porcupine73

Terrific Nipper, thanks for pointing the reason for the rear fog lights. Sorry to make you hehe just never heard of it before and couldn't add 2+1. Thanks for the info on the mom&pop motels, sounds like a plan....I'm thinking dong a solo trip could be a lot of fun! Might not be doing it until December, so maybe I'll stay south of the mason dixon...or what the heck it's a Subaru right so maybe I'll go to Yellowknife!

Cool nipper, that sounds like an awesome trip. So do you just sleep in the car, or stay in hotels? Hm, the euro mandate sounds interesting. I mean, what's the purpose of that light, if you're driving forward, what does a rear fog light show? Unless you're backing up? (or doing reverse donuts)......

Oh yes I forgot to mention, Haynes did recently publish a 'Repair Manual' (or at least that's what they call it). I just picked one up at Pepboys yesterday, it's for Subaru Legacy & Forester, 2000 thru 2006. I don't really like Haynes a whole lot and have OE manuals, but like to check Haynes procedure sometimes to see how the suggest doing a job without the special Subaru tools.

Maybe the idle speed spec is posted on some sticker on the bottom side of the hood? Often that's a place to look. 500rpm park idle is terribly low; only car I saw idle that low was some old car like a Packard or something with a 10 or 12 cyl or whatever.

Good buy 2001outback! Yep if you take care of it that car will give you lots of good service. Per your numbered questions/comments: 1. I get between 24 and 30 mpg in '00OBW using 10% ethanol gasoline. 2. If you're having issues with 'pep', then maybe try premium gas for a few tanks just to see what happens, and run a good fuel injector cleaner like RedLine SR-1 or maybe seafoam with it. Mine seems sluggish if I don't that regularly. 3. Don't know of any mods; maybe make sure the air filter is clean. Make sure all the intake parts are there; not sure but maybe it's a 'tuned' intake? (I mean there are parts there that don't seem to have any logical purpose.) 4. What nipper said. I had some oil down in my spark plug holes too. It's a result of the spark plug hole seals. I just replaced them and the valve cover gaskets. The spark plug hole seals compress with time and then leak little bit. Here's a picture of my leaky ones and the new ones: (new is on left; used is on right)

I've never even heard of a rear fog light but it sounds cool. Are you making this trip by yourself? I've been thinking of taking such a trip later this year but I wasn't sure if I'd want to do it alone, but if you're going alone that might give me the courage to do it!

I haven't worked on that early a Suby yet, but I just did timing belt on '00OBW, and I aligned the cam sprocket marks (not arrows) with the locations indicated in the service manual, which on the LH side was a notch in the back timing belt cover. I think it is almost exactly 12 o'clock position, but the manual said align with indicated marks.

I don't know how far you're willing to travel to get the end link, but there's a couple of salvage yards near me on route 20 in Brant and one on I think it's route 249 in Brant; I never called them to see if they have any Subaru's though. Cool idea TheBrian about getting prices. I think I'll have to start doing that with Northtown. Considering the shipping charges involved with Internet orders it might be cheaper for me to just get everything from Northtown then. From what I can tell, the parts 'list price' is 40% above dealer cost.

Wow that's pretty sweet that you have new head gaskets so you shouldn't have to worry about those things going nutty on you down the road. Looks like maybe only things to do would be change ATF and diff gear oils if haven't been done.

Dude that is totally wack. I didn't need to know that either! edit: At least the Outback was also in Edmunds top 10 vehicles for towing in '04 or '05, right in with the ranks of the Dodge Ram 3500 dualie. Sure the Hyundai Elantra is on the list too but so what!

Thanks rd, sounds pretty simple, I gots ta look around for some yards that have Subaru's, there's three yards within miles of my house. Maybe I'll see if I can negotiate for a 2 part minumum instead of the cover charge. git-r-doneeeee So would it be bad etiquette to ask them how much they'd charge for some part you want before you yank it, or do you just haggle with them when you get back to the counter?

