Jim Davis

Sounds tempting. What about any electrical contacts etc in spray's way? Shooting a spray in there, would probably be a temp solution. I want to fix the problem. Any more noise's out there?

With an air bag installed on my steering wheel, I have little interest in finding a noise that could blow up in my face. That said, my '03 Outback VDC H6 Wagon has a sound coming from the base of the steering wheel (not shaft) that sounds like a bag full of dry dirty reciprocating bearings! The car has less than 50K miles on it and is kept reasonably clean. Before I pay someone to investigate, does anyone have some experience with this problem and what to expect? (Thanks in advance JD)

I have a '03 OBW VDC H6, and am very pleased so far. I have almost 50K on the car and have had virtually no problems summer or winter. One recall, for a clip on the cruise control. The only other complaint would be that the spedo reads about 3 mph fast. I myself prefer the 6 for it's smoothness.

Just a thought, but isn't the L.L.Bean H6 equipped with "limited slip" differentials? Has anyone checked them? Has the differential lube been changed and a friction modifier (if required) added? Snapping, banging from the rear end sounds like a differential locking up to me. Could be wrong.

If only all my problems could be this minor. My '03 VDC OBW has a very nice McIntosh stereo system that requires a push of the volume knob to provide extra light when reading the tuning band during daylight operation. Long story short...., the "brighten" feature doesn't work anymore, leaving the dial setting dark durring daytime operation. Very annoying. Simple problem I suspect, that will cost $$$ to fix. (cars outa warranty). Any McIntosh owner had this problem, and tell me what to expect to pay to fix it? Thanks.

Jumping back in the fray: One of my other vehicles is a Dodge Viper GTS. Dodge sold the GTS/ GT-2 V10 with K&N filters stock from the factory. Now, I doubt Dodge would have compromised reliability of their largest and most expensive engine ever built by them. You can bet the engines run hard. Frankly, I would be more worried about sub-standard oil filters and oil out there. Paper filters work fine and are relatively inexpensive, but start to loose flow with every mile you drive. How important is this? In everyday driving, the flow loss would be negligible. Remember, K&N is a "performance" filter. It is not the end all of performance upgrades, but works well under severe use.

For what it is worth, I think most off road racing teams seem to prefer the K&N to deal with impossible dirty conditions. They seem to flow better than paper when dirty. It would probably take a lot miles to break even on the cost of paper vs the reusable units.

"With a look only a mother could love". Glad to see new enginering. I might even swallow Subaru entering the overcrouded SUV segment, but the front end is not going to win much of this guys market. I'll keep my Outback thank you very much!

Don't feel bad. This stupid switch has fooled practically every new owner, and is easily bumped when re-setting the trip & clock.

My '03 H6 Outback Wagon does it. Normal I think.

Yikes. I guess my dyslexia got me again. Thank you for the reply. I now stand corrected. Question answered.

I just had a 30,000 mile service done on my '03 H6 Outback. I noticed that the shop did not change plugs. My owners manual states that plugs should be replaced at 30K miles. Service manager claims that my car is equipped with "Platinum" plugs that subsiquently do not require changing at this time. I should be grateful I saved some money here, or did the mechanic just get lazy? Any comment?

My Subaru dealer uses Quaker State products. If you are interested, the Quaker State part number for the H6 filter is QS3593A.

Thank you all for your replys. My 2003 H6 has been absolutely silk smooth and very dependible even in sub zero temps. I am taking my Outback to a Authorized Dealer because my warranty & extended warranty are still in effect. Not that I expect problems, but I would not want to void my coverage. I am still looking for a dealer recommendation for Minnesota. There are several dealers in the aria I am moving to, but a owners recommendation based on their experiance is what I am looking for. (JD)

Can someone tell me the aproximate cost for a routine 30,000 mile "autherized dealer" service on a 2003 H6 Outback? This is the first major service called for in the service book other than oil changes. I expect I need to brace myself! I am moving to the Rogers, Elk River, Minnesota aria soon and could use a dealer recommendation. Anyone? Thanks (JD)