ionic

Well, we looked at the Legacy L. Car is in great shape cosmetically. Was not impressed with the interior quality and the ride though. I would have thought that they'd have upgraded the materials and controls since the 95 and 96 that I have, but everything looks and feels almost exactly the same. Ride was fairly harsh, not nearly as good as the 96 Legacy LS. Still the same ole wind leak from the same ole place at the driver's window. Partner was not impressed with the car's ambiance compared with the Beetle; even though the Legacy *should* be more reliable and has AWD, it didn't have right "feel". I preferred the old 96. We're looking at an 02 Outback this weekend with a lot more options (read: seat warmers) and 35,000 fewer miles for about $3000 more. It'll be an interesting comparison.

I'm pretty familiar with 80s and 90s Subarus, but I'm going to look at a 2002 Legacy L 5-speed wagon with 79,000 miles at a VW dealer. Partner has a '00 Beetle that we're considering trading for the Legacy. Dealership has $9900 on the Legacy, which seems like a fairly good price. It's the basic Legacy L wagon and doesn't appear to have any options. I think this car is still subject to the external headgasket leak. Is this correct? Any other particular trouble spots on an early 2000s Legacy? Price seem fair? Thanks! Also, anyone know if it is feasible to retrofit heated seats into this car? My partner is in love with the seat warmers in the Beetle, and I am wondering if the heating elements could be added to the Legacy's existing seats.

We have a 93 Loyale 4WD automatic that has had for several years an intermittent starting problem that seems to be becoming more frequent. The car has a new battery (6 months old) and the starter contacts were replaced shortly after the battery, but to no avail. My mechanic is baffled by the problem because it is so intermittent and never happens when the car is at the shop. The problem occurs only on warmer days when the car has been parked on the sun. We've had a warm winter (temperatures in 60s and 70s), so it's happened several times in the past few weeks. It's worse in the summertime, but there is never a problem starting the car on even the coldest days. When the car won't start, which is only intermittently and only on warm days, turning the key in the ignition elicits one click and never any more. We have several keys and several drivers, and the problem has happened for each different driver and each different key. All the accessories, radio, blower, headlights, warning lights etc., will always work fine. The problem occurs regardless of whether the shifter is in Park or Neutral, and jiggling the shifter has no effect. Jiggling the key in the ignition also has no effect. The battery is fully charged and there is no corrosion on the battery terminals. Jump starting the car works instantly to start it every time. Occasionally, turning off every accessory that was left running when the car was parked will allow it to start immediately after a no-start, but this works only sporadically. Allowing the car to sit turned off for half an hour or an hour after a no-start will usually allow it to start just fine without jump starting. The other odd thing is that the 91 Loyale we had previously exhibited the exact same problem, but we sold the car before trying to fix it. Anyone have any ideas? The annoyance of the problem is just becoming too great. Thanks!

Your suggestions for checking the AWD are all good. It's also always good to have a mechanic you trust check over the car before you buy. However, if Carfax checks out and the car's physical condition looks good, a 1-2 year old Subaru with 30,000 miles is a very safe buy, especially since it does still have a warranty. A 5-10 year old car would be more of a risk. Few people will buy a brand new grocery-getter base-model Legacy L wagon and take it off road. Outbacks would be more likely to have owners take them off-roading, but not a lot of people in general want to risk damage to their brand new $20-25,000 car. There's also a pretty low chance the car has ever been towed or had tires replaced. It's just too new. So, it's always good to be cautious, but in all likelihood any potential problems the buyer might have would be warranty issues. The car is also probably still eligable for Subaru's extended warranty if the buyer wants extra protection. Now, if the price is just too good to be true, the car's physical condition looks questionable, and the seller seems shady, more caution is warranted.

A 2005 Legacy with 30,000 miles is practically a brand new car. It's still under Subaru's bumper-to-bumper warranty until 36,000 miles or 3 years and powertrain warranty until 60,000 miles or 5 years. The powertrain warranty covers the AWD, transmission, and engine if you're concerned about any problems. If the price is right, and the car is in good cosmetic/physical condition, buy it. It's probably still worthwhile to do a Carfax on it, though, but you should not expect *any* mechanical problems with a Subaru that new. The only items that might possibly need to be replaced at that mileage are the brakes and tires, which are easy to check. Good luck with the purchase.

The latch and strike should have phillips screws. Just loosen, adjust, and test. Repeat. You may need to use a ratchet with a screwdriver bit to loosen and tighten the screws correctly. This is the easiest part of the door to adjust, so try it first. A trick is to mark an outline of the strike plate at its original position so you can always return to that. Use a fine point permanent marker or a knife to lightly score the paint. There are a myriad of adjustments for the window. The window is a real bear to adjust because you have to get the right combination, and the wrong settings will cause the door not to shut, let in wind, or cause the window to roll up at odd angles or not go high enough. There are adjustments for in/out tilt, forward/back tilt, front/rear height. It's basically trial and error, again. The door hinges have hex head bolts. If you loosen these, remember you have to support the door to keep it from sagging. Again, loosen, adjust, and test. Again, outline the original positions so you know where to return. If the main problem is wind noise, you can probably work with just the gaskets. There have been several other posts on this forum about wind noise and gasket fixes. If you're determined to fix it, just start experimenting.

