jseabolt

So today I finally got around to replacing the coolant in my 2003 Baja. Last time it was changed was 11 years ago. I was ill at the time and had the dealership do it. I've been meaning to do this for awhile but knew it was a messy job and kept putting it off. The coolant was "good" meaning the freezing/boiling point was OK and it was not rusty or dirty looking. For those who plan on doing this you will find/need: 1) Engine drain plug is next to the oil filter, bottom of engine block. You will need a 14 mm Allen head socket. I got mine from AutoZone for about $8.00. 2) A Phillips head screwdriver to drain the radiator. I could not get enough torque on the screw so I used one of those 90 degree ratchet type screwdrivers with bits so I could push up on it as I turned. This thing has come in handy many times at removing stubborn screws. 3) 1 gallon of antifreeze + water 4) I used a bottle of that Subaru stop leak stuff they recommend. 5) 5/8" flush tee mounted in the "upper" heater hose I bought one of these funnels years ago and it has come in handy. Especially useful when you have an engine that you need to bleed the cooling system. https://www.cpooutlets.com/lisle-24680-spill-free-funnel/lisn24680,default,pd.html?ref=pla&zmam=31282435&zmas=47&zmac=722&zmap=lisn24680&gclid=CjwKCAjwq_vWBRACEiwAEReprCC4EfBpU1u_y4y3uxf5-Z9Z0hmhFHYgPMTRqqydHUY9yLGqX2-b2xoC17AQAvD_BwE It seemed to have taken the engine forever to heat up. But eventually the fans kicked on. So where this is going? I couldn't find the drain screw on the radiator until I removed the splash shield to locate it. This may not have even been necessary. The felt pads that are attached to the splash shields were pretty much rotten. And the star fasteners were rusty. I just pulled them off they were in bad shape. Since this material looks like the same type of insulation used on the underside of engine hoods, is it there to prevent the splash shield from melting? I know this sounds petty. Just curious.

Forgive me if I have asked this question before but for some reason cannot seem to find the answer I'm looking for. I'm going against the norm here. Most people want to lift their Subaru. I'd prefer to lower mine a bit. Not slam it, just drop it maybe 2". My Subaru is a 2003 Baja. I've always liked the right height of the Legacy GT Wagons. I found these springs on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/H-R-Spring-29443-Sport-Lowering-Coil-Spring-Fits-99-04-Subaru-Legacy-Wagon/142466094429?fits=Year%3A2003%7CModel%3ALegacy&epid=1624941128&hash=item212ba4155d:g:VWwAAOSwL5pZhKIa&vxp=mtr The reason I'm looking at "wagon" instead of "sedan" springs is my logic is the wagons typically use stiffer rear springs for payload reasons. Of course if I enter 2003 Baja, it says it's not compatible with my vehicle. I'm sure this has something to do with different OEM part numbers. I think someone on here said they installed a set of adjustable coil overs on their Baja but I think they spent some crazy money on them, like over $1000 so that's above my price range. I'm wondering if the there is a difference in the strut assemblies between the Baja and Legacy that may alter the right height. From 2004 until the end of production, Subaru raised the Baja about an inch for some reason. Did they use different springs or a spacer? I've heard of some people installing spacers between the tower and strut assembly to lift the suspension. This makes me wonder if there is already a spacer there and removing it may do the same thing. I've also wondered if the Baja shares some of the same components as the Outback wagon but not the base Legacy. Like the suspension since the ride height looks the same. I think Subaru also used the SUBARU lettering from the Forester on the tail gate. I'd really like the stick with replacing just the springs instead of using a set from a junkyard. My Baja has less than 80,000 miles on it. I'd prefer not to use a set from a Legacy with 250,000 miles on it. And the biggest question is, if I drop the suspension, will I have to have the camber adjusted? Reason being is I've had to use those camber correction bolts where one of the holes in the strut has to be hogged out on another car I own and they always seem to work loose over time.

