Blue Whale

Are you sure it's the pump itself? Often it's the o-ring seal between the fluid reservoir and the pump.

I would say it isn't normal for the 5EAT to do this. I have one in my 2005 OBXT and it's quite smooth, even after 181,000 miles. My only complaint about that transmission is that it that it has occasional trouble deciding which gear to be in when ascending a mountain road, but in that case I put it into manual shift mode and don't let it bother me. As for what the dealer is offering to do, you have to keep in mind that the dealer would be expecting to make money off of the car you trade and the car you buy. The $8,500 being offered in trade wouldn't come close to buying any Tribecca where I live.

I've generally had no trouble with cruise control, until trying it for the first time on a 2000 OBW I acquired recently. The light on the switch would go on, but the column switch wouldn't do anything. However, as I moved the switch in all three directions repeatedly and vigorously it began working, at first intermittently, and then consistently. I'm thinking that the original owner may not have ever used it, and that a sufficient film of dirt or surface corrosion may have formed over the course of 12 years to insulate the contact surfaces. Could that be the situation with your Forester?

Why use hazardous solvents on your brake rotors? Just use detergent and water. Brake pads and rotors will be exposed to these every time you wash your car, anyway.

I bought the boots from the J. C. Whitney web site. They weren't expensive at all--at least for the lowest priced replacement brand.

If the Duty C isn't working, no flush or additive will relieve the torque bind. Save the money and trouble for the actual repair instead.

Am I right in assuming this to be the cheapest Mizumo kit option? I installed a Mizumo kit with a GMB water pump a couple of months ago; that pump appeared to be well made. Nothing leaks so far.

If the clutches are badly worn, those should be replaced along with the Duty C solenoid (note: the dealer parts counter person will be looking up something like "transfer valve assembly" for you--correct, as the solenoid comes attached to a new valve body). Otherwise, the clutch pack can be left alone. Last summer, I had the Duty C replaced on my '96 Outback. I had a nearby independent garage do it; they aren't Subaru specialists, so I had to explain things thoroughly, but that was fine. I'd have done it myself, but I didn't have time for it. The total cost was about $570 without a new clutch pack, including dealer-supplied parts. I didn't see a need to change the clutch pack because the AWD system had been flawless until it began binding consistently, with the symptoms of Duty C failure. Note: labor is more expensive here in the Silicon Valley than in many other locales. It might have been less expensive from a shop with prior experience doing this job, but I was happy to get it done a half mile from home by someone I know. It's not complicated work, but I believe it's easier with the car on a lift instead of jackstands.

eBay can be a good source for remotes; I've bought a couple there and have had no complaints. Do pay attention to the photos, though; if the remote appears well worn, it may not be what you're looking for. The ones I bought--for a '96 and an '05--didn't really show any evidence of use.

AC systems aren't really very complicated. The ones on our cars aren't very fussy, either. On my old '93 Legacy, the compressor seized up and would turn no more; a shop estimated $1,200 for a fix--and that was about ten years ago. Even buying a brand new compressor from the dealer, I saved most of that by doing the job myself. It was also a painless opportunity to convert from R-12 to R-134a at the same time, by ordering the identical compressor for a subsequent year that came pre-filled with the correct oil and adding adapters to the external hose fittings. Easy job! It's recommended to replace the receiver dryer when converting, but I didn't; I just drained as much of the old oil out of the old one as possible and put it back in. On my more recent '96 Outback, the AC system stopped working three years ago. I could see escaped oil around one of the hose fittings, so I replaced a couple of o-rings, refilled the system, and had no further problems. The cost was trivial; I already had plenty of o-rings from the conversion kit I bought for the '93, so I only had to buy the 24 oz. of R-134a. I did this without pulling a vacuum before recharging, and the system worked just as well as ever afterward. All bets are off with a system that's seriously contaminated, either with debris from a broken compressor or from exposure to the elements; but otherwise, the knowledge and equipment needed to work on AC components and fittings are modest. One caveat: for an R-12 system (1993 or earlier, unless previously converted), it's very important to avoid venting any refrigerant to the atmosphere. That wouldn't apply as much to R-134a systems, and is moot if the refrigerant has escaped already on its own (if so, convert to R134a when repairing). A condenser, if it's actually leaking, is no big deal to change. It's just aluminum tubing with fins, after all. If you could change a radiator, you can change a condenser, too.

I just did an EJ22--on our '95 Legacy--with the Mizumo kit (GMB water pump). I absolutely agree with GD's advice. It was due "by the book," but I would have waited another 20,000 miles had the front of the engine not been leaking oil. Everything in the kit seemed perfectly adequate, although the pump did come with that paper gasket, and both smooth idlers had single bearings. It's great that the seals are included, although it's funny that the box contains four cam seals for this SOHC engine. Anyway no complaints: the price was right, the job is done, and no more leaks! BTW the sleeve for the tensioner roller bolt appeared to be exactly the same length as the original, but it didn't matter; I had no reason to change it. I resealed the oil pump at the same time; the o-ring came from whomever would send it to me without charging an outrageous shipping fee or running up the item price to hide an outrageous shipping fee. I don't remember the vendor's name at this moment, but the delivered cost was slightly under $3.00, which beats having to make a trip to a dealer.

I've washed the EJ engines of all of my Subarus at a self-service car wash with a high-pressure spray. I take no special precautions and I've never had a water-related problem at all. Just don't spray high pressure water on aluminum cooling fins (AC evaporator, turbo intercooler) at close range, and don't spray any soft sound insulation. In those cases, the pressure can do some damage. BTW Simple Green isn't really very "green." A citrus-based solvent may be better and more effective.

