viceversa
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Posts posted by viceversa
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I narrowed down my choices to '95-96 Legacy and Camry, both wagons and both 5-speeds, and probably 4-cyl.
I've had a Loyale before so I know something about Subarus. I also know that Legacy is a more substantial vehicle. Still, I want some brutally honest and unbiased opinions and pros/cons, especially from those who owned both vehicles.
I don't care for performance but want great mileage. At least 29MPG on highway-only. 31mpg would thrill my soul. Still, I don't want to drive a turtle, it has to keep up with traffic at 80mph....
Does Legacy have suspension issues?
I realize both are non-interference engines. 2.2L Subaru vs. 2.2L in Camry? What about trannies?
I do almost all work myself and want to know which is easier to maintain. I took my Loyale apart, and wasn't particularly hard (but could be easier). How does Legacy score vs. Camry in that regard. I fix things except for stuff like timing belts which is out of my league (for now).
What specific items should I pay attention to with Legacy, and what maintenance records should I want to see? Is OBDII easy to read on it?
I am a cheap soul and I care about cheap replacement parts.
Both score well in that regard, they are lots of mid-90's cars in junk yards. I currently drive an '87 domestic piece of junk and even though it was a very common model, junk yards have crushed all of them. So I want to ensure I can get body parts if I need them.
I will be looking for something with about 100K so enough life left in it but also much room for various maybe even serious issues. So I want to know all the (potential) problem areas. Not interested in 4WD. Does Legacy ride lower than Camry, or is that an illusion?
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It was a loose connection. Weird. Plugged it in, and the fan cuts on now, and the temp normal.
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92 Loyale, with 202K miles
It's overheating at high speeds, about 60mph. Slowly. I finally figured out what the problem is, the auxillary electric fan is not working. Why is that?
Coolant temp. sensor?
Fan broken down?
Electric connection?
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olde virginny isn't too bad. I would be afraid of northern states like NY, NJ, WI. There is a lot of humidity here, as in much of the South, that has to contribute in some way. Though I have a 17 year old vehicle which has never been garaged and has no rust. I also have a 11 year old vehicle which has not been garaged in the last 5 years, and spent a year in WI salt and still no rust.
Subaru's are susceptible to rust, for whatever reason. Their metal seems thinner. I wonder if they get such good mileage due to weight reduction. I've seen some late 80's units which were total rust buckets, all the metal is gone around the wheel wells. I guess the only other car which rusts so badly is Toyota. Ford/Chebby trucks for some reason rust too, if from the 80's. The 70's are the worst of course, before they learned to galvanize the metal.
On a 96 Subaru, minor rust is probably a moot issue because I would imagine I will wear it out sooner than rust consumes it.
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The chances are slowly stacking up against it... First, I got another vehicle, older but lower-mileage... then I decided that I really wanted a manual tranny, and finally, the Loyale itself hit that magic and scary 200,000 miles and even despite the EA82 engine and the auto tranny getting replaced, showing it's age with all kinds of rattles and squeeks generally present in high-mileage vehicles. It's at the point where it has become a, well, not a money pit because I fix it myself generally, but a time pit for sure. The axles will probably need replacement in the next year. The front has never been touched, will probably need a total rebuild. The passenger window rolls up really slowly. The AC doesn't work and it's in the South with lots of humidity.
And it has first signs of rust. And the dreaded, embarassing, not to mention, highly annoying, lifter noise. I guess I could fix that also, but .... I am almost afraid to go on long interstate trips with it, for fear of something going wrong, like a radiator hose or t-stat. My last problem was mice chewing off the fuel pump wire, which caused intermittent running, and took me a week to diagnose.
It's only redeeming feature is insanely good mileage. I think that if I replace the O2 sensor and EGR valve, I could probably gain 1-2mpg and move in the 32mpg territory. None of my other vehicles come close.
But, I won't mess with it. I have 2, no three other vehicles, and that's just too many to take care of. Someone won the ebay auction for $400 and going to wire the money today and pick it up on Friday, so that's the end of that story. Due to all these reasons, it's just time to move on.
I will probably get a newer car, like a Legacy, circa 1995, with a manual and working AC for a change. Then, I might get another Loyale, but a lower-mileage manual tranny also. (what are the chances of me finding a rust-free one?)
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It is a 2WD...
I will rotate the tires and see if it makes any difference. And check the axle nut.
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Well, the car has 203K on it, engine is not original.
I had the timing belts changed a few months ago. What's the best source for info on oil pump swap?