That photo is supposedly of a local car. But may have come from up north. I don't know. I do know if you go over into western North Carolina in the mountains, seems like 3 out of 5 cars are Subarus. Due to the amount of snow they get. Luckily I live in the "vallley" so we don't get as much snow as you guys do you north. I live at the bottom end of the snow belt in NE Tennessee five miles near the Virginia border. We might get a 6" snowstorm but it's usually melted off within a few days. Snow doesn't really hang around here that long. Our summers start about the first week of May to the first week of November. Between November and May is mostly rain and maybe 6 weeks of bad weather sometime in between. 200 miles south in Chattanooga, might get some measurable amount of snow once every 10 years. 100 miles further south in Atlanta, the city doesn't even own any snow removal equipment! They hire construction companies with Caterpillars and bulldozers to scrape their roads. When there is road salt, once it rains and washes the roads off, I get out my high pressure sprayer and hit every nook and cranny on the car and the underside as well. Another thing that seems to contribute to rust is driving on dirt roads. Tennessee doesn't have the best maintained rural county roads. They mat get repaved once every 20 to 25 years but there are not any public dirt roads I can think of. Not around here anyway. My wife likes watching that show "Dr. Pol" on Nat Geo wild and I can't help but notice the condition of his fleet of Jeeps. All the country roads in central Michigan seem to be dirt and all of his Jeeps are rusted all to hell. I guess from the combination of dirt and road salt. If I had to live up there, I'd buy an old Subaru from down south and coat the underside and body with that truck bed coating stuff !

I've seen a few Legacy Outbacks, same generation as my '03 Baja and the Legacy generation before it that, seem to rust in this exact location: The weird thing is, it's typically just the driver's side. Not both sides. That 2002 Outback that I questioned about in another post, it's rusted in this same spot. No rust on the passenger side though. When I wash all of my cars, I always flush the wheel wells out with plenty of water, holding the nozzle so the water comes out at a solid stream to remove any dirt that may build up within the wheel wells, especially around the wheel well lips. I'm hoping packed dirt is what causes this and not a water trap design flaw from Subaru. So is this rust spot caused from lack of automotive hygiene or a design flaw? What concerns me is my '03 Baja has the body cladding covering this area and have no idea if it's rusting without prying the panel off. This is not something I really want to do just for peace of mind. I have stuck my finger up into the wheel well where I've seen this rust spot occur and cannot feel any holes or rusted metal from the inside out. So maybe everything is OK. Speaking of design flaws. I have a 1980 Fiat Spider and the quarter panels were rusting from the inside out. As well as some other areas which were not uncommon to rust on cars made back in the 70s and 80s. I had a guy repaint this car 20 years ago. After I got the car back, I decided to remove any undercoating in the wheel wells that had come loose and do some rust repair myself. I discovered where ever there used to be rust on the outside there was loose undercoating on the inside. Water was getting trapped in pockets behind loose undercoating. I removed every bit of undercoating that was coming off but didn't remove what wouldn't come off. I also discovered that the inner wheel well were made of two pieces of metal, crimped then spot welded together. But they never used any seam sealer from the factory to seal in the gaps. So water was also getting thrown up into this area but had no where to drain out. I used some of that stuff from Eastwood's that you brush over top of rusted metal, fixed any rust holes with fiberglass, then covered up all of these seams with that latex caulk. Reapplied undercoating and painted over that with black gloss Rustoleum. So far it's been 20 years and the rust hasn't come back. I keep this car in the garage when it's not driven, never drive it in the snow (why would I? I own a Subaru!) but I have driven it in the rain many times since then. So I must have done something right.

I talked to the guy with the Subaru junkyard and he seems reasonable on body panels. I think he wanted $40 (each) for a front bumper and fender and $60 for the door including the glass. He also offered to buy the car. I haven't sent him any photos yet to see what he wants to offer me.

I figured he probably ignored the temperature guage, that's why I wondered if the car ever ran hot when he was driving it. He also let the brake fluid reservoir run low so the car barely has brakes. It took 2 to 3 times as long to stop the car as my Baja. Air has gotten into the system. I actually put rear pads on this car. I was well aware that there was an issue with the rear caliper because one side was worn down and the other side was OK. But didn't want to put any more money into the car. I figured the car would be totalled in about 2 months, long before the rear pads worn down again. Well it actually made it 8 months. What's the best way to know if he head gaskets are bad? My guess: Check for external coolant leaks Check for steam coming out the exhaust Check for oil and coolant mixing. The car seems to pass those three tests I guess the next test is to buy or rent one of those tools that connects to radiator in place of the cap. Pressuring the system and let it sit overnight to see if it leaks down.

Someone told me as long as my wife's name is the lien holder, the car is technically still in her name and there shouldn't be a problem of getting to re-titled into my name. There is a thing known as a mechanics lien. I think the car has to sit on someone's property for at least one year, paperwork applied for, etc. Otherwise if I find a car without a title, it must be 30 years old before I can apply for a title. That's one way around how I got my 1981 Trabant 601 I imported from Hungary. Never sold here to begin with, 2 stroker, makes 9 times the pollutants of a V8 SUV, body panels made of cotton and wool.