You might try a good fuel system cleaner; maybe your rings and pistons are all coked up. But that's not a terrible amount of oil consumption. What brand and weight oil are you using? Are you sure there aren't any leaks? I also have an '00OBW; I don't notice any oil consumption but of course as pointed out there is at least a bit.

Dude how'd you get that for free? Any leads on any more like that? Nipper your list looks like a winner!

Thanks for the info. Sounds like a lot of time&expense. Well I think I'll just stick with the drum brakes; they seem to work OK. Unless I can get all the parts I need from a salvage yard and just rebuild the calipers! schweet...

Hi all, I read a lot about salvage yards on this board, and I've never been to one, but they sound fun. I mean, how do you know how a particular slavage yard operates? Like do they let you in and you yank what parts you want and then bring them back and pay for them? Or do some just pull the parts you want but not let you into the yard? How do you know how they operate? I guess I could ask them, but I thought I'd get a little up front info first. How about any Web sites about the topic? Thanks!

I didn't see the previous thread so I don't know if this was already mentioned; there's a TSB (16-65-99R) for flashing AT temp light in the 99&00's, if TCM trouble code 38 is found?

Hi Brian, subaru-parts-dealer.com has them for about $40. I couldn't find any lower price sources. Even RockAuto wants like $53. I've got a '96 Legacy too and I also am from Buffalo Which dealer did you check, West-Herr or Northtown? West-Herr charges me like double list for parts, Northtown I think is closer to list.

I've bought a few sets of those 2 and 3 horn 'air horns' with the integral air pump from the auto parts stores in the past; they last a couple years maybe and aren't really all that loud. You said under $100, so I don't know what to recommend there, but when I was looking for loud airhorns a couple years ago, it appeared that Wolo I think was the brand had some nice loud airhorns, but they weren't cheap and often you needed a little compressor and air tank.

Excellent! That's about as good a record as can be obtained.

I would change it. When unsure of previous service history, the safest, although most expensive option, is to assume it was not done. The AT is an important, expensive component and the job is easy and cheap to do if you buy your own fluid and do it yourself.

Great list hohieu! Don't want that timing belt to snap in that engine, because bad things will happen. (i.e. be sure it really was replaced at 100,000km.

Weatherstripping on my '96 legacy looked live it could use a little love so I put some kanolabs Lubricone on it (this stuff is silicone in a volatile carrier); seemed to work great, cleaned the dirt right off, soaked in really nice, then the carrier fluid evaporates leaving nothin' but a nice silicone sheen. Good idea on the cleaning with isopropyl first; I didn't think about it, but I'd think that isopropyl alchohol and silicone might be good for rubber as that's what's in those little wipes that come with some windshield wipers.

Sounds like maybe the strut mount is rusted out or something. I'd give the area a good shakedown, like maybe with the upper cover off, bounce up and down on that side of the car and see if you hear anything like the sound you described and see if the strut rod bolt is moving around in there or anything. It can be a fairly straightforward DIY job, depending on how you plan to fix. You'll need a spring compressor unless you just buy or get an entire strut assembly as grossgary suggested. You may need flare nut wrenches if you need to disconnect the brake line at the fitting that passes through the strut body, unless you just use a dremel or something to cut out the strut a little bit to pop the fitting out without disconnecting it.

Yep the connector should be right there in that area. Those contacts look nice and clean unlike mine that look pretty corroded.....another thing I noted, at least on '96 Legacy is that you have to push the button at the end of the wiper lever there to make the washers squirt although the lever seems to indicate you should pull it toward you. It does move in that direction but doesn't do anything; pressing the button makes the front squirt.

Hello all, have a '96 Legacy Brighton here with front disc and rear drum brakes. Does anyone know if any other Legacy's of that year had disc brakes on the rear, and if yes, if I'd be able to switch over my Brighton's rear drum brakes to disc brakes. Would it be worth making this change; I only sometimes drive it like I stole it.