subihoot03

Thanks all, I guess i just needed a push in the right direction. I'll swap out that door speaker when the temp climbs above 40.. Wait, that might not be til April... subaru360, I felt it was very fair. Especially since I've been reading about mechanics on the left coast charging $2000+ for the same job...UGH...I lucked out.

So I finally took the plunge and dropped $1500 for needed repairs into the 2003 legacy. This is my daily driver and I occasionally have to commute with it, so there is no other decision in my eyes. Head gaskets were going and then some. The laundry list: All gaskets and seals Timing belt, tensioner, water pump Plugs and wires Thermostat Exhaust flange And all the other necessaries for the head gasket job. Sure, $1500 is a lot but my wallet doesn't feel lighter because now it's a brand new car...virtuallly... At any rate. Now that all of the work has been done, I'm noticing that the speaker in the passenger side door is GONE. Is it going to be painful to replace? Could I, someone capable of changing oil and brake pads, feasibly do it myself? I've done it on a 1996 cavalier if that makes any difference.... :-)

I know, I have a way of blowing things out of proportion. I have honestly never had a car that has thrown off CELs at random...only when there was a major problem. Except for that Camry that started glowing orange when it was time to die, but that was a different story entirely. So truthfully, when I saw the CEL...yeah...I feared for the worst, but mostly because of everything else that was going on. I was really worried that a black cloud was starting to follow me around, even though most of my smaller subi issues could have been taken care of with preventative maintenance. I am at times the poster child of ignorance.

I generally do my oil changes when the NH weather permits me to be comfortable. Somehow my girliness gets in the way otherwise. So it's entirely feasible that if I know exactly what to do I could drain the tranny too myself, and then refill. All I know is after the "service" that I just had done the shifting is oh-so-smooth and nice again. As far as the CEL goes, it was a cyl 1 misfire...as I suspected. This is an issue that we will take care of with the HG which will be done...in the next month or so. The leaks have gotten exponentially worse, even since three weeks ago. Thanks for the insight...again...all of this fuss is usually just me panicking...

I mean, yeah, plug wires and some other small stuff...it is due for tranny service NOW which is what is happening. But I don't know...I just have this sinking feeling that there is going to be one more bad thing wrong with it. When I get the HGs done etc it will also include the other stuff that should probably happen at that time: spark plugs, wires, etc. No timing belt necessary -that service was actually performed at the right time and correctly... No code reader here tonight, which is why I am sitting, paniicking. Hoping for the best when the tranny service gets done in the morning, if it starts in the morning.

Take it or leave it. I'm guilty of thinking brake pads and oil changes are the only necessary parts of the maintenance schedule to follow. So here's the deal. My 2003 Legacy (AT), of which I have spoken many times before, is going for major surgery soon...head gaskets, seals and all of that great overhauled engine stuff. 130K and it's about time as the head gasket's leaking oil and coolant and it's getting to the point where I can smell both...strongly. But it's not running hot at all...remarkably. Car is also due for a tranny flush/service tomorrow. Tech told me that the lines were beginning to corrode and that it was starting to leak fluid a little (two weeks ago) and I scheduled an appointment to bring it in and have it taken care of. Maybe I am just freaking out because it's what I do best, but tonight (in 14 degree weather) I was driving about 50 up a fairly steep grade and I heard and felt a bit of a misfire. The car kind of shuddered, but then recovered. I parked it at my destination for about two hours, and then started it with the remote. I let it run for probably 5 minutes and then went outside. I could hear it running loudly and unevenly, and when I climbed in the AT OIL TEMP and CHECK ENGINE lights were both flashing vividly. So I did the reasonable thing and cut the engine, waited a few seconds, and started the car back up. It started fine... The CHECK ENGINE light stayed on solidly but the AT OIL TEMP had mysteriously disappeared (thank G-D, I find that one more daunting anyway). It drove normally the 1 mile home and now it is parked. Unfortunately, this being New Hampshire and it being close to 10 pm, there is no AutoZone open where I can check the codes on the engine. :-( I guess I will just cross my fingers and say a little prayer, but what are the chances that this has something to do with one of the aforementioned conditions (leaking head gasket/leaking tranny lines)? Is it more likely that I just have bad luck and now there is something dire going on, more dire than what I am already facing? This really makes me wish I I'd bought that 2.2L Impreza two years ago when I had the chance...

