four-fleet-feet

Well, it's still a problem. Had to call AAA this AM when it was get Dragon started or die of heatstroke in a grocer's parking lot. Used both a locksmith-cut by code from VIN key and a dealer-cut VIN key. Neither would get it to unlock. It doesn't matter if I jiggle the shifter (4EAT) or push the brake in hard, both dealer suggestions. It doesn't matter if I move the wheel or not (to see if it's locked). There's no rhyme or reason to it. It'll go for days without having a problem, and then it's three times in a row. I stuck the key in in mute desperation when AAA told me I'd have to wait two hours. It was already 105, and it turned easily and started right up. I'd been trying for twenty minutes with no luck. It just wouldn't turn! But I know it's not a 'key' issue; when it works, it works. It just doesn't always work in the ignition! Last car I ever had this exact thing happen on was a Budget rental Dodge Shadow. Two cars, from different cities had the same ignition key problem. I've NEVER EVER rented a Dodge again. Now on my car? Nooooo... I know Dodge recalled all the affected models, but I haven't been able to find the old recall for the exact cause. It might help track this down, if it's not the tumbler. Would have been circa 1989-91 models. Anyone know how to find that info? Google's no help. Am I right in thinking this will need a new ignition lock cylinder? If so, can I pull a door cylinder at a JY or does it have to be an ignition one? I already know I'll need it rekeyed to match the other locks (my hatch is very good, the pax door lock is new @ March, but the driver's door cylinder is a little stiff - the previous owner seemed to abuse both the driver door and ignition locks, as per a Japanese-only mechanic. Pax lock was broken upon purchase). I know where the donor car was for the pax lock, and if the other locks are good, weelll... Unfortunately, the JY donor has no key (it was a police-seized car; it says 'evidence' in places, but the locks are unbroken). I seem to have read somewhere on here the last month that we'll need the donor car's key to get the ignition tumbler out. True? If we can't get the ignition tumbler, can we make the trunk lock tumbler work in the ignition?

Also ask if the wheel bearings were ever changed. The early Forester models were notorious for bad wheel bearings, so much so that Subaru changed the design to tapered bearings. If they haven't been done, negotiate some $$ off the price because you'll need to do them. One good thing about this bearing problem: everyone thinks the noise is a bad rear diff or a bad transmission. If you know how to diagnose between the three you can get a sweet deal for the price of four bearings (about $40 apiece online), because the seller is afraid the vehicle's drivetrain is toast and is dumping it rather than fix it. Have fun looking!

For all those who read this thread, I finally figured how to put an ancient GT upright Yak bike mount onto the 97 Impreza rack crossbars. This will also be how to put on a Lockjaw, for those who have one. If you have a Raptor, pretend you don't when you call Yakima, because it doesn't need the spacer kit, BUT YOU WILL. See the wide bar photo to see the problem - no other Subaru rail is that wide; in the two front photos, see the steel carriage bolt head? Centered under that, usually, is a 1" diameter Yakima round bar. This Imp rail is SOOOO much wider than that! Obviously, Subaru heard enough complaints about it that they quickly put other crossbars and lifted rails on future models. The rails on this car go down to the roof metal, making RailRiders and other track mounts only a dream for this particular car. Why not use Q Towers and Q46 clips, I've been asked? The very first line in the Q Tower instructions is: Take off your factory roof rack. Alas, my earlier thread stated the difficulty in moving the crossbars, let alone taking the %#%&)!! things off altogether! Save a cutting torch, fuhgeddaboutit... Also, the crossbar is quite bowed; that alone makes more spacer/washers necessary or your attachments will cant drunkenly. First, you call Yakima and ask for two sets of Mighty Mount adapter kits for the 14H as needed for u-shaped upright mount plates. You'll need one set for each bike mount, but if you're running one bike, you'll use the second set to level out a Basketcase on the outboard side. It's a bag with two black spacer washers and two hex-head screws. When they come (and don't expect them to come quickly), put aside the 2.5" screws in the bag. They won't work. Go to Ace Hardware or other small hardware store and get yourself either 3" or 3.5" carriage bolts, or four of each, as I did. You'll use 3 per bike mount. You'll need two of the 3" ones for a Basketcase on the outside brackets, where the spacers will go. You'll use the 3" screws on the inner bike mount and the rear wheel tray mount, and the 3.5" on the outside hoop mount. I suggest just getting four of each, so you're ready in the future to carry two bikes if you choose. Also, if you choose to put a 3.5" on the rear wheel tray mount, it's actually longer than the available roof clearance when you put the black plastic wing nut on. You'll have to raise the rack tray to get it started, so put it on first. Face the MightyMount into the center of the roof rack and add this long screw, and there's no way that rack mount is coming off your car by accident. While you're there at Ace, get 2 of the white plastic spacers with the same inner diameter/outside width as the black ones Yakima sent you. They won't be as high - they'll still work to level your stuff out. Bolts and spacers will total about $6. Test the bike in the track on the ground; once you have a tentative place for the hoop baseplate, mark the track with chalk. Put the mount on facing the rear of the car (there's no way around this part) and put the spacers on the front plate screws, using your new bolts. Use the wing nuts if you have them from your original snap-arounds; if not, get some hex-head screws in the 3" or 3.5" length and put them into the nuts on the MightyMounts (but they cost more). Don't tighten everything down until you think it's right. Then pop the bike on the roof and check for spacing. What you'll be worried about is the front wheel buckle; it's a dance to get it enough room to close while keeping the down tube jaws high enough to give your bike a stable ride. (Two photos of that follow.) Take the bike off when it's where you want it. Take one white spacer from the hardware store and put it on top of the black one on the outside of the bracket, and tighten the wing nut down again. If you don't add this extra spacer, your bike will tilt to the outside and cause people to bug you at every place you stop. The ones at Ace are just over half the height of the Yak ones and do the job. The Crooked photo shows what happens if you don't add it. Your Basketcase, if you add it, will need black spacers on the outside MightyMounts or it will lie drunkenly to the outside as well, making several passersby ask you if you were sober when you put it up there. :-\ (For the record, yes, I was sober...) Now go snitch some nail polish and make the chalk marks permanent on the tire track; you'll take this mount off, and if you don't mark it now you'll have to go through all this malarkey again, the next time you want to take your bike somewhere. Dragon_Fox: Hey, I named my bike Fox. Deal with it! TheProblem1: Just how close is that front wheel buckle to the infamous immovable crossbar, anyway? Close_Problem1: 'nuff said. WideBar1: the rear wheel bar, to show the width of the thing. That thing's so wide you could land a plane on it if you wired up some landing lights for it... ABitCrooked: well, the bike is straight in this shot, but notice how the CAR'S leaning? The car was level for the pix. Really. Without the spacers from Ace, that's what you'll end up with. Oh, yes. One last thing. Yakima will tell you there's no way to put a bike and the basket on this car. Well, I did it! You can too. The basket's about 2" from the hoop plate in the center of the car, and a half inch inboard from the rail track. (The black thing in the basket is an RV stepstool, just for getting the bike into place.) Now we can have bikes and luggage at the same time. Not the same as a RocketBox, but it'll have to do.

