arracado

EDIT--Not sure how relevant it is, but none of these problems started until a few months after purchasing new tires all around. The previous tires were all matching and the car was well cared-for by the previous owner.

Sorry to start another thread about all of this, but in all my searching I can't seem to nail down exactly what my problem might be. So here goes: 97OBW, 135K miles, ATM. For the last couple of months, I've noticed tightness when making hard left turns. No shuddering, just a tightness, as if you're holding down the brake while turning. In looking through other threads, I'm thinking this is torque bind? I've seen that a complete fluid flush can be an effective fix for this problem, though not always. However, I read somewhere in another thread about the AT Oil Temp light flashing, and realized that mine does that too. I went out and started it this morning and counted--16 flashes. Is this the duty C solenoid failing? And if so, should I forget the flush and just have this fixed? We are up in the snow now and as far as I know the AWD is working just fine. Any help is greatly appreciated!

125K miles. I knew I was forgetting something. I don't know how much longer I'll keep the car if I can't get some kind of improvement. 18 MPG for a 4-cylinder engine is ridiculous. I might as well be driving an SUV (not that I ever would), but with the way gas prices are I think I'd be just as happy with a 2.2L Legacy wagon that got better miles.

I've been trying to help the MPG of our 97 OBW. In stop/start city driving, I'm averaging 20 at best, but it's more often than not 17 or 18. I'm lucky to get 200 miles out of a full tank. Changed the air filter, plugs (NGK Platinum), fuel filter, coolant. No change. The funny thing is, the car runs beautifully. No hesitation, no hard starts. I just get crappy MPG. I've been reading through threads, and many mention the O2 sensor being a cause for poor MPG, but like I said, the car runs fine otherwise and I've never had the CEL come on. Could the O2 sensor still be faulty? '97 OBW 2.5L Automatic

Heh, nevermind, I figured it out. Had to resync the keyless entry.

Just finished putting new plugs in my 97 OBW, and for some reason after reconnecting the battery, the hazard lights are flashing slowly and intermittently (they will blink for a while, then stop, then start again). Our car didn't come with the manual, and there's nothing in the Haynes about this. Anyone have a clue? All blinkers, hazards, etc. function normally, all four just blink slowly when nothing is turned on. Thanks

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind (the ring). While I had hoped to get to this today, things got a little hectic so it looks like this will be a project for next weekend. Can't wait to see that baby light up; it's been driving me crazy for months, and my wife says the same thing your girlfriend did!

Thanks man!

We've had our 97 OBW for a few months now, and I'm perplexed as to either why there is no dash light for the climate control panel, or if there is one, where the hell it is? It doesn't appear that the buttons illuminate, and I don't see a bulb anywhere near the panel. Is this a design flaw, or am I just missing the obvious?

I just noticed the same thing happening in my '97 OBW, but there's no sign of oil, the coolant is old (will be flushed this week), and the car otherwise runs perfectly. Just took it through the mountains, with the AC on 90% of the trip, and got around 30 MPG. As far as I'm concerned, it's not a head gasket issue (at this stage, anyway).

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, no foam, so that's a good sign. Hoses look pretty new as well, so no need to do those now.

Oh no. The Outback was first. Do you think this means my wife could be a lesbian? And if so, will that increase my chances at a threesome?

Doing a routine look under the hood, I noticed some gobs of gunk in the coolant resevoir, and around the lip under the radiator cap. It's not black, nor oily, just kind of gunky, so I'm hoping that it's not a sign of the head gasket approaching detonation, but maybe just a coolant flush is needed. Any similar experiences? Is this a normal thing? Car is a '97 OBW, 2.5L, 122K miles.

Thanks for the tips! And yeah, we upgraded to a 97 OBW.

I recently passed on a beautiful 96 Legacy wagon because it had a branded title. The guy that was selling it did all of the body work, and it really was immaculate. I decided against it because of safety issues (even though the airbags didn't deploy in the wreck, I was still leery about whether they would function properly in another accident), and the fact that it would be really hard to sell one day. $3700 is a good price though; I just bought a 97 Outback with 120K miles, and thought it was a steal at $6500. As far as the head gaskets go, people here seem to make it into a big issue, but I'm sure much of it depends on how you're going to drive the car, and the conditions of it (I think someone else already said that.)

Good luck dude. That always sucks when you get everything put back together and something's still not right.....

Hey-- I'm trying to get my 91 all cleaned up to sell, but one of the things I really want to fix is the lap belt holding clips on both front seats. The one on the driver's side broke in two, while the passenger side one is missing altogether--there's just a hole where it should be. Anyone know of a junkyard that might sell these, or have a parts car they'd be willing to grab them off of?

I would think that the car manufacturer might also be interested in gas mileage, safety, and performance too, not just ride comfort....

Is the check engine light coming on at all? If so, check the codes out. I had the same problem in my 91, and had error codes for both the MAF and the water temp sensor. Changed them both and now it runs great.

This site doesn't really answer my question though. Plus it's $20 for 3 days access. What I really want is a hardcopy of the manual. Thanks though!

Yes, the mysubaru.com people gave me the toll-free to tech. services, and they're the ones who told me $30.

OK, Subaru wants $30 for a new manual, with no jacket, etc. However, they told me that the Outback did not have a special owner's manual, that it was the same Legacy book for all models. I e-mailed the person running this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7914450751&category=6762&sspagename=WDVW and asked if the manual included Outbacks. He replied that there is no mention of the Outback in this manual, which is for a 97. So, is Subaru wrong about there not being an Outback manual this year, or is the guy with the auction wrong? Could someone with a 97 Legacy Outback reply and let me know what your manual looks like? Thanks!

Congrats! My 91 Legacy wagon is just about to hit 200k. We're the second owners, and it runs great. Going to be selling it soon though since we got a 97 Outback:)

I just bought a 97 OBW 2.5 with 120K on it, and it runs fantastic. It was owned by an older couple, so there's a couple of dings on the exterior, including both bumpers:( The interior is pretty much immaculate. Anyway, what's this about head gaskets now? Is this something that should be done preemptively? I asked at the dealership if they could provide me with the car's service records through the VIN, and they said sure, so I'm going to check with them and find out more about the vehicle's history. It was a great buy at $6500 though, and a great replacement for our 91 Legacy L wagon, which is at 200K and running great still!

Thanks!