Thanks guys. Sounds like using parts from my 02 on a 98 maybe more of an issue than I thought. So in other words if I want to do a "direct" engine or transmission swap, I'd be better off finding a 2001 to 2004 Outback with and H-6 engine and automatic? I forgot to mention I contacted a guy on Craigsist with a Subaru Junkyard over in Western North Carolina (I live just 80 miles over the mountain in East Tennessee). Due to the mountainous terrain and poor road maintenance during the winter months, Subarus make up about half of cars in rural areas over there. I told him what I needed and he sent me a reply. He doesn't sound like he wants too much for the body panels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll post some photos of the car. I haven't taken any. Hey, For the 2002 outback I have everything your looking for to repair your vehicle. - front bumper with a few scratches but in decent working order, $40. -ds fender, $40 have a bunch of colors to choose from. -DS rear door complete with glass, regulators, etc, $60. For the rear quarter panel you would have to cut and weld, honestly I would recommend just hammering it out. I also wanted to add that we recycle Subarus so if you do end up scrapping it I can offer a little above scrap value with pickup of the car. Thanks, TJ AMP -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've got a 2002 Subaru Outback sedan. 250,000+ miles. It was my wife's son's car (notice I didn't say step son) who he let someone borrow it who wrecked it. The car is still somewhat in my wife's name as the lien holder. She bought it for him but kept her name on the title as the lien holder so he wouldn't pawn it at one of those "Mafia" title loan places. But getting his name off the title might be an issue. The DMV here in Tennessee can be hard to deal with. I don't want to have to go through a bunch of crap with the DMV over this car. It has been sitting on my property for over a year though. So I'm thinking about just junking the car instead of fixing it. Cosmetically it needs: Front bumper DS fender DS rear door Quarterpanel is dented in as well but might be hammered out. Mechanically it needs: CV joints rear brake caliper, hose and pads (rear brakes are sticking) Otherwise it runs fine. Only issue that really concerns me with the engine. When I "retrieved" the car from the impound lot, initially the engine temperature was normal for 20 miles until I turned the AC on, then it started to run hot. I turned the AC off and got off the four lane and onto the old highway so I could drive at a slower pace (30 mph). Then it started to cool down. When I got home, I discovered it was quite low on coolant. I put about a gallon of 50/50 in it and let the car idle in my driveway for about 30 minutes with the AC on and it never overheated. Since Subarus are known for head gasket issues, providing there are no leaks (none I saw anyway) is this an indication of a blown head gasket? I checked both the oil and coolant and they are not mixing. If the car was run low on coolant and it did overheat on him, then it surely has weakened the head gaskets and may have warped the heads. I know if coolant spits out the exhaust that's a sure sign. I never saw any coolant or steam coming out the exhaust. OK here's some questions. Would it be better to replace the body panels on this car with used ones or buy another Subaru with a good body that needs an engine or transmission? What I want to know is what years will a 2002 I-6 engine and the transmission fit. This guy says this car has a blown engine (I have no idea if this is a I-4 or an I-6): https://tricities.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-subaru-legacy/6294692793.html This one is an Outback (so it has to be an I-6 automatic) and needs a transmission: https://tricities.craigslist.org/cto/d/1998-subaru-legacy-for-parts/6313554233.html But will a 2002 transmission fit a 1998 model? I do know that the transmission shifts OK. I kind of doubt I could get enough body panels for less than $500. Where as I can get what appears to be a descent Outback wagon for $500 that needs a transmission. Logic tells me to buy the white Outback wagon that doing a transmission swap would be much easier than an engine swap or body work. Plus if the sedan that needs an engine is an I-4, then I'd have to swap the computer, wiring harness and all and that might be a nightmare trying to get it to start or run right. Also swapping transmissions from one car to another one eliminates the issue with the title. Sometimes cars are easier to fix than a piece of paper! Please advise!