OK, those are words I've dealt with in the past. You just described my old S-10's last year on this Earth to the T. Did you get the car scoped afterwards for a diagnostic? What exactly did you fail on and what did you fix to pass? FYI: you can have a problem and still marginally pass. BTDT. If you didn't get it scoped, here's what was wrong with my truck; you could check all of these items. First, I already had new plugs, gapped correctly. Then I found a vacuum leak. Found a cracked hose, fixed it by stripping a junker or two of all vac lines (and had a pocketful of spare emissions items just in case) for about $20. Then I started getting EGR CEL codes. Replaced it. (Actually needed a new EGR GASKET because one of the vac leaks was from it, replaced just the gasket and passed, but the surge was still there. Since the thing was a bear to diagnose, finally just pulled the whole EGR and threw a 'new' JY one with another new gasket on.) Finally needed to get new plug wires (needed a cap wire but no singles were to be found - distributor engine) and a new (ha-JY) TPS. The problem was then fixed; what I'd actually gotten was a cascade of failures from that cracked vac line. I passed when I fixed the EGR gasket, but my truck ran like crap. Until I found EVERYTHING broken, it wouldn't idle and surged at its own pleasure. Drove me nuts. So, go back and check everything. If you didn't use NGK plugs or OEM wires, you might change them. If you aren't exactly sure you have the correct wire to the correct plug (hey, it happens), check them all. It took a lot of time to figure out what might have been wrong with my truck, and aircraft-engineer and I were at wit's end (and wasted a lot of time) until we paid $95 to get it diagnosed. Then we fixed it in about 2 days, once we found donor trucks. It was worth every penny to finally find out everything that was really wrong! If you can't remember (or find the paperwork) what made you fail emissions, it might be worth it to get this diagnosed by a shop. Then you can fix it yourself. But you can't fix it unless you really know what's wrong!

I've had 3 vehicles, now, which have gone over the 130K mark - Dragon was barely broken in with 162k when I got her - and here's the short version of personal experience and mechanic's gabble aimed at me when they saw my vehicles (especially the two Chevys with the high mileage). Stay with regular oil! Unless you have a problem, high-mileage oil can cause problems you don't want. Some have sticky sealants or gooey additives which will mess up a perfectly fine engine. What might be a simple main seal repair down the road can become a real problem if you add the gluey oils 'as a preventative.' You'd be looking at cleaning your engine to get rid of the gunk. Why bother? Just say no! Don't add the gunk to it in the first place. Use what your manual recommends; on my Imp, that's 5-30. I'm considering 10-30 if I stay in Arizona until August or September, but only because it's already over 115. No other time would I use it! Thick oil + winter Subaru = BAD Personally, I like and use regular el cheapo Slick 50 once a year (usually Nov or Dec, so I'm running it when it snows) and Pennzoil 5/30 with Purolator or Fram filters. I think it's the reason my 91 S-10 went to 348K with few engine problems. Other than mechanical parts failure (water pump, tie rods, control arm bushings, that sort of thing - yeah, I would fail too, all those loaded up highway miles in all weathers), my engine was good AND ORIGINAL 'til the *%&$$*!! careless semi/dump trucker totaled it. But Slick is the only additive I've used in 23 years. You don't need the high-mileage stuff; if you get a leak down the road (every Subaru does), FIX IT instead of band-aiding it with fluid.