Coolant is greenish, but it isn't awfully slimy, and it will dry. Photos can be deceptive about color, but otherwise the appearance is consistent with an oil leak: it looks like oil, and it's visible from the middle of the engine and rearward. Also, the bottom of the valve covers appears substantially oily. Coolant is more likely to come from the bottom of the water pump or from a hose connection--all in front, except for the heater hoses. BTW if there's a blown head gasket, coolant will be forced out through the recovery bottle drain hose by incoming exhaust gasses at certain times. That's not so common with an EJ22, though. A water pump replacement doesn't require the engine to come out; you just remove everything you would remove when changing the timing belt: fans, accessory belts, belt covers, timing belt...it's driven by the timing belt. That's why the water pump is often changed along with the timing belt, even if it doesn't show any problems yet. Valve cover gaskets aren't a critical part, so no need for OEM; they are rubber, and eventually they get hard and develop cracks.

From those pictures, the fluid looks like engine oil. It may not be the only thing, but I would bet on the valve cover gaskets being responsible for a lot of this mess. They're not expensive, and they're easy to replace--just remove some little bolts, and the covers come off. On your EJ22, the spark plugs don't even have to come out. Just put something under the engine to catch the oil that drips out when the covers come off. After you take care of those gaskets, clean up the engine and you'll be able to see if anything else is leaking.

Most likely, it's the starter solenoid contacts and plunger...these can be purchased as a kit on eBay. It's really no more difficult to fix this than it is to swap in a new starter, but a lot less expensive; once it's out, part replacement is very simple.

I did a trouble-free conversion on my '93 several years ago. I added adapters to the external hose fittings, and I also replaced some O-ring seals (from the conversion kit; I don't know if it was really necessary to do that). I replaced the compressor, but not because of the conversion--the original had frozen up. The replacement was identical to the original, and also identical to the one in my '95, which was running with R134a from the factory. I didn't replace anything else, but just added the new refrigerant (the compressor came pre-filled with oil). After the conversion, there was no change in the efficiency of the system.

Starter solenoid contacts and plunger. These are obtainable on eBay and are much less expensive than a starter. It's not much work to change them; most of the work is removing the starter from the car and reinstalling it.

Worn starter solenoid contacts are most likely the culprit. They're not expensive (somewhere in the vicinity of $20, for a kit that also includes the plunger), and they're easy to replace once you get the starter out. The extra work over simply installing a rebuilt starter is negligible.

I was well served by radiatorbarn.com when I needed a radiator for the '96 OBW. All metal, well made, and no fit issues--and the price was very good.

You may find one of these cars worthwhile, and if you're careful you can get a good buy, especially if there's no dealer involved and the current owner can give you an accurate maintenance and repair history. My wife and I are still very happy with the '96 Outback we bought last year with 154,000 miles (the Blue Whale). It performs well, has no oil leaks, has a versatile and durable interior, and has given us little to worry about (the radiator started to leak--cheap and easy to replace--and later the AC started leaking at a seal, which was easy enough to fix). Everything still works as it should, and the appearance is respectable though certainly not "as new." Of course, the previous owner got hit with the cost of head gasket replacement and some other issues 20,000 miles earlier, so his experience was less favorable. Between a '93 Legacy wagon we bought new and enjoyed very much, a '95 Legacy sedan, and this car, the '96 Outback is my favorite by a good margin.

I had an intermittent starter problem like this with my '95 Legacy automatic three or four years ago. I disassembled the starter, checked and cleaned its contacts, and put it back in. Big improvement--for a while. Then, the trouble returned. The starter would always work if I kept flippimg the key on and off for a long enough time, but that wasn 'ta good long-term solution. In the end, I put in a rebuilt starter; that took care of it permanently. It's fine to check everything that might keep a car from starting; you might actually find and fix a problem. However, if the starter doesn't turn, it isn't because of poor spark or restricted fuel flow.

The automatic isn't bad at all. I had always driven a manual transmission, and had one in our '93 Legacy. However, our '95 has an automatic, as does the '96 OBW we acquired last year to replace the '93. The 4EAT does a good job of deciding when to shift, the torque converter doesn't slip at cruising speed, and it's reasonably smooth. On the other hand, the five-speed manual for these cars isn't much fun: it's durable and gets the job done, but it can be a bit of a chore to shift. Mileage isn't necessarily better with the manual; if fact, the auto was slightly better in '95. The automatic is quite durable as well. One difference is the AWD: with a manual, there's a viscous coupling between front and rear, while with an automatic there's a computer-controlled clutch pack. They both work well, but the viscous coupling might be less fussy about slightly-mismatched tires. I would still buy a Subaru with a manual transmission if I liked it otherwise--almost did last year--but the 4EAT shouldn't be a disappointment.

"Major valve train damage" from a suspected leaking head gasket? Either the mechanic isn't playing with a full deck, or he's dealing you cards from the bottom of it. I'd find someone for a second opinion ASAP.

If standard, this would be the Code Alarm keyless entry system, not an actual alarm. No need to disable the system; it works, and the power locks work with the key as well. It's not very sophisticated, but is convenient at times.

I started my '69 VW bug a few times with a wrench on the generator pulley--just a regular 3/8" ratchet with the right socket for the nut. Of course, that was only a 1500cc engine. A modern Subaru would be more difficult: more resistance, less wrench clearance, a bigger kick when the engine starts (injury potential), and one more thing: if there isn't enough power to the engine computer, there's no fuel and no spark. On that old bug, a quick half-turn of the generator would get enough power to the coil to make things go, and the carburetor and mechanical fuel pump presented no problems at all.