical board and lots of nice folks with lots of good GPS toys. (I'm nice, but not technical and I have a simple cheap GPS toy...)

I have a 5spd 96 Legacy with a 2.2 engine. I'm very happy with it. I'm getting 24-30mpg. Had wheel bearings and clutch replaced, but that's about it other than pretty routine stuff for that age of car. The 2.2 is a nice reliable engine.

Just had every possible mechanical issue on my 96 Legacy repaired in anticipation of my subi needing to drag a U-haul a couple thousand miles. (btw: anyone renting out a 2 bedroom place in Shoreline WA that will accept my dog, too?) The Subi dealer service dude told me the cat connector pipe flanges-thingies were rusty and my exhaust system was about to drop off. It would cost $1600 to have it fixed by him, because Subaru would have to replace the entire system. Nice guy, he said to take it to Midas, don't waste your money here. Midas replaced the rusty bits for $120. Hot doggies!

I have a 96 Legacy manual trans. I am very happy with my car, just had to replace a few basic parts. The 2.2 liter engines are happy little critters, you won't have to worry about all the stuff (head gaskets, etc) that the 2.5s are going through. About the only bugaboo I know of with the wagons is a rusty hatch latch because the metal for it wasn't treated. Pretty easy to replace, instructions are here, search the archives if it turns out you need to replace it. The dash lights tend to burn out, but that's just annoying. I haven't bothered to fix mine. I'm sure other board members can tell you specifics about the auto trans. Have fun!

I've decided to go ahead with a Draw-Tite trailer hitch and a new clutch, even though I'm not sure when I'll actually be moving home to WA, when I'll actually need them. The dealer said a new clutch won't shudder... really. I wanna know the truth. Will the dang thing shudder, or has SOA tossed all the baddies so I'm guaranteed a good one?

I wanna know, too. Mine are just old and cracking a bit.

Things are looking up as far as being able to move my homesick little self back to WA. uHaul says I can have a 4x8 or 4x6 trailer. Anybody tried dragging these things across country? Would I be better off with the little one? Also, my mechanic says I need a new clutch cuz mine is "stiff". He thinks that should be replaced before I drag the uHaul. Weeelllll, I don't want the trouble of new clutch shudder, and if I'm gonna toast a clutch, wouldn't it be better to toast the old one?