+10 for Rooster2's list. You might want to rethink the mothballs. You'll never get the smell back out of the car; go to a Whole Foods or the natural foods store of your choice and get some pure essential oil of spearmint and one of peppermint, which is not the kind you find at Fred Meyers in the baking aisle. You'll probably find it with the body products or the bulk herbs/aromatherapy items. Rodents of all kinds hate mint. You can also get the loose herbs, bag them in muslin (any health food store sells premade muslin bags - just ask), saturate them with about 6 drops of each oil (more if you've already had a mouse problem), and put the bags inside the passenger compartment. I suggest at least four - 6 or 8 is better for a wagon. Then go get some fiberglass insulation or something else fireproof (in case you forget you put it under the hood) and dose 2-inch-square pieces of it, then wire or zip tie them to your engine in places not more than 2 feet apart. Then attach them to the frame as low/close to the wheels as you can; rodents jump up from the ground. Ask the people keeping an eye on your car to keep any trash from gathering under it, as that only makes it easier for the mice to get onboard. Once a month they can dose the inside bags with 3 drops of each oil to keep the interior smell up, and hopefully get the outer ones at the same time. Unless they're used to shopping at a health food store, I'd get 2 bottles of each oil to last the 9 months. If it snows they'll need to do it every week, as the mice will get desperate and do anything for shelter. Unless you like the smell of damp car, I also suggest going to an RV place and getting some Damp-Rid or Dri-Z-Air or similar product; it's a crystal you place in a vehicle getting put in winter storage. It absorbs the dampness to prevent mold and mildew. Your car sitters would have to dump out the accumulated moisture in its container every month, but that's better than replacing your interior. If you're not using a tarp or fitted car cover (might be better not to use a fitted due to the potential rain damage under it), give the car 2 full coats of heavy hand-applied wax. That should ward off many paint problems from dust/sun, and it might help with a hailstorm. And make sure you thoroughly police the car before leaving; if you forgot so much as a pen or bag of pretzels, those items, once leaking or fed upon, will cause more damage than you want to deal with upon your return.

A few other things to do: You changed your coolant, but did you get a new OEM radiator cap? After 7 years I'll bet you need one, even if your old cap looks OK. Just buy it. Trust me. And did you check your rad hoses? They don't last forever; changing them now is MUCH better than having one blow out... BTDT. (It'll happen when you're out of cell range, it always does... when you can't possibly be late. The little buggers are designed to fail that way. ) Go over all your vacuum lines; they do crack, and they're not really expensive if you catch it now rather than later when your mileage is in the toilet and you're failing emissions. If the part's the same on the 06-07 models, look around junkyards for them. Save some cash - in 2 years they're not shot unless the engine was totaled and that's the reason for the JY burial. I wouldn't buy them older than 03 if you can't find a newer donor. Fluids? Did you change the power steering fluid? Easy enough to do on your own with a turkey baster (buy one just for car use and mark it well with big black X marks or somesuch). Same for brake fluid, but if you don't know how to bleed your lines, ixnay until you have a helper who does, or find a place to do it for you. I know you said filters, but if you haven't looked at your air filter lately, now would be good. A new air filter is good insurance when you're driving in smog and heat. I never let mine go the 12K interval. For the price, changing it at 6K is worth it, and if you drive in heavy industrial areas, 4K is not unreasonable. Driving in areas with sandstorms? Hit one or two and 4K is the max! (yeah, I know, Ohio doesn't get many of those, but it's summer travel season) You could take a look at your radiator and condenser fins and see if they're gunked up with plantlife; dandelion tufts and cottonwood fuzz comes to mind. If so, get it off or your A/C will have to work harder and your radiator with it. I know, all these things sound little and unnecessary. But, as you learned with the PCV valve, sometimes the littlest things can cause big headaches. Dragon's first present (on Christmas Eve, no less, the day I got her) was a PCV valve. I learned my lesson on those little critters a LONG way back...

Charm, I think you know Aircraft-Engineer... he's my brother and he bought his Imp from you. I've already had at him for not buying your rack with the car! How soon he forgets all the times he used my S-10 and its ever-so-convenient Yakima attachments on my GemTop! I was already in Arizona or... Wish I was already home so I could take a look-see. Oh well, not any time soon, it seems. I'll be lucky if I get out of here before Labor Day, at this rate. Thanks for the part number; now time to again email Yakima (the phone help isn't getting me anywhere, will try the email department) and see if they can identify it. I love my Dragon, but if I'd known some of my also-beloved Yakima stuff wouldn't go on the 1997 year Impreza (maybe no GT and definitely no RocketBox- -sob) I'd have looked for a 96. (Yeah, I know, no RocketBox on the 1996, either... boo hiss...)

Alignment is needed for certain, if all 4 are worn on the outside edge only, but you'll get your new tires balanced anyway, when they're mounted. If you haven't had to replace the dreaded Subaru rear bearings, give them a check on that wheel. This is the same wear pattern Dragon showed on her one rear tire. All her tires were worn, but the pax rear was down to the wear bars and the outside third was worse. That wheel's bearings were shot. Replacing the tires is good, but if there's another problem, just getting an alignment won't fully solve it - and may cause your new tire on that wheel to wear out prematurely. If you have any seriously long-distance driving to do any time soon, I'd recommend considering using a nationwide shop chain for the alignment instead of a local shop, no matter how cheap the local shop is. I actually used Sears for years only because their alignments are warrantied for several thousand miles, any Sears will recheck the alignment under the warranty, and I've never had a complaint with any of my previous 4 vehicles from 1978 until now. (Dragon doesn't need one yet, but if she does, I think she might be going to Sears. I drive a lot and I'm often all over the West Coast. Considering the price of tires, I'm NOT waiting until I get home to get an alignment fixed under warranty!) That said, I'd check to see if Sears is still giving the same warranty on their alignments. Also, if your local dealer states ANY Subaru dealer will honor the alignment they do on your car, I'd actually consider having the dealer do it. However, I know for a fact that the 4 dealers in Phoenix will not warranty another dealer's work on an out-of-factory-warranty car. If your local dealer states any dealer will honor their work in case of trouble, I'd definitely get that in writing and make a few calls to other dealers to confirm that.

