olivia123

Thanks for the link to Subaru outback. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do in the center console area where the ashtray etc are removed. Do I need to go into that area at all or can I just follow the instructions for removing the instrument panel.

I have 2003 legacy outback wagon and the bulb that lights up the fuel gage and the lower left side of the speedometer seems to have burned out. Can anyone give me some tips as to how to replace the bulb and how much trouble it is? thanks

I have a 2003 outback wagon and the rear window defroster doesn’t work at all. I have replaced the fuse, it didn’t look bad but replaced it anyway. When your push the switch on the dash the little light comes on but I don’t hear any click from the relay I’ve read about here on the forum. I also have a 1999 outback wagon ( defroster works fine) and when I push the switch on this car I do hear a relay click. If the relay is bad will the little light still come on and where is the relay located on the 2003? I have read about the relay location on several other years but not sure it is in the same place on this one. Once the relay is out is there a way to bench test it? thanks

I think what I will do is take off the rear section of the drive shaft and inspect the u joints and drive the car that way for while. I don’t really need four wheel drive that often and I guess this is better than driving with the 2wd fuse in. I have read some differing views about driving the car with the rear part of the drive shaft removed is it OK to do this?

Well I certainly agree it isn’t/wasn’t the rear diff and you’re right a few folks on the forum said they rarely fail. So what could be wrong with the drive shaft? I assume it would be in the rear portion of it. I will try the individual wheel diagnoses but we sort of did that with the rear wheels when the car was on the lift. We had them spinning with the engine running at idle in gear. Thanks for you input

The dealer tech heard the noise with me driving and said replace the rear diff. Didn’t put it on a lift. The independent guy also heard the noise with me driving and we put it on a lift and checked the u joints and center bearing for play. He also said replace the rear diff and he is the guy who put it in.

This is an update to a post from the spring about my 1999 OBW auto trans link below http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=121821 The car still makes a howling noise from the passenger side rear when going up hill and stops when you lift the gas pedal. It also makes a kind of rattling sound from the same area right before the howling starts. It does not do this all the time and when the FWD fuse is in it doesn’t do it at all. After having a sub tech and an independent guy look at the car the both suggested replacing the rear diff. The u joints and mid bearing were checked at this time as well. So I had a used read diff installed, had only 46,000 miles on it, and no change in outcome. Still makes the same noises under the same driving conditions and is still quiet with the fuse in. With the rear diff out of the equation what else might be causing this? I have never had a rear cv joint go bad on any of my previous 5 subs so I don’t know what the sounds/symptoms are. Any chance it could be a cv joint? I have read a lot about driving the car with the fuse in and or dropping the read section of the drive shaft. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on if this is a good or bad idea. As I said in the original post I’m hoping to get another year out of the car and other than this it runs and rides great. Thanks for any help

Update: The noise is now showing up in more situations, less steep inclines and some times even on flat roads. I had someone sit in the back seat and listen and they said the noise was definitely coming from the pass side wheel well area. I then sat in the back while some else drove and also think the noise is coming from the rear passenger side. Is the any chance that this could be a wheel bearing? There is no change in sound when turning but it does stop when you lift the accelerator which doesn’t seem like a wheel bearing symptom. BTW noise still not present when in FWD.

Update: I drove car with the fuse in, so FWD, and was able to find a hill where I could replicate the conditions that caused the noise easily. It made the noise in AWD and DID NOT in FWD. I tried it several times and the results were the same each time. I wonder what this tells me? Something in the rear diff? I have read various accounts of driving these subarus with the fuse in, FWD. They range from drive it forever no problem to not more than 5 miles and then slowly and just about everything else in between. There is also discussion about removing the back section of drive shaft with the fuse in and the fuse out. Is there a link to a good discussion of this topic? I just want another year or so out of this car and would be more than happy to drive it FWD only if that is an option. Also checked for play in wheels and found none. Couldn't break the fill plug in the rear diff to check level but sprayed with PB and will try again later.

No check engine light, but I assume you meant trans codes? I don't know much about these or how to read them. I'm going to put the FWD fuse in today and drive the same roads and see if there is any change. Thinking maybe rear diff. I'll update then. Will also check for play in the wheels as suggested.

I have a 1999 outback wagon auto trans with about 170,000 miles. I have a new strange noise that I will describe as a kind of howling that pulses or osculates. The sound occurs only when going up fairly steep inclines at speeds between 40 -65 mph. It stops if you lift off of the accelerator. It sounds like something from the drive train somewhere. I first noticed this about a week after I did the 3 times transmission fluid change. I just checked the fluid level and it is OK. Any chance there is a connection? My guesses range from a bearing somewhere in the drive train perhaps in the tranny to maybe a wheel bearing. I’m thinking bearing since it makes the noise under a higher load. Could it be a cv joint? Hope hope. I would appreciate any insight that you folks may have.

My 1999 outback has about 170,000 miles on it and has developed a rattle when you first accelerate and sometimes at idle. Heat shields was the first thought but they are all tight. The sound is coming more from the center of the car. I got under it and hit the rear catalytic converter with the heel of hand and heard the noise, sounds like something inside is loose. I assume there is no way to fix this short of replacing the converter. Is there any reason to fix this, I still have about 18 months to go before the next emissions test? I’m thinking I’ll just turn up the radio.

Thank for the response Gary. I called the dealer that the carfax said had “inspected the belt” and turns out it was replaced according to the dealer in December 2010. That’s good news. Also found out some other good things like brakes were done not too long ago. So thanks for the tip to contact the dealers on the carfax. I will do the ATF change as there was no record of that being done. Will use three change method, replace the screw on filter and no pan drop. I plan to use Valvoline Dex/ Merc. Thanks to all for the solid advice.

Thanks for all the advice. I looked at my car fax and have the name of the dealer that did the timing belt inspection. I will contact them. I like the idea of looking at the timing belt by removing the pass side cover but I’m not sure what the printing on the belt would say to indicate if it had been replaced recently. If anyone could clarify that I would appreciate it.

I just purchased a 2003 outback limited with 109,000 from a dealer. The car seems to be in excellent condition. I don’t really have any service records other than the carfax. It is an automatic, and I think I should just go ahead and change the transmission fluid although it looks and smells OK. I have read numerous posts about the 3 change method and will do that. Since I don’t know what type of fluid is in it, syn or reg, what type of fluid would you recommend I use? Also on the carfax report the last entry is timing belt and tensioner inspected and OK. Do you think I can trust that in terms of belt replacement since I have no idea when it was done last if at all?