ergo

Is there a really high mpg Sube in on the horizon like a Toyota Preus? My 2000 Legacy gets about 18-20 in the city and I do mostly city driving these days.

My 2000 Legacy doesn't have that many miles on it (less than 68 k) so it's not likely that suspension is worn. The outfit that did the alignment told me that they regularly have their system recalibrated.

l live in California where 420 is legal for medical use (with a physician's recomendation). There just ain't no such thing as "too much pot smoking" ....cough, cough, cough.

Is AWD(Subaru)wheel alignment less stable than others? I had my 2000 Legacy's wheels aligned 11 months ago and now it's tires are wearing more wierdly(inside wear) again. I'm very careful about going slowly over speed bumps and the like and not ramming the tires into the curb but alignment still needs attention again. My FWD and RWD cars all have all gone tens of thousands of miles before needing alignment attention.

The tires on my 2000 Legacy GT wagon need to be rotated and rebalanced but can't since the wheels are secured with wheel locks but the key to those locks has disappeared and I cannot find it. The tire place said that they might be able to remove the locks since they're made of soft metal and they are not on too tight. I'd like to replace the locks with wheel nuts (of the same type that are on there now). Does anyone have 4 wheel nuts for a 2000 GT Legacy that they could spare? I'll send you a couple of bucks for postage. If so, please send me a private message.

I've got a couple of quarts each of Redline 5w/40 and Eneos 5w/40. I'd like to use both together in the next oil change on my 2000 Legacy. What are your opinions on mixing them? They're both high end synthetics.

I'm quite happy with NGK G-Power plugs...NGK's base platinum(nothing fancy) plugs, about $3 each. I also use NGK's spark plug wires. Both plugs and wires have been quite reliable in my 2000 Legacy wagon.

Very sensible, let's all go Amish!

Rather than gut the Subes to make them more fuel efficient but less practical and user friendly maybe it's better to just replace them with high mpg cars;) (installing narrower tires makes for much poorer handling and traction, especially in rain, removing air conditioner means sweltering in 100plus degree summer weather, and enduring continually fogged up windows in rainy, icecold weather, especially with 3 or 4 passengers. Lets face it. Most Subes just generally get stinko mileage. It's the nature of the beast. Either get used to the lousy mileage or get cars with high mpg instead.

I've been using these PIAA bulbs http://www.amazon.com/PIAA-10903-H3-Intense-White/dp/B000MG40QC/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1321622944&sr=1-7 for several years without issue; they seem to put out more illumination than standard 55W bulbs. They replaced the original stock bulbs and are noticeably brighter. Yeah, they're pricey but PIAA makes quality automotive lighting. I've also got PIAA's "intense white" hi and low beam headlight bulbs and they're really fine. Bulbs that put out blue light are worthless; I tried them once and their illumination sucks.

Probably means that when he's got the driver's side window cracked when it's raining, the sweep of the wiper sends water into the car wetting his pants leg.

Not a matter of need; just thought that the higher pressure cap might make for a more efficient cooling system...higher pressure means higher boiling point. But after rethinking this I realize that it would be a bad idea since Subaru head gaskets leak .like sieves:brow: I'll stay with 16 lbs. Don't wanna look for trouble.http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

My Sube's cooling system is working fine but I'm thinking about replacing the radiator cap(it's been there for a good number of years) with a higher pressure one; they're rated at 19 lbs...I think that the regular ones are 16 lbs. Ya think that the 19 pounder might create problems?

I just removed my K & N permanent air filter for cleaning and reoiling and replaced it, temporarily, with a regular paper element filter (MANN). I'll go back to using the K&N soon( I've never had any problems with it or because of it). Now, at certain engine RPMs when stepping fairly hard on the gas pedal there is a loud boomy exhaust noise which wasn't there before. Anyone have any idea why?

I've got a 2000 Leg. GT wagon. Dunno if the head gaskets blow on these unless the coolant level drops too low but there is coolant seepage from HGs. As long as I keep the coolant reservoir level high, making sure that the coolant level there doesn't get too low, engine cooling is fine....even in hot weather with AC going. I do add the Subaru cooling system conditioner/stop leak, however, in my experience it works for only about 5-6k miles before seepage continues. So keeping reservoir level fairly high is critical.

OK, certainly not a major issue, I know. The matte black paint above the side windows on my Legacy wagon is flaking/peeling off. Is there a preferred paint to use for repainting? I was thinking of using a flat black primer. Any particular prep for the underlying chrome?

Yeah, that's what it is. Bar's Leaks has a reputation for plugging up heater cores and some of the radiator core passages. As I recall, Bars Leaks is composed of ground up walnut shells with some soluble oil added to it.

In EJ25 engines that don't currently leak, the rationale for adding the cooling system conditioner is that it will stop leaks that eventually develop(seepage is virtually guaranteed at some point on EJ25 engines) The garage that I use for work on my Sube says that all Subaru head gaskets will leak sooner or later(and usually earlier than expected) because of an engine design defect that creates hot spots. My girlfriend has a Honda Accord with 180k miles on it and has never experienced cooling system problems; head gasket is still tight with no coolant loss except for a slight reduction in the reservoir's coolant level over time due to evaporation. The head guy at the garage says that the conditioner is largely psychological; it doesn't really work well. In my experience, the conditioner works for about the first 5-6k miles on my 2000 Legacy and then coolant seepage(which is not severe) resumes. I keep the reservoir level rather high to avoid severe coolant loss and have never experienced any signs of engine overheating even during hot summer weather w/AC going full blast.

I just bought some Mann filters from Amazon.com at $6.00 each and they do have anti-drainback valves as well as being full sized. I have a couple of Denso filters which also have anti-drainback valves but are downsized. I doubt that the downsized filters are as efficient as the larger ones and aren't really good for more than 2-3k miles of use, even the Subaru branded ones.....not too cool if you're using a high quality synthetic oil with extended drain intervals. The larger filters should be good for up to 5k miles.

Well, I'm a reasonably sedate driver; I rarely, if ever, push my Sube hard. The garage that just replaced the bad bearing (for about $400) said that in their experience some Subaru wheel bearings do go bad early on and some last 200k miles. So either some knuckle-dragging neanderthals drop them or there are quality control issues during manufacturing.

At about 15k miles a noisy left wheel bearing was replaced under warranty; now, at 64k miles, the right bearing needs to be replaced due to noise. Are Subaru wheel bearings so unreliable that they don't last very long? Also, both left and right steering rack boots are tearing. How long do the boots generally last. One garage told me that they have about a 30k mile life so that relatively frequent boot replacements are not uncommon.

It's time to drain and replace the coolant in my 2000 Legacy wagon. Is there any problem using Prestone?

It's for a Legacy GT wagon. If I'm not mistaken, all 2.5L engines from 1999 to about 2005 or so use the same oil filters. Is that correct? I'm not sure of the EJ number for my GT Wagon's engine.

I'm using one of the newer down sized oil filters, it's a Denso which is a high quality filter. Are there any down sides associated with these smaller filters, i.e. reduced performance, reduced engine protection? I'm sensing, although I can't be sure, that there's a slight drop in performance...could be my imagination. Should the smaller filters be changed more frequently? I usually go 5k miles before doing a filter change. Also, does any one know the part number for Mann oil filters for Subes? I've searched but came up with nothing. I've got a 2000 Legacy.