Boo. Rats. Dang it!!! Kami333, you said what I was afraid of. Bucky92, your Imp is newer than mine; AFAIK, even Thule doesn't have a solution for this particular Imp. I have round-to-square adapters, but if I can't get a Thule to fit, either, I guess I'm hosed. Grossgary, believe me, if I had the room the bike would be inside the car. But there's a lot of things Mom states either I take home to WA or she finds a new home for... and since some of it's Aircraft-engineer's, it's two against one and the bike won't fit inside. I thought about strapping it onto the Basketcase, until I discovered a Rivendell Atlantis long-distance tourer with the same manufacturing angles and size (I use a teeny 49cm frame) is $1500 for the frame and another $2500 for the parts to build it out to rideable. If my Trek comes off the roof it's going to co$t me a lot to replace it. At that price I could buy a second Dragon and have enough left over for airfare to Disneyland or a six-month Seattle bus pass! So I think I'm going to think about making the rack fit any way, any how. I like my 26 year old Trek (and the price is right)! Hey, I don't need two cars... Thanks for all the replies. (Grabs wrench in desperation and stomps back out to the carport... where it's 108 in the shade ) For all those smart-alecks who are thinking of saying 'but it's a dry heat' right now,

I have a 97 Impreza Wagon, and I've had all sorts of trouble getting an ancient 1987 Yakima GT upright bike mount to fit on my car! It's the same as the now-discontinued Lockjaw save it has no lock core in the red lever. Yakima has sent me washers for the 14H Mighty Mounts - twice. I've tried every solution they give me (five people in NINE calls so far) and still no joy. I can't get the hoop base plate far enough to the back of the tire channel to get a grip on my downtube in my usual location (under the water bottle mount). I can pull it further into the center of the tire channel, but then I don't have space to lock my rear wheel down, and then the tire channel interferes with the rear hatch. Yakima states this car needs the bike to be reversed on the roof. Anyone put their bikes on upright and facing forward? If I keep it where it is (the place I always used it on my last 2 vehicles) I don't have any space to get the front wheel lever down to lock the front wheel - the lever ends up right over the factory crossbar, which on the 97 is W-I-D-E. If the wheels aren't locked, the bike's unstable. The lever can't be replaced, and it's over three inches long. The clearance for the lever is only 1 1/2" or so to the fac crossbar. If I had round bars on this car I would have been done a long time ago. If there was a bracket to put Yakima round bars on this car Subaru seems to be unable to find the info. If there ever was one made by them for Subaru, Yakima doesn't know about it. Q 46 clips are not an option for this car, so Yakima tells me; although they fit other Imprezas, NOT the 1997. Last resort Yakima told me was to move the factory crossbars (they're at max spread for a Basketcase). Well, I've sprayed WD-40 and Liquid Wrench on all the screws, finally got them to turn (I don't think they've been undone since Dragon was with her first owner!), but the dang brackets holding the crossbars won't move a fraction. Aircraft-engineer mentioned I might have stripped the mounting plate behind the black bracket (if there is one, it can't be seen). Has anyone ever gotten a 96-98 Imp crossbar to come off? Any pictures? Advice? I'm at wit's end here, and now all I want to do is get my vintage Trek on my roof and go home... it was 115 in Phoenix today. Please help a melting Washingtonian get home before she dehydrates into some really TOUGH human jerky! (I'm already pretty well-seasoned, I've been using a lot of salty language messing with this rack...)

Yay on the timing belt. Yay on the O2 sensor - nice that it came on while you were still looking at it - perfect timing, I'd say. But: the 00-04 still can have HG issues. It's by no means a fixed problem. :-\ I'd keep an eye on it and still have a dealer give you an inspection (if it's free, mine was) for the heck of it. Enjoy laughing at the weather! Enjoy noticing all the cars out when it's really, really bad-but-you-have-to-be-out weather all have Subaru plastered on their rears... (Just put something distinctive on your car's exterior - if you don't you may be wandering around parking lots for a while - 'that's not my Outback?' is something I hear in dt Seattle all the time - from befuddled owners whose keys/fob don't work). Parking at Powell's? REMEMBER WHERE. Outbacks in every 3rd spot! (ooh-beaten by SubPar while typing re Portland and Outbacks!)

Welcome to the Northwest Subaru Appreciation Club! If you haven't already had a mechanic check the car over, here's two things I'd check right away: Timing belt, the ad didn't mention if it had been done. You're due if it hasn't been. You don't want to break it! Other things will be done with it - don't be surprised at the cost. Head Gasket check. Do a search on here and you'll see why... Matter of fact, if you haven't had it inspected at all, get to a Subaru dealer and ask them what they would charge for a courtesy inspection. Many will do it for free, and they know exactly what to look for. Little things you can do yourself; this board is great for that. If it's something you should farm out, we'll tell you that as well. Come back and post if they mention something expensive-sounding. (hey, I'm not trying to scare you, just telling it like it is)

