chaos1

I'm not a very sharp tack so must ask how does one inspect a oil filter? The only way my low IQ says is to cut it open. Then what?

For some ones future info when you drain the differential that I read on one of these forums: put a sheet or two of aluminum foil over the exhaust pipes below the drain hole. It’ll keep em from smoking for a few days.:cool:

Thanks for the advise. Fortunately the car didn’t move with my dumb introduction of +3 quarts of ATF in the diff. Boy when the screw came out the fluids came out with a rush. I ran the car locally about 20 miles at less than 40MPH and all felt/sounded good. A few more miles today then a flush for both units.

To make it clear: I drained the auto transmission and overfilled the diff. Since my last post I filled the transmission with ATF. I'm draining the diff of gear oil and ATF and am heading out in my pu to get some diff oil. Man latly I've been screwing up some free lunches. Let it end now please. How many degrees do you need to hide a dipstick so well? THANKS AGAIN:grin:

OMG, MY BAD!!! HOW STUPID AM I?? VERY!!! In the past few weeks I’ve read about the difficulty getting to the ATF file hole. Saw the one on the passengers side and ASSumed that was it! Forgetting the phrase RTFM stupid! THANK YOU!! Now before I move the car can you give me a hint as to where the drain plug is for the gear box or whatever it is I overfilled with ATF. In looking at the unit that the filler is, looks similar to a old bell housing, is the drain obvious once underneath and will I need a #70 torx wrench to open the drain. I assume it’s filled where I put the ATF in. Thanks again. I think it’s time for me to turn in the tools doing stupid things like that.

I recently purchased a ’03 Outback Limited with 67K miles in good condition. Spoke to the previous owner and find out the ATF fluid had never been changed. I purchased 12 quarts of Valvoline ATF+4 FULL SYNTHETIC. I poured the drained oil into a gallon jug, about 3.5 quarts and poured 3.5 quarts of fresh oil into fill hole. I was surprised that some oil leaked out of the fill hole and oil is level at the top so somehow it’s overfilled or air is in there somehow. I left the tight fitting funnel in the hole and started the engine and let it idle for a few minutes. Then I put it into R,N,D, Low etc several times with absolutely NO feeling of any shifting, in or out. It’s like all shift ranges are neural. The old fluid was red with no burnt smell and worked well. Should I get Mobil 1 or something to replace it it? IDEAS? :confused: HELP!!!!! TIA:clap:

SUCCESS! After some more scrapes and cuts with no positive results my smaller than I wife came home and did some exploring. Behind the right wheel well, way down and not viewable was the plug taped to the harness. The only way it was seen is because the cover for the speaker was off and that area of panel was pulled out as far as it could be. I’d like to more than talk to the genius that decided to put it there. Thanks again for all the input. Vic.

The trouble is there are a huge # of shouldn’ts in our surroundings. I went out between cloudbursts and did some more bloodletting under both side covers following the main cable enclosures over the wheel wells and back to the lens enclosures. I felt nothing like a plug with wires going into it, loose or taped to anything. Maybe wait till my wife gets home and I'll test her patience. I would hate to go in and tap the brake and running light wires as they look like a minimum gauge.

Boy can I identify with that! I got so frustrated yesterday I needed to take my truck for a ride as I had a strongly feeling of getting the Saz-All out and making short work of the rear inner liner. There WAS a plastic holder for the jack on the left side that showed nothing as a result of being cut up and now mostly gone.

Thank you for the responses. I’ll check closer to the wheel well again tomorrow weather permitting. Someone on responding to a situation like mine a while ago indicated that the drivers side might refer to right side of the vehicle. It gets very frustrating as it should be a simple, as KISS to find a connector. I thought these cars were driver friendly! You should see all the cuts on our hands doing the search. Any more thoughts are welcome. Vic

My ’03 Outback Limited has me admitting defeat regarding finding the plug for the trailer light harness. I’ve moved/removed a good amount of “covering” on both sides for better access to no avail, looked into different forums for instructions, saw a number of pictures etc, all for not. The left rear light assembly has a 12volt outlet, a drain for the lid and some wires going into the assembly. There is a cable bundle in back of the rear seat going from one side to the other which I followed closely and it comes out in the area of the rear right speaker with a “lot of wires” just in back of the right tail light assembly. I pulled the side covering out while my wife ran her hand inside feeling for any plug a number of times from the back of the rear seat to the lights. NOTHING! Might it be that this model does not have this connector I’m in search of? I’m fairly good mechanically having retired from the service business some years ago and do most repairs around the house and for friends. I guess X Ray vision would help. Any pointers deeply appreciated. Vic.