I can't offer any sound mechanical advice at how to fix this problem, but the fuel smell in my 2003 Legacy (2.5) was linked to failing o-rings at the fuel injectors. They were cracked enough to let fuel evaporate at the injectors when the engine was started and allowed to idle in cold weather. Yuck. I thought I was going to die until I had it fixed...suddenly no more headaches

...the dreaded head gasket problem. Consider this a cautionary tale, but this one will hopefully ultimately have a happy ending where driver and her favorite Subie live happily ever after. 2003 Legacy sedan. 129K problem-free. Small oil leaks that I could smell dripping onto and evaporating on the manifold, but never anything major. So when the weather hit the "miserable" mark here in New Hampshire, the fuel injector O-rings decided to crack and spew fuel all over the inside of my engine, prompting me to take the precious Subaru in for service. Poor financial situations and just plain bad luck have prevented me from getting any major preventative maintenance (short of tires, brakes, air filters and oil changes) done on the poor, neglected, daily-driver Subaru. So it was kind of a treat to be able to take her into my local independent Subaru mechanic to have her looked over. Sure enough, the O-rings had failed, so the mechanic replaced all of the injector O-rings and I went to pick up my Subie. $211 out of my pocket, and the tech hands me my invoice. I look it over and note that "head gasket leaking oil" has replaced the "head gaskets seeping oil" that was present on the invoice last time. Dang. Oh well, Subie and I have spent 2 painful years together and logged over 30,000 miles. You know, it really can't be that bad. The car never runs hot at all and for all the abuse she suffers she does just fine. But the tech indicates that the head gasket is leaking coolant too, and while it's an external leak I begin to realize that no...I haven't escaped the travesty that is the EJ25. Dang. Oh, and the transmission lines are corroded and need to be repaired when I bring the Subie in for the transmission service in a month. $235. That's neither here nor there and it doesn't have anything to do with the head gaskets. The tech quotes me $1550 worst case scenario. Removing the engine, tearing it down and sending out the heads for resurfacing (provided they aren't warped, which they shouldn't be given the fact that the vehicle hasn't been overheating), replacing the timing belt and the water pump, renewing the seals, and replacing the valve cover gaskets. Really seems too good to be true, but these guys are that good. I inwardly jump for joy that I will have virtually a new car with all sorts of life left in it...only it won't be 'til I've spent almost $2k in maintenance that should have just been taken care of proactively. Mostly, I'm just thankful that I opted to take the car in when I smelt gas. Realistically, I should have taken the car in when I smelt oil. But being the nonchalant person I am, I took a rather relaxed approach to the whole deal of car maintenance and chalked it up to "harmless leak that's not affecting my oil level". Moral to my lengthy narrative: please don't ignore the oil smell, no matter what engine you've got. Seriously. It could turn out a lot worse than my situation.

I'm bummed. Fingers crossed, too. Thanks for the well-wishing...first time anything like this has ever happened to me!

I told him that I was glad he'd left the info - especially with it being at night. Honesty IS a blessing these days! I am bummed out, but not angry in the slightest - this is nothing insurance can't fix.

Won't be flooring it in the Legacy anytime soon. See thread Parked Subi vs. Trailer... :-\ But as soon as I get out of the rental Focus and back into my car...such a flooring there will be!!!

Subis getting beat up all over the place, looks like. Sorry about the damage but glad the Impreza did its job in protecting the valuable cargo inside! Another kudos to Subaru for making safety possible in these situations.

Estimator has yet to look at it. The cell phone camera pictures DO NOT do this damage justice - it is UGLY. Cosmetic damage to A-pillar at least.

Oh my. That is tragic indeed. Cars unforunately are not indistructable...nor is the cargo they carry...Yeah, I will count my blessings on this one.

Had my 2003 Legacy parked overnight a couple nights ago and came back to this sight in the A.M...insurance info left in the windshield and an explanation that the driver didn't see the car when he backed up his trailer into it. D'OH! Poor Subi..........

Mine SEEMS to be coming from under the hood, as is the case for the Baja I've witnessed doing the same thing. Maybe if you record the whistle and play it backwards, it will give you a recipe for Really Rippin' Lentil Soup.

I've noticed that my 2003 Subaru Legacy, when running, emits a very high-pitched and barely noticeable whine or whistle. It's almost akin to the hum of flourescent lights and TV screens undetectable to others that I often hear. I've also heard a Baja doing this exact same thing. My question is............................does anyone else hear it too, or do Subis speak to me in a way no other cars do?

Thanks all.