All of the above are good ideas. Some other things I'm never on the road without, even around town: 12-volt cell phone charger. Get one and keep it in your car; if you ever forget to charge your phone, or leave your charger in the previous motel room, that's when you'll need to call AAA. Phone low? Plug it in while you drive! Great if you don't routinely use the plug for radar or music. Two tools I seem to use every time I work on a car: a Leatherman and a crescent wrench. The two of them and duct tape have often saved the day. Get a good crescent wrench - no cheapos here. It'll outlive your car if it isn't stolen. Set of fuses. Make sure the puller is with them. Your Subie should have a few spares under the hood, but a set isn't expensive. A good flashlight and/or headlamp is required. I have both a Petzl and a AA Mini Maglite in my car. Make sure you have extra bulbs and batteries - rotate the batteries in the summer heat. If you can find rechargeables with a car charger, go for it! There's also a good headstrap from Nite Ize for the Mini Mag - highly recommended if you don't want to spring for a Petzl. When you're struggling to change a tire in the dark because you can't get a signal for the phone, you'll thank me when you have two free hands and the flashlight isn't clamped in all its cold lousy-tasting metal glory between your teeth. If you're not alone, maybe your passenger won't thank me at all - the flashlight-in-the-mouth bit stops most of the colorful language. Get an orange jogger's vest or something similar. Many people are hit at the side of the road because someone 'didn't see them.' Also consider carrying a magnetic light for the back of your car, in red - blinking if you can find one. Anything which gets the attention of other drivers is A Good Thing. Air compressors are highly overrated and take up space. Just make a note to check your spare at least once a month, preferably on the same day. You could do all your fluids at the same time, if you don't do it every week. Get a good digital tire gauge, and use it! Two minutes' spent checking your tires will save you money. Four (or five) tires for a Subie aren't cheap. Since we know you're a skier, get that full-size spare if your car doesn't already have one. Just follow previous advice and keep it in rotation with the other tires. As for the GPS? If you already have one, bring it along. Don't have one? A compass never fails and will always get you out of there, IF you have a map and can read it. Don't buy the GPS just for the car. Oh, yes. One last thing. Most tire shops HATE fix-a-flat and will charge you extra for repairs done on tires after its use. If you have a full-size aired up spare, and the AAA card, and the charged phone in radius of a signal, you shouldn't need it.

I've had Yakima racks for 23 years now. Here's the scoop on mileage off the unloaded MPG as I've experienced it on 3 different vehicles. Yakima raingutter 1A rack: 1 mile off. No change whether the airdam is on or not. Airdam's only on the front bar. Rear bar still has drag. Upright bike mount: with bike = 2.5 off. Without, 2 off. I have an old upright Lockjaw and a touring Trek, with front low-rider racks and rear rack, no fenders. If you have a front skewer-clip design, that might be lower. Basketcase, 2 off, empty, if you keep the net on it. Take the net off and it's 1.5 off. Fill it, and it depends on how HIGH your cargo is, and whether you have it in plastic or it's really sticking out everywhere. I have averaged 2 to 3 for tall loads depending on height of cargo. Yakima RocketBox... here's the bad one. It's a big sail if you're headed downhill at speed. On most cars it overhangs the hood. (It's not recommended on the Imp for this reason.) In marginal weather it could surprise you when it lifts, especially if you have it on one side of the rack with nothing to balance it out. I could always depend on losing at least 2.5 MPG with it, but if there were nasty crosswinds, or really tough drops/ascents, I saw 4 off as I fought it all the way down bad passes. It was a tossup whether I wanted to pay more for gas or have less chance of losing my stuff. I still recommend it if you're hauling good gear. If you're hauling it alone on top, PUT IT IN THE MIDDLE. It may be harder to get into it, but you'll have better balance when the semis (or the $#@$&%$ winds) blast by you. End result: I always ran the RocketBox (passenger-side opening only), and switched out between the Lockjaw or the BasketCase on the driver's side depending on where I was going. The vehicles seemed to handle easier if the Box wasn't on the roof alone. If I ran the Lockjaw I usually had a set of these little U-shaped brackets (the little oar/mast/you-name-it carriers, also good for 2x4's) on the outboard side of it. However, if I didn't have an outrageous load in the Basket, or a taller/heavier bike (my vintage Trek 614 cro-mo weighs about 21 lbs and is a 49cm), I didn't go over 3 miles off my usual. So it's not cumulative (bike MPG+box MPG=OMG). The bike had drag but no sideways lift. The basket actually modified the sideways lift from winds when it was packed. What can also eat mileage is a bug dam on your front hood - those eat a mile themselves. And low tires - don't get me started on low tires messing up your MPG. Trailer hitch attachments might be more efficient, but they mess with your hatch access. You can trash your prized ride really easily, too. Cornering, backing up, tailgaters... I had one, before I went with Yakima. Go back to it? NEVER. Besides, they make getting into your hatch a real pain at rest areas or national parks (or anywhere else, for that matter). Even if they fold down, you'll probably end up unloading. The third time you do it you'll be putting ads up in every REI to unload it. I pity the person who bought mine! My '91 RocketBox won't safely fit Dragon (too long for the Imp roofline). So I'm running the Basketcase and/or the Lockjaw now. It might be that I'm no longer attaching them to the Yakima factory bars, but I've noticed the basket's only hitting me for 1 mile off without the net. Yakima bars aren't as aerodynamic as the ones on a Subaru. Since the Subaru factory bars don't hold all the attachments, and some really do need the round crossbars (Yakima) or the Thule ones, your mileage may be better with attachment clips from Subaru on your Subaru factory roof rack instead of using adapters to hold the Yak/Thule factory bars on your roof IF your attachment can use them. AFAIK, no enclosed box from either company can use them on the older (pre-98) non-OBW Subaru factory racks (certainly not the Imps or the OBS, although there IS a smaller Forester box, made by Yakima, Subaru-branded, which can be adapted to the '97-'99 Imp/OBS roof, but I have never seen a SOA bulletin stating it's safe). An established older dealership would still have the manufacturer's bulletin detailing rack/attachment safety. I believe the problem was the roof rack crossbar-attachment strength on the older Imp/Legacies. The newer ones should be able to, check Yakima or Thule's Fit Guides AND your nearest Subaru dealer if it was around when your car was new. (Brand-new dealerships don't have the older bulletins, BTDT) Be advised the attachment clips from Subaru are a third the price of ones direct from Yakima - Dragon's 14H were $36 or so from Yakima, and only $13 from Puyallup Subaru. 4 to a set - the only difference is the Yakima brackets have new screws and nuts, and the Subaru ones are the brackets only. If you've lost your original mounting screws for the round Yakima or square Thule brackets which came with your attachments, it might be cheaper to get the Yak or Thule parts instead. You could always call them and ask how much the screws are!