Body work is always really tricky to do well. I've seen a lot of cars that have had body work done, and I have NEVER seen a single one with everything lined up exactly like it was from the factory. A good shop can get things really close, but I think it's virtually impossible to get it 100 percent perfect. I'm sure the door wasn't this way when the car was brand new. There must have been some accident (maybe minor) along the way to knock it out of alignment. After my Impreza got hit on the driver's door and the car was repaired at a very good body shop (best paint job and color match I have ever seen...still matches the rest of the car exactly 7 years later, and no chips at all) I had a similar problem to you. I eventually fixed it myself, but it took a lot of little fiddling over time to find the perfect set of adjustments. It's hard to tell exactly from your description what the problem is. Does the problem change depending on whether the window is up or down? Sometimes the window in the up position can put too much outward pressure on the door and cause the door not to shut tightly. If this is the case, adjust the window regulator and/or stops. Most of the bolts on the metal door shell have slotted holes to allow for adjustment, so if the window isn't the problem, I would suggest adjusting them one at a time to see if you can improve the fit. Your door latch is the first place I'd try adjusting since it's the easiest. The strike plate on the door jamb will definitely have an adjustment up/down and in/out. Sometimes the strike can come loose or misadjusted over time. The latch in the door may be adjustable as well. If that doesn't work, try the door hinges. The fender might be back a smidge too far. The bottom line is that it takes a lot of trial and error and patience to adjust it just right. Sometimes, you just can't possibly make it physically fit quite right because the car is old and slightly distorted from age or accident. The door or the fender might have had a dent repaired that distorted the geometry just enough to cause the problem. Sometimes Bondo body filler near the edges of body panels can cause a rubbing problem. It may just be a bit of quirky character that is part of owning any older car. If you want perfect fit and finish, buy a brand new 2007, but don't let minor problems like this drive you crazy on a 1993! :-) Good luck!

All Legacy Postal Carrier wagons are AWD automatic. It was standard. Mail carriers do not usually like manual cars. I'm not exactly sure why you'd want one unless you're a mail carrier. They usually get pretty beat up and high mileage that's all stop-and-go. Imagine how many times the brakes have been stomped on, the transmission shifted, and the engine revved versus an average high-mileage car. This will have much greater wear. It's the exact same car as a standard Legacy L wagon, except RHD with a full-size spare tire. Some repair parts may also be harder to find, as the RHD models will use some different parts from LHD models due to the flip-flopped steering.

That's correct operation for the locks. The system changed in 97 for the Legacy and 98 for the Impreza. All Subarus prior to this had operation similar to the Loyale. I also highly recommend the keyless entry system. You can probably get one from a Subaru dealership that will "plug-n-play" on your car. This may be an easier installation than an aftermarket system, and the online Subaru dealer pricing is usually very good on these things. On the Loyale, you CAN lock the doors without using the key from the outside. Simply flip the interior lock switch to the "locked" position, then shut the door with the outside handle lifted like when you are opening the door. No need to use the key.

The 95-99 grille should only be held in by clips, no screws. There are four across the top that you can readily see, and there two hidden behind the grille near the headlights. If you detach the top four clips and gently pull up and outward on the grille, the two lower ones should detach. Be careful not to break any of them off! In my experience they break easily. I have seen aftermarket grilles installed on Legacies that do not attach the same way as the original, so it is possible yours could be different. I think you need a replacement mast for the antenna. I have heard there are generic masts available and that the replacement is not extraordinarily hard. Mine does not always retract either, but it doesn't bother me. I have lubricated it with silicone, and that seemed to help for awhile.

96's don't have plastic trim. It's a decal. You should be able to get it from a Subaru dealer. There are probably not many other sources.

You have dirty contacts in the window switch. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62883

Yes, your switch contacts are dirty. You need to take the door panel off then remove the plastic panel that surrounds the switches from the door panel. Unscrew the the switch unit from the plastic panel to make it easier to work on, then take out the several screws that hold the switch units in place. The plastic toggle switches pull off, but be careful taking out the metal contacts that are below the toggle switches, because they're very tiny. Clean them off really good to remove the carbon deposits left by arcing. There are a bunch of small pieces, but other than making sure you keep track of them all and put all the screws back in the right holes, it's a straightforward job.

The Forester is definitely smaller in every dimension than the Outback save the height. Check the specs. The Forester might have slightly taller doors than the Outback that could make it easier to lean in and out to fasten the kids into their seats. I agree that there is no one family car, but coming from a minivan, an Outback is a major downsizing.

The Forester is definitely smaller in every dimension than the Outback save the height. Check the specs. The Forester might have slightly taller doors than the Outback that could make it easier to lean in and out to fasten the kids into their seats. I agree that there is no one family car, but coming from a minivan, an Outback is a major downsizing.

I second the above posts. If you're used to the space of the minivan, a Subaru wagon is going to feel very cramped on a long trip. It's also not as easy to load the kids (often with toy(s) grasped firmly in hand) in and out the swinging doors as compared with the large sliding doors of the minivan, and it's nearly impossible to climb from the front into the back to unhook or tend to the kids on a rainy day. You won't have room for any other passengers (mothers-in-law, etc.) with two car seats in the back. Take the car seats (and kids, ideally) along with you when you look at the Outback, and see how the space looks. That said, two kids certainly will fit in an Outback. It may not be as convenient as the minivan, but certainly should be no less convenient than most midsize SUV's. Look at the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey as more reliable minivans. I find minivans are the ideal vehicle for small children