My 2003 Baja came with the premium sound system (sub-woofer, 6 disc CD changer) and was top stuff 15 years ago. It still sounds great but it's functions and capabilities are way outdated. For years I've used one of those VR3 MP3 players that plugs into the cigarette lighter and broadcasts over FM which sounds like garbage since the factory CD player can't read MP3 format. So I want something that will play MP3s from a USB or SD card and touchscreen GPS. Here is the radio I decided on: http://www.ebay.com/itm/253044727237?item=253044727237&viewitem=&vxp=mtr I used to subscribe to Sirius radio until they got so expensive. Plus they played the same songs over and over again. About 7 years ago I removed the 6 disc CD changer and cubby hole and made this panel for the receiver. Due to filters on my companies internet, they are blocking individual photos so just goto this directory: http://s222.photobucket.com/user/turbofiat/library/Subaru?sort=6&page=1 I'm going to be removing this whole panel. Any offers? My question is, if I go with a 2 DIN radio, do I need a special installation kit? So far it seems I only need a kit if the radio I am installing is a single DIN. In other words, the 2 DIN radio should bolt right up then re-install the cubby hole at the very bottom like it came from the factory? And I need this wiring adapter: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Wiring-Harness-Adapter-with-Butt-Connectors-for-Subaru-8901-/192235668322?fits=Year%3A2003%7CMake%3ASubaru&hash=item2cc2238362:g:fAsAAOSw3mpXJsni&vxp=mtr The last question is does anybody know if the factory sub-woofer that's under the passenger seat will still function with an aftermarket radio? How it's wired up? Thanks.

I'll give it a shot. I figured alcohol wouldn't be an aggressive cleaner at removing carbon buildup. I typically use one of those wire brushes when cleaning up parts in my parts washer and kerosene as the solvent.

I asked the service manager yesterday when I took my Baja in for it's airbag replacement about this intermittent bucking issue I encounter from time to time that I have mentioned in the past. This happens with my foot barely on the accelerator. Usually around 2700 rpms in 3rd gear. The weird thing is this also happens worse after topping off the fuel tank. Which seems totally unrelated. But because the ECU is not flashing any codes, they said it maybe hard to track down and a throttle body cleaning would be the first thing they would do. I told him I thought about doing this but read using the wrong cleaner might damage some of the sensors. He said they take a pair of forceps and gauze (for lack of a better term) soaked with an alcohol based solution and wipe the throttle body with the throttle open instead of using a spray cleaner. They wanted an hour service work to do this which I could do myself. Any other recommendations on what I could do cleaning any other sensors mounted into the air cleaner or throttle body? What could I use that wouldn't damage any of these sensors? I figured using rubbing alcohol or lacquer thinner would be safe to wipe the inside of the throttle body. Should I wipe any of the other sensors? There is one mounted in the air cleaner box adjacent to the PVC hose coming off the valve cover on the passenger side. I'm guessing that sensor might be the ambient air temperature sensor and could be easily gunked with blow-by being so close to it. The one mounted in the throttle body is probably the manifold pressure sensor?

I made a mistake on the brake pad thickness. I like to use the metric system but sometimes get a decimal misplaced. I meant to say new pads were 10 / 8 mm and mine were 5.5 / 4 mm after 65,000 miles. I mentioned something awhile back. I seldom brake hard and I always gear down going down hills so I know the rotors did not get hot. Someone told me this can cause them to warp or get out of round. I did try doing some panic stops to see if this helped. The problem is, it's kind of hard to do this where I live due to all the traffic. My first car was a 1981 Prelude and that thing needed new front pads every 20,000 miles and it was a stick. Someone told me Subarus built around the late 70s/early 80s were hard on brake pads as well. In contrast the right side rotor on my Chevy van has some purple areas and the brakes pulsate under hard braking but the steering wheel doesn't shake like the Subaru. It's a heavy conversion van and an automatic. I still try to gear it down going down hills but it's an automatic which are typically harder on brake pads. In that case I'd probably need to replace the rotor since it got hot at some point. With the Subaru I might be able to just have the rotors turned. I found rotors are like chainsaw blades. Once they get hot, they lose their temper and there is nothing that can be done with them.