Quick question, looking for some possible causes for my new-formed problem. Basics: 2003 Legacy sedan, 117K, AT Symptoms: LOUD clunking and rattling from front end when going over slightly uneven pavement. Steering/handling seems to be a little looser than it used to be, but not by much and there's not much play in the steering. Suspension seems OK in that there doesn't seem to be a real change in ride quality. Environmental Factors: New Hampshire roads in an especially bad New Hampshire winter. IE frost heaves and dips that make even the most lifted, jacked-up trucks CRY. Taking it in to the shop soon. What should they be looking for?

Lately I've been having awful nightmares that my 03 Legacy is about to fry a head gasket. :-(

Thanks for all the good info! I will try to get pics of the engine posted as soon as I am able. Might be able to get the guy who changes my oil in the winter to let me use his lift As for the manufacture date, it's printed as being 11/02... And the timing belt was changed at my request at 96k, right when I bought the car. Since I demanded it and also demanded that they held steady at the price I'd worked for on the car...chances are they didn't do anything else. And me, being a greenhorn with buying newer cars...didn't think of it in all the excitement of finally having something that WASN'T a complete POS. Yeah...kind of a dumb move buying a car SLIGHTLY out of my price range, one that I could only JUST afford. But I figure, if I can keep up with it every time something small happens...I'll squeeze at least the term of my loan out of this car, if not more. Plus...I love it. Like a child....... :-D

Thanks for the clarification - just going based on what mechanic left me for notes on my service invoice. Thing is, they replaced valve cover gaskets right before I got the car...so a little under a year ago...would this really be causing the slight leak at front of engine, and what am I at risk for with this happening?

I feel myself on the verge of becoming one of the countless victims of 2.5L engine head gasket failure. Please confirm or dissuade my paranoia. Have been driving my 2003 Subaru Legacy sedan for a little under a year. Bought the car with 96k on it - have racked it up to approx 113k since last January. My commute is 32 mi roundtrip, rather hilly, with countless in-town short-term driving/wear-and-tear on errands for work. Also...I am NOT a gentle driver. I don't exactly have a lead foot, but I like to climb hills at a relatively fast speed - something that the more beefy 2.5L engine makes a little easier. A while ago I noticed a slight burning smell when climbing a steep grade. I saw what looked like a small oil leak from near the front of the engine, but not being a mechanic I could neither confirm or deny this. All I knew was that the temp gauge was steady all the time, and the engine was not using much oil between changes. It was still running fine, so I didn't really think much of it. Waited 5000 mi before my last oil change, which was about 2 weeks ago. When I took it in, I noted the burning smell and the tech said he'd keep an eye out for it. He did note, when finished, that there was a small leak (as I'd thought) near the front of the engine, but it was barely using any oil at all, so not to worry. He doesn't work on Subaru engines, so he wouldn't go any further into it. Yesterday I dropped the car off to have the suspension shaken down at my local Subaru specialist (NOT dealership). They gave me peace of mind and fixed the shimmy in my steering wheel, but noted gently that the head gasket(s) were seeping oil. That the engine wasn't using oil much, but to keep an eye on it... WHAT???! All I saw were the words "head gasket" and my heart started racing. I'm not in a position to replace any major engine components...I have zero credit, no credit cards, no savings...etc...so of course the thought of major engine repairs sends me into a frenzy. Is this the first little sign that I'm headed down the ugly road to a blown head gasket? What can I do NOW to help my situation??? And if I do end up at the eventual and unfortunate crossroads that many others find themselves at, where in New Hampshire do I turn for a) a used engine; help. HELP!!!

It does seem to have reasonable power, and it usually runs well. It doesn't idle rough or anything. It's not too terribly sluggish - sometimes I do have a little difficulty on really steep grades maintaining speed. It is an AT so I'm not having to downshift but I usually do end up braking. I know that's probably not HELPING my gas mileage any!

Hi Porcupine! Thanks for your reply - sorry it took me so long to confirm its receipt. I am going to have the o2 sensor looked into. The mileage is still suffering something wicked, and I notice a faint burning smell of indeterminate origin whilst climbing hills sometimes. It *almost* smells like burning oil, but this car isn't using a whole lot of oil right now. I'm still getting somewhere in the range of 15-17 mpg, combined city/highway...with lots of hill climbing. Timing belt was replaced at 96K when I bought the car. I insisted that it get replaced before I bought the car, because even though Subaru likes to push the 105K marker I thought it best to take care of it way before hand. I'm really not sure if the o2 sensor is original but all bets say it is! Also, I've noticed that the misfire is still probably present. The engine isn't throwing any codes right now but I do still get a slight "chugging" if I let off the throttle to coast down a hill. This Subi is quickly becoming my expensive but loveable problem child!!! Thanks again...your reply was very very helpful to me.