Hooray! Glad you passed. That link to clublexus is awesome. I've gotta do that! Big :clap: Thank You! :clap: for posting it for us. (figures that post was from another Seattleite - we don't buy nuthin' new if we can help it... not quite as bad as an Alaskan, but we're pretty close)

+1000 on this! I listened to several Chevy dealers tell me my at-the-time new truck had a thermostat problem. After 5 of them (thank goodness all under warranty) it became a fan clutch problem. 3 of those later, it was hoses. 2 sets later I'm still overheating and can't get over any pass. Heck, I couldn't even drive around Seattle without watching the gauge! Forget I-90. I had coolant flushes and everything else you can imagine. One week after I went out of my 100k warranty (and had it promised to me that they'd finally fixed the problem with a coolant additive) it happened again on a trip. Fed up (and quite well-done heat-wise), I made it to the nearest radiator shop and had them pull the system apart. I had flashing from the factory in my radiator and had been running on less than 25% of it. Faulty from go. Nothing else had ever been wrong. If I hadn't had the heavy-duty towing package I'd have never gotten anywhere those 2 years. I'd nearly killed my cat for nothing - 105 degree heat outside, coupled with the heat on full blast to cool down my engine for 40 miles and the next exit - it was so hot in the cab it delaminated my Converse on the gas pedal and my cat actually dove for the icewater in the cooler. He took a bath in it! Once that radiator was rodded out (and then later replaced with a non-OEM from GI Joe's upon my return to Washington), it never overheated again for over 250k miles. Purpose of story: if you still have your fan problem down the road, get a non-dealer to look at it, someone you trust. I kept wondering how 5 thermostats from dealers all over the West Coast could be faulty - they never were! It was just easier for the techs to blame it on the likely culprit, fix it, and get me out of their service bay. Under warranty, they still got paid, book only, and once my truck was gone they could put in a really high-paying job and get down to real work (my theory).

Found a sensor at the nearest dealer (21 miles away in Arizona IS near). It was 110 yesterday, even worse than I thought. Strange thing: this morning, after driving through a construction zone, I parked and went into Albertson's. Light was on when I parked. Light was on everywhere I went yesterday, even after stopping/turning Dragon off at several stores until I found a store with an OBDII which fit. (Auto Zone - don't bother with Checker in Phoenix if you drive a Subie, 3 Checkers and none had it - 'we got Ford and Chevy, ma'am, maybe Nissan, Toyota, and Honda - Subaru, never heard of 'em, is that a new car?' After I told him it was a 97??? ) Light wasn't on when I started back up at Albertson's - a 20 minute shopping trip max. It's already near 100 and it isn't even noon yet. Drove about 12 miles back to Mom's and the light didn't come back on. Anyone ever had this happen in extreme heat? Does this point to the sensor, or the wiring? I'm not sure what I should be looking for if it's the wiring connectors, save that they're clean - any points along that area would be appreciated.

Re the ethanol gas: breaking in a car on ethanol gas seems to take longer, but the engine seems to wear better once it's worn in. I've always noticed a difference between the ethanol/MTBE gas found in Arizona and the regular old unleaded usually run in the Northwest stations for part of the year. Alas, those days are gone. Forget that dash MPG indicator! I once saw a 55+ reading on Aircraft-engineer's Dodge Caravan - the BIG one that could hold the kitchen as well as the kitchen sink. No way was that behemoth getting 50+! I was going down a hill, in the rain, coasting, though. I was right - the next tank, averaged out, was only 23.5 or so. Just because it states you're getting ** that very second doesn't mean it's true. Ignore it. As others have said, wait until you're over 1000 on the odometer and then average your total miles driven with your total gallons pumped. Even with the *unknown* nature of the drives taken before you bought the car it will give you a good idea what you'll get down the road. Check the air in your tires - new ones seem to need more air as they get broken in as well. That way you'll also catch the usual factory 'oops' of a misbalanced tire. One needs air more than the others? Squeals as you corner or feels wobbly in the wheel? Check the balance. Of the last 2 dealer-new cars I've gotten, both have been 'blessed' with bad balancing - and one with a bad alignment! Enjoy your new Subie (even if you start to gasp at the cost of the fuel)

It always seems to happen when Aircraft-Engineer is out of town! My Dragon threw a CEL today in Phoenix. It's hotter than heck, over 100 today, and on came the CEL. Fortunately, it was PO 325, the knock sensor code. Dragon hasn't been rattling and knocking, and I just filled up yesterday. The MPG was 25.1 in city driving with the A/C on. Gas cap is tight, and just changed the fuel filter before leaving Seattle in March. I know there's a knock sensor thread with repair instructions here, but here's what I need to know. I have limited use of both hands/arms, and I cannot get enough hand strength to loosen lug nuts without a lot of hard straining. Is this a job my hands literally and physically, strength-wise, won't/can't do? I can get a new OEM part, but I'd like some opinions if I could actually do the work myself. If not, what's a fair price to pay a shop? Should this be done only by a dealer? Aircraft-engineer won't even be able to come to AZ until the second week of June, if I have to wait for him to do it. If I drive my car with the bad sensor (or wiring, I haven't checked to see if that's the real problem, yet), what's the worst which will happen? TIA, (I'm melting!) four-fleet-feet