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No, it is not a squeak, I had that happen from worn out disk brakes on another vehicle. But neither is it a click, it's closer to a thump-thump-thump, I think it may be related to a tire somehow. I am going to try to move tires around and see if the noise relocates and proceed from there.
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EA82, 92 Loyale
the engine has 110K miles but it is ticking due to noisy lifters. There is a lot of info on the forums about that.
I tried adding MMO to the crankcase - no help.
What's next? Replacing the oil pump? I would rather not, as I don't want to put any effort into this vehicle, it seems at the end of its life overall. There are other issues, like rust... etc. It's just not worth messing with.
And even if I replaced the oil pump, it's no guarantee that it will work...
All this raises the question, if I ignore the lifter noise and just drive like that, will it jeopardize the longevity of the engine? Does it matter at all? Will the engine seize some day due to it? It's a relatively low mileage engine. It's mildly annoying, but doesn't affect power or acceleration.
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I am not sure that I need one, but something is making a noise while I am going under 5 mph (straight, not turning).. my tires are pretty bad, but if it's the axle, I will replace it.
I was quoted a price of $60 for a reman axle from Autozone, worthwhile? Would Advanced Auto parts be better?
92 Loyale, 203,000 miles
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Sounds good -- You need proper equipment for the job, a lift.
Otherwise you risk dropping the thing on yourself, in the worst case scenario.
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It's fine. No leaks or overheating.
Mental note: Replace radiator hoses preemptively.
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Turned out there was a hole in the upper radiator hose. The coolant was blowing out of it. Replaced it. We will see how it performs now.
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92 Loyale, 1.8L EFI
It overheats at high speeds, about 70-75mph. Nearly goes into the red. If I slow down to 60 or so, the temperature needle goes into the middle of the gauge, it cools off.
And it's loosing coolant, I keep adding it. What could be the problem - failing thermostat? A leak? I cannot find any leaks under it. The radiator is apparently dry.
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don't overtorque the oil filter or the drain plug.
OIl change is fun.
Check out bobistheoilguy.com
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Thanks for sharing that, it's encouraging. It looks like Legacy is a few notches above the ole Loyale... and the fact that it doesn't sacrifice any mileage is a great thing. 29mpg is respectable from any vehicle. Also, how much does the Legacy wagon weight, say 2wd?
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I found the cause!!
I knew it had to be an ignition problem. I also knew my distributor cap and rotor weren't that old, about 1 year, and didn't expect them to be bad.
I pulled them anyway and found out that a part of the distributor had disintegrated and 2 large chunks of plastic were loose inside. I fished them out. I also found out that the distributor cap was worn, as was the rotor - it was bent even. The plastic stuff came from the edge. Now there is a small hole in the distributor, I hope it doesn't make a difference.
Replaced these two parts, and a world of difference. No more hesitation or misses, at throttle or idle.
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4wd is more desirable than 2wd I have....
I am also going to swap the O2 sensor, mine has 202,000 miles on it. I get almost 30mpg, and hope this will increase it.
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My 92 loyale gets a solid 29mpg in highway only driving, I like that.
Is it feasible to find an early 90's Legacy with 2.2L manual and non-AWD that can get similar MPG?
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Maybe it's the front axle then... I cannot really figure out where the sound is coming from. How do I check that the axle has gone bad?
I examined the boots, and they seem to be fine, no grease leaking.
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I hope it doesn't hurt anything, as in my 92 Loyale, it ticks all the time.
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Adjusted the coil wire which was loose by the hesitation is still there. The miss at idle, and some at throttle.
I will begin by replacing the plug wires, and also distributor cap and rotor.
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OK, thanks for clarifying that...
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The best aspect of EA82 is it's very economical engine, I get 29-30mpg regularly, and sometimes even more. That's more than any other vehicle I ever owned.
I can only imagine how good a manual would do.
Legacy vs. Camry
in 1990 to Present Legacy, Impreza, Outback, Forester, Baja, WRX&WrxSTI, SVX
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Thanks for the wealth of info.
The transverse engine of Camry is just about the only thing I wouldn't like about it, the "conventional" engine position of Legacy might be the ultimate reason for me to choose it.
What's the last year for that great 2.2L engine? 1996? How many horses? Good combo with 5-speed manual?
And, can I get any post-95 Legacy with 4WD vs. AWD? How much mpg-wise penalty is there for AWD? 1-2mpg? Any problems with the AWD design?
What are the weak points of Legacy? 2.2L/manual that is.
Also, where can I find specs on both Legacy and Camry, stuff like curb weight/width/etc. Camry seems wider, but it might be just an illusion.
When did Legacy get titanium wheels (instead of older steel)