mckay

The dealer name certainly does raise a reg flag...hehe. grossgary...that is great info you mentioned regarding the maintenance that is due now. The dealer told me that the car was acquired from an out of province subaru dealer. He mentioned he could provide me service records, so i will have a look at that. Checking the Canadian used car price guide, it is about $1000 under what the suggested retail is...so that could explain the lower price on it. I just had a look at it yesterday and will be taking it for a test drive this evening. Thanks again for the information!!! Mark

Hi folks...i'm looking for some advice. Its time to move on from my 99 Outback and have found a 05 Forester XT. I've included a link: http://www.scammellautosales.ca/used-inventory/vehicle-details.htm?vehicleId=b023763a0a0a0065013ec758e436f154 Anything in particular I should be looking at? How is the longevity of the turbo engine? I've been looking around and the price looks decent based on the condition and mileage...but I thought I would ask the experts. The mileage is in KM. Thanks! mark

Well...after some searching...i came across a used transmission and rear differential. Swapped out both, replaced the oil separator (had a small oil leak), fixed up my emergency brake and the car drives like new...so happy!!! All of the above cost me $1500 taxes in with parts and labour included...so all worked out in the end. Funny....when my car was in for repair...i borrowed a friend's 2002 Outback (5 spd)...and I found it drove nowhere as nicely as my 99 OBW. But maybe that's just me being excited to have my car back. Anyway...thanks for everyone's input...I appreciate your help!

Well I took it to another mechanic over the weekend and he diagnosed that the front and rear are going in the car. Ugh. He says it wouldn't be worth it to fix...just to drive it till it fails. I'm just sick about it...I bought the car last April...and paid $6000 CAN for it. What are my options with year and model of subaru legacys and outbacks to look for parts from to repair? A friend of mine has a 1999 Outback limited (auto)...will the rear swap out with mine (5spd)? Subaru parts are a rare find in my neck of the woods (Truro, Nova Scotia)...the closest used 5spd transmission I could find was out of Ontario...which was $1000 delivered...but I'm leary about that since someone posted that for that yr of the vehicle...they had the worst fail rates. If anyone has any tips or ideas...i would really appreciate you input. Thanks again. mark

Thanks for the tips...I will look into these. Appreciate your help. Mark

The fluid levels are good. i can't say how the front drive shaft is for sure. is there something in particular one should be looking for? I'm taking it to another mechanic in the next day or so to get a second opinion. Should I just stop driving the car until I have it resolved or is it ok to continue driving it for a little while?

Well my problem seems to be getting progressively worse. Over the weekend the car has developed a ticking or knocking sound that is most noticeable when decelerating, along with the constant howling or whirring noise, both of which sound like they are coming from the front end of the car...gearbox area. It did slip out of reverse once when backing up...and I'm trying to figure out if that was when the noise actually started. It still shifts gears normally, including reverse. I took it to a garage and they checked all the fluids and said that everything seemed to be ok in that department. They diagnosed it as a front differential problem...either bearing or the whole front differential needs to be replaced. i was quoted $1800 CAN (for a used transmission + labour). Does any of this sound familiar? Could this be related to it slipping out of gear? I'm in a bad way really because there are no real subaru experts around other than the dealer who is over an hour away. Sorry for digging up an old thread...i thought this would be better than starting a new one. Thanks in advance for any advice. mark

I'll have to take notice of it tonight once the car has warmed up. When I say grinding noise...it doesn't sound like grinding gears...it sounds more like the sound brake pads make when they are worn. I know it seems to be directly related with the colder weather...so chances are that is the case. I will look into changing the transmission oil in the next little while. Thanks for help!

hey there... I bought a 99 Outback (manual transmission) in the spring and have been having an absolute blast with it...especially now that we have some snow on the ground!! Lately i have been noticing what i will call a grinding noise when I downshift. Does anybody have any idea what this could be? Its nothing brake related because when i release the brake after shifting and decelerating...it still occurs. is there a fluid i should be checking? Thanks mark

Its a small used car lot.

I called the garage today that all the work was done...and the timing belt was replaced at the same time and all parts were straight from Dexter's Subaru in Halifax. The clutch, 2 exhaust gaskets, a cv boot, thermostat, engine flush and oil change were all done at the same time. The guys at the garage had lots of good things to say about the car (body condition, etc) and were very confident it would be a reliable vehicle. I have to do some number crunching tonight and see what kind of wheel and deal game plan I can come up with. Thanks again everyone! I'll let you know how it all goes! Mark

Thanks folks...I really appreciate your posts. The work was done at a repair shop that specializes in import vehicles...and have an excellent reputation in the town that I live in. I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out what sort of gasket was used. The guy is selling the car for someone else (small private lot) and he wasn't sure if the timing belt or water pump was replaced at the same time. He did mention that the cost of the HG replacement job was around $1700... I took the car out for a drive yesterday afternoon and drove figure 8s in a parking lot and everything felt great. There were also some service records in the glove compartment from the original owner which included new rear struts and brakes (2002) and a trailer hitch and wiring installation. The original owner's phone number was on one of the receipts...so I might just call him to ask him a few questions about the vehicle. How do you feel about CarFax? Would it be beneficial to have it checked out? I'm not familiar with it...or how it works...as far as how information about the vehicle is recorded. It may not be so popular where I live (Truro, Nova Scotia). I really hope everything pans out with the car...I've driven Outbacks before, all of which have been automatics (never actually owned one), but I instantly fell for the feel of the car...and I've always loved the look of the 98/99 Outbacks. Thanks again for everyone's input. I think this is a great site and look forward to spending some time here in the future. Mark

Hi Folks...I'm new to this message board and have been doing lots of reading on the older Outbacks with the HG issues. I'm currently looking a purchasing a 99 Outback (manual transmission). It has 209 000KM on it and just had the HG replaced and has all receipts to show the work done. It has been RUST CHECKED since new and is in great shape. It drives very nicely (no rattles or knocking from suspension). The asking price is $6900 CAN. I'm a bit nervous about the whole HG issue...but since it has just been replaced...should this still be something I should be concerned about? I'm not sure if its a Phase I or Phase II engine. Could I expect to get another 5 yrs or so out of this car?Thanks in advance for your time and input! Mark