2003 Baja : 79,000 miles , Bought new in December 2002. The reason for the low mileage? I have a bunch of collector cars I drive in the summer. I finally took it to the dealership to have the defective passenger side airbag replaced. Turns out mine did not have the Takata airbag after all but they gave my car a free inspection. Here's what they told me: The timing belt needs to be replaced every 10 years or 105,000 miles along with the water pump. I know why it's a good idea to replace the waterpump since it's driven off the timing belt and you might as well replace it while doing the timing belt but does the timing belt really need to be replaced every 10 years? I believe mine has the 2.5 liter SOHC engine. Are these interference engines? I've heard the DOHC turbo engines on 2004 and up models ARE interference engines. Any reason why I can't push it to 100,000 miles? I mean I don't want it to break on me but if it does, I'll just have it towed to my house and fix it myself. But if it is an interference engine, then it probably wouldn't hurt to go ahead and change it before winter. I keep a log on everything I do to this car. At 68,500 miles, I heard a squeak from the brakes and thought I might need new pads so I went ahead and bought some new ones from Advance. When I pulled the calipers off, the front pads were 5.5 mm / rear was at 4 mm . The new pads were 10mm / 8 mm . So if OEM pads are the same thickness, then the pads are only half worn and won't need to be replaced until around 130,000 miles. I don't brake hard because mine is a 5 speed so I typically don't hit the brakes until I'm coming to a stop. The dealership said I needed new brake pads and front rotors. The steering wheel does vibrate a bit when I hit the brakes so I'll buy that but do I really need new pads at this stage? From some odd reason, the battery was dead on this car when I started it. It's been in my garage since April hooked to a trickle charger. I have a BUNCH of old cars like a FIat Spider, Citroen 2CV and Trabant I drive during the summer. I typically only drive my Subaru from November to April or May and usually only to work. You know just in case it snows. I did top the battery off with distilled water one day while checking the water in the batteries of some of my other cars. Up until a month ago, I think the battery was still OK. This makes the second battery I've put on this car since I bought it new in 2002. But batteries are junk these days so it doesn't surprise me. I think the battery I put on it was a "Seconds" Interstate I get for $50 from this alternator shop. It's been hit or miss with these batteries. I've got it hooked to a charger and will monitor it. I told the service manager that I did all my own maintenance to my vehicles but he quoted me some prices "just in case" I wanted them to do it for me. $170 for a new battery. $780 for a new timing belt and water pump. I don't know if that included the serpentine belt or not. He said there was a second belt for the AC. I've done several timing belt changes on Fiats DOHC and SOHC engines in the past so I don't think a Subaru would be any different. Just make sure all the pulleys are aligned. Well the thing, if I paid someone to fix everything that needed to be replaced or repaired everything on my cars, lawnmowers, house, I'd be broke. OH get this. I told him I checked to see if the cabin filter was clogged a couple of years ago and it was all for naught. 2 hours worth of work for nothing. I found no cabin filter in the car, just a bunch of leaves. He said all Subarus in 2003 came with cabin filters from the factory. I thought cabin filters were an "option". But he says the second cabin filter is the engine filter! Is that true? I can't find any hoses leading from the air cleaner to the cabin. They also wanted mentioned something about installing new tires and wiper blades. Well I put new wiper blades on the car last November and new tires 10 years/ 34,000 mile ago and they are only half worn and still pliable. However I do like to keep better tires on my Subaru because tires with thicker tread does go better in the snow. I know dealerships push work but could most of it be unnecessary? $800 for parts on labor for a timing belt when I get the parts for $230 and do it myself? I feel sorry for people who are not mechanically inclined and have to pay the dealership for maintenance items like brake jobs and timing belts. I'm not a master mechanic but have been lucky NOT to have to have a dealership fix any of my cars including my 98 Chevy van.

Changing brake fluid. In theory this makes sense but here is my problem. When you "flush" the brake system, all you are doing is putting fresh fluid in the reservoir, lines and hoses. When you open the bleeder screws, the old fluid is still left in the caliper because the bleeder screw and hose fitting are usually located at the top. I've never seen a brake hose mounted to the bottom of a caliper so new flush can actually pushes the old fluid out. The only way I could think of to remove the old fluid is to remove the caliper from the mounting bracket, remove the bleeder screw and turn the caliper up side down and let the old fluid drain out. Then you have to consider any funk buildup in the system is going to settle to the bottom of the caliper. So how are you going to get that stuff out unless you extract the piston? I guess you could shoot some brake cleaner through the bleeder screw hole and clean it out that way but I don't know if this stuff would harm the seals or not. The last brake repair I did was on my 98 Chevy van a few months ago. One day I hit the brakes and heard this scrubbing sound. HMMM? Sounds like the pads are wore. But modern cars should have squealers that rub against the rotor before it get's metal to metal. So I pulled the caliper like most cars, two Allen head bolts with sleeves that surround the bolts. I discovered the inside pad was almost down to the metal but the outer pad still had about 1/8" friction material and the squealers were bent! When I remove the other caliper, I noticed that the sleeves that the bolts go through came out with them. But the sleeves on the offending wheel were still stuck in the caliper. I sprayed some PB baster around them and worked them out with a pair of vice grips. It looks like the sleeves on the offending wheel were zinc plated and the ends that go into the caliper had rusted. Where the sleeves on the other caliper are aluminum. I know you can buy new sleeves but I just sanded the rusted ends down, greased them with anti-seize compound and turned them around backwards so the non rusted ends are now in the caliper. I haven't had any issues. However one difference between my van and my Subaru is, there is no vibration when I hit the brakes but rather they pulsate at low speeds. I think there the rotors have developed hot spots at some time or another and that is what I am feeling.