Ah, the pressure-wash problem. Aircraft-engineer pressure washed Dragon like she was my old truck. My truck survived it easily; my poor Subie didn't. If you're throwing codes, go get them read. Write them down. If you don't have a shop manual, there's a list of the codes on this site. He blew off a vac line and I immediately threw a CEL one mile away. EGR problem, PO400 I think. EGR was fine; it was just water in the detached line. Dried it out, reattached it, no problem. Check under the hood for all those vacuum lines, because they're easy to blow off. Are they connected? If they're loose at one end, remove it and see if there's water inside. If there is, dry out the vac hoses and then reattach them. Auto Zone, Checker/Schucks/Kragen, and (for the present) Aamco will read OBD codes for free. (I'd ask Aamco if they're honoring the special.) If they just tell you, 'oh, it's the EGR code,' or something similar, ask for the specific code! They're giving you the code reader's answer, and you really do need the number. If it's a misfire code, you can check that wire's resistance, or just replace all of them. I presume your plugs were good if you pulled them and just took a look instead of replacing them. Some places won't clear the code. Once you've figured out the problem (and ONLY after you have fixed it) you can clear it yourself by disconnecting the battery for at least 5 minutes, and 10 is better. Just read your manual so you know how to stop your remote entry/alarm from flashing your parking lights before you go anywhere your battery cables. If you do have to change the plug wires, use OEM only, even if the price seems steep. Subarus need OEM wires. They just don't like the other wires. Don't waste your money trying to save money! If a potential buyer can't start your car, goodbye, they're gone.

Ok, Mountainwalker, here's the problem. Like the poster above, I noted you asked several questions in several different threads. I didn't read all of them, just the ones I thought I could answer. I didn't know you'd settled on an LL Bean edition. You're right, no dealer in Arizona will sell an LL Bean for $19k. (In case you were wondering, I was looking at the latest ad for Avondale Subaru in the Arizona Republic newspaper). Also, I missed the part you wanted an H6. That engine won't be found at any cheap price on the West Coast. As far as the headgasket (HG), the H6 doesn't have the problem as severely (I haven't heard/seen the problem mentioned as much on that car as I've heard it on the 2.5). You can probably forgo worrying about it on the H6 models. As far as the timing belt issue, yes, it's a chain on this model, and you won't need to worry about it at all. The other problem with the cars you mentioned is you didn't mention the trim levels on each used car. Were these fully-equipped models, or just the base car? If they're in California, they all might have California emissions, but you should still ask. Any car over 1 year old can be registered in California, but the special CA state emission package can play merry hell with your gas economy and parts life. Why not buy Arizona cars and ship them to Washington? The state tax is assessed upon arrival in Washington (a pretty steep 9% or higher state average, depending on county of licensing), and the cost of shipping the car is enormous. Arizona has specific transport-title rules which make it a real hassle to transfer a new car title out of state, as I found out. Also, Arizona cars do NOT come with option packages any Northwesterner considers necessary. Finally, most cars sold in Arizona do not have the CA emissions package, which is necessary to register a car in CA for the first year of ownership (well, as of 2006 it still was). Another option you could consider, if this is seeming to be a real hassle, is a short-term closed-end lease. If you don't stay in California, you could end the lease and walk away, perhaps for the same dollar amount as a long-term rental. If you've never done this, I would ask a professional about this and consider this as another option. Leasing a Subaru might suit you. You'd have lower payments for a new car, and no long-term obligation to keep it. I again stress the necessity of considering what the cost of your insurance will be. California insurance is quite costly, and if you do not currently insure a vehicle you will be in a much higher premium bracket. Check into this before you decide on a specific year or model of Subaru. Changing one year (or one trim level) might save you a bunch of money. Oh, yes. Car C? Why don't I like it? If you were buying it from the son I'd look at it. But you're not. You're buying it from a man who bought it from the inheriting son, whom you already know buys/fixes/then sells cars. Ixnay! I've NEVER had a good experience with that kind of thing. If you're not buying it from the family member stay away, stay very far away. It's not like you could ask the son if his father had regular maintenance done, or took care of his car. He's not involved in the sale, and I'd be very surprised if the current seller gave you the son's info even if you begged. I'd also be surprised if any service records are still in the car. You NEED those records, if you're buying a used car. One reason I'm kinda leery of used cars at dealers is that they seldom will give you that info. If it's in the car when they get it, it goes out. It's a privacy issue. Now that I know you want an LL Bean, and the H6, I presume all the cars you listed are that model and engine. I'd still go for car B, even if it's a 2001 and some people don't like that year. Just try to get a better deal, unless you can sit down and go through all the receipts. If there's a solid track of quarterly oil changes, dealer recommended maintenance, and little things fixed timely and properly, or better yet, minor warranty work, I'd really think about taking it to a mechanic and getting it looked at. I'll stand by my recommendation to take an older car with a solid, written maintenance record over a newer one with no provenance from a dealer lot any day of the year!

