hop

thanks, I'll look for the Illum fuse. I noticed the problem when I was playing with the illum switch and nothing was happening.

"Gee officer, it didn't feel like I was speeding!" I noticed the other day that my dashboard lights (the ones that go on so you can see your instruments at night, not the various warning/seatbelt/check engine lights) aren't working. Hmm. I'm sure there is a fuse somewhere that I should check out before gettting too worked up but since I don't have a manual or anything (yet) I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Advice? thanks!

Well, thanks to the help here and elsewhere, I am now a Subaru owner. Much searching led me to a $6250 '97 Legacy wagon, 115k, brand new clutch/WRX wheels/tires/tint job. It's way more pimped out than I want/need, but I was worried that I would never be able to find a 5 speed when I really needed one (which was pretty much...now). Needless to say I am a happy camper! Pics will follow when I get near a digicam. Got 30mpg from Tacoma-Mt. Hood-Newport OR. Nice. Some questions for you that the car people weren't able to answer (it was a trade-in): Is there any way to tell if the timing belt has been changed w/o going in there? If not, is it safe to wait until the 120k service or do I risk destruction? What are signs that the TB is going? Also, where can I find an owners manual for one of these things? She didn't come with one. Thanks! :cool:

according to the cars101 site (thanks for that link btw) the Ti has the turbo 2.2 engine that requires premium fuel, and the seller of the Ti has always put premium fuel in there. He says his mileage is about 25-30 mpg city-highway. That's not too bad I suppose (ahem Audi A2 diesel 80mpg...) The funny thing about this car is that it's the Ti edition MT, but according to the KBB site, the Ti is only available in a turbo AT. And I can't get back to the cars101 site right now but I seem to remember some sort of inconsistency there as well. Hmm. Just noticed this thread on turbos and fuel. Maybe it won't be so bad after all...http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17424

geez... the latest monkeywrench... apparently the Ti requires premium fuel, which sort of goes against my fuel budget requirements. I think I know the answer to this question, but I'm going to ask it anyways. Can I get away with mid grade or even (gasp) regular in the 2.2 turbo engines? What will happen if I do skimp a bit? But thanks to all this help, I have a better idea of what to look for!

thanks for the info. I think I'll keep looking. That '94 Ti is looking better and better. That might be "the one".

Sorry about being a broken record here... but this seems to be the best place to get independent anonymous feedback on these things. So I have found a '96 LSi wagon w/ 113k, belts changed @81k, automatic, 2.5... I can probably get the guy to take $5000 cash. Then there's the '98 L wagon w/ 113k, auto, for $5995. It's at a used car place and they're not sure of the history but "it passed their 52 point inspection..." But I am also looking at a '95 LS wagon w/ 174k, belts done @ 150k, new transmission, no problems... the guy's looking for $5000 as well, which is way above kbb but he just put the brand new tranny in there for 3k. Initial instinct says the LSi is the better vehicle, but thanks to this forum and others, I am a bit paranoid about the 2.5 and the gasket catastrophes that accompany them. Is it a gamble worth taking? Do I pony up for the newer L? Keep looking??? Oh, why did my car have to die? Thanks again!

Ti= touring edition. Apparently they have some sort of self-adjusting pneumatic shocks for a tour-riffic ride. Or something like that. Out of curiousity, what's the difference between the various L, LS, LSi, etc. versions of Legacies?

The guy won't go below $3900, which is higher than I want to go. Looks like I'm still looking!

Someone else didn't think so! I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Seems like my quest to become a Subaru owner is harder than I thought... other people want them too! Here's a '94 Legacy Ti manual w/ 184k on it. This is what the owner had to say: I purchased the car from Dan's Subaroo Sales (subaroo.com) in Lake Oswego, outside of Portland. Dan's is a pretty amazing place -- all Suby, all the time. It is primarily a service center, but when long-time customers are upgrading to newer Suby's, Dan often buys them. So, when I bought mine, it had been through a full dealer-quality makeover, and I paid quite a bit more than blue-book for a warranty and peace of mind. More than worth it -- it's been the easiest car I've owned. I've put about 14,000 miles on it in three years. Two problems during all that time: Leaky gasket up front during 2003. I had the front and rear engine completely re-sealed. No problems since. The other problem was the right rear shock, which was adjusting on hills (pneumatic shocks in '93-'94 Legacy Ti's) -- settling to level out the car. Had a thorough inspection at Carter Subaru on Aurora -- where I have all service done -- and they said no worries, everything is working as it should: The system self-adjusts, which is why it rides so nicely on the freeway. I've only known one other Ti -- friends in Rhode Island have one -- and they say the same about theirs. The 180,000-mile checkup showed no problems -- just had rear brakes completely re-done as a matter of maintneance. Clutch is tight. Lots of get-up-and-go. Gas mileage is about 28 on the freeway, and 22 in town. Very clean and no dents or dings. It doesn't have a CD player. I have a Yakima RocketBox up top right now -- you're welcome to it if you like. His original asking price was $4600, which seemed ridiculously high for a car with that many miles. Now it's down to $4150. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's as nice as he says it is, what would be a proper price? I attempted to KBB it but they wouldn't allow a Ti with a manual transmission... even so, the price was less than $3500. Thanks again. I have faith that with your help, I will finally be able to put my beloved '89 Camry to rest.

According to the records from the 120k, the leak was found to be the "baffle ___" which is located above the tranny somewhere. Estimated cost for replacement=$525. The owner has never had to add oil or or noticed any lack of oil in between changes. I assume this should be fixed, but it sounds like it's not the death of the car since it has been noted and not taken care of. The engine itself is clean except for a bit of oil residue on the bottom where the leak is. A co-worker ('94 GL wagon) is telling me to steer clear but then again he just spent a ton of money re-sealing his car and may be a bit sensitive/paranoid. He figures that if one thing is leaking then other seals and gaskets can't be far behind if they haven't been replaced at 124k. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance. Oh yes, what about the 2.2 makes me not have to worry about the head gaskets?

It's clean, 124k, just had 120k service done. 2.2 auto tranny. According to the (2nd) owner, the only problem is that "it sometimes smells like oil". They're asking $4,300. I'll see if I can deduce what the mysterious oil smell is. Apparently "it did this when we bought it and we heard it was common... we never did anything about it but apparently there is something you can do to fix it." I figure whatever would be causing this might have been noticed at a 120k service done by a dealer. Hmm... Head gaskets, anything else I should look for? Timing belt?

So how often do these head gaskets blow up? I've heard that blown head gaskets are a common problem, but if they are the sort of thing that happens once or twice in a lifetime (hopefully to the previous owner...) then maybe I'd be ok. However, sinking 1500-2000 into a car every few years isn't my cup of tea. And aren't the 2.2's way more bomber than the 2.5's? If I could find a 2.2/manual, (assuming everything else checks out) I'd be set, right? Thanks a lot.

Hi folks, I'm looking to join the "club" with a '96 Outback w/ 110,000 miles on it. It seems clean but has this ding in one of the rims. What would a repair/replacement cost for damage like this? Apparently it was a parking lot incident...owner hit the curb. The owner hasn't told me if it has a 2.2 or 2.5. It's an automatic. Aside from the wheel rim the car looks to be in very good shape. The front body panel on the other side has been repaired and repainted as well. They were desparate to sell and were looking for $5500 obo. Should I? Any other things to look for?