2001, Miles 82,740, Asking $12,000, Individual seller. KBB $12,755, Edmunds $13,168, assuming excellent condition. Cosmetic condition looks good. Seller claims that car was always dealer serviced. I'd personally go for this one, if you can talk the price down to the 10 range. 12's a little steep for age/mileage. HOWEVER, if the seller can back up the claims of dealer service, in full, including a timing belt/HG check, and ALL of the 60k service list, I'd think about this one even if you can't get a better deal. C) 2001, Miles 60,680, Asking $12,400, Individual seller. KBB is $14,170 Edmunds $13,958 assuming excellent condition. Cosmetic condition looks good. Seller says he bought from previous owner (a son who inherited from father and didn’t need the car). Seller says he buys a few cars/year, cleans them up for resale to make a few bucks. Condition notes - small ding on driver’s side door, tiny paint scratch over rear bumper that was painted over, a little scuffing on outside of driver’s seat. Not if it was free. This seller sounds like a flipper, and you don't want that. 'Inherited' probably means no background receipts. That means you might inherit a few problems you could do without. D) 2003, Miles 74,800, Asking $14,000, Dealer seller. KBB $14,505, Edmunds $16,176, assuming good condition. Cosmetic condition looks good. E) 2003, Miles 65,000, Asking $15,000, Dealer seller. KBB $15,730, Edmunds $16,188, assuming good condition. Cosmetic condition looks good. You could go either, but I think you could do better. If the dealers offer a full 60k service (not just a check) and a warranty, talk the price down and maybe you'll get a deal. I'd pass. G) 2003, 46,000 miles, $17,000, Dealer seller. KBB $19,315 and Edmunds $18,186, assuming excellent condition. Cosmetic condition looks good. Has OnStar system (though could care less about OnStar). I'd think about this one, if I wanted an OBW. Lower miles (higher cost, though). OnStar can actually be a selling point if you need to sell or trade. Remember that the service is not free and you need to factor that cost in. I would be asking some tough questions, though. 5 years old, and only 46k. Why? See if you can find out if the seller/trader is a repeat customer, since some people do trade in their cars every set number of years, whether the car is in good shape or not. If you can't get that info, for this one I'd require a full service (all fluids including the trans, plugs/wires, brake check, HG check, recall pull to see if they were all done, that sort of thing) from the selling dealer as a condition of sale - and a written guarantee that they actually checked the HG and found no problems. Even if they say you can transfer the warranty, I'd get that in writing as well. They're asking a premium price. If they won't talk it down, you deserve to get the service done! Since there is a possibility you could sell the car in the future, you'd get more trade-in or sale value with the 2003, but pay less for the 2001. Up to you, but if you have the cash, think about the newer car, if it checks out. If not, and the receipts are solid and cover all maintenance on the 2001 from the private owner, that's the one I'd go get checked over by the mechanics. Just make sure the 2001 had the HG replaced under warranty, or has been checked within the last 5k miles. You don't want to deal with that after paying that much money, if you don't have to. I'd personally go for B, if it checked out. I'd sock the $5k saved away in the bank and use it for something else. I keep a car until it dies. I don't sell them. I fix them and drive them (and drive them...). I may not have the latest model, but I get where I'm going safely. It's also cheaper to insure the older ones - but check with an agent, in this case that might not be true. If you haven't been insuring a car for a while, any California rate is going to be a stunner. (The cars I skipped? Not worth my time to comment!) Edit: As far as Carfax goes, you cannot take it as the final word. I saw the one for my S-10 the day after it was totaled. It was sooo wrong it was scary. Get one for the cars you choose to have inspected, read it, but realize it is not the be all and end all many think it is. If work is done by a private party, it may not show.

Another reason prices might be below book: in the SF area, people are getting hammered by their adjustable-rate mortgages and their rent rates! Most people don't know that San Francisco took over from Honolulu as the most costly West-Coast city a long while back. Faced with the rising balloon in their house payments, many aren't buying cars. Those dealers still have expenses, and they have lots of expensive inventory. They paid more for the new cars than the old; most of those trade-ins they got for a steal - if for that much. Any money's better than none. If you're paying cash, you can ask for AND GET just about any service tagged onto your new-to-you used car. Fluids, tire rotations, even a timing belt service (!) have been advertised to bring in customers. In Arizona, they're so desperate for sales the price of new 08 Outbacks with options (NOT stripped), cash price, is under $19k. I'd pay $30k+ for the same car in Seattle. The dealers down here still can't push them. Subarus aren't popular in Arizona, can't you tell? They may be popular in the Bay Area, but people just aren't buying new cars there right now. They can't afford them. So I wouldn't worry about a car being below book if it checks out OK with the mechanics and has a solid (written and complete) maintenance record. A car with detailed dealer-service records is a good bet, since only those who actually HAD money could afford to have a dealer do all the service in the first place. That's the car I'd jump for, if you have to choose between two. Right now, people out here are spending money they HAVE to (like a roof and food, there's always public transit in SF), and sometimes the car goes on the end of the money list. No maintenance records? Don't go there, if you're buying long distance!

Don't believe all that bullhockey about 'life of car' tires on FWDs. My last FWD (not a Subie) ate tires like a chainsaw. It wasn't my driving; it was the FWD, which was the only one I'd ever had. I can usually get 45-60k out of a set of tires, even loaded for camping or towing, and I'm rabidly fanatical about them. Hit one wear bar and they're GONE. My FWD went through most of a THIRD set in only 52k, and came with Michelins to begin with. They didn't even last the first 13k. No mechanical problems with the car; it just ate tires. ALL FOUR of them. I've NEVER seen good, fresh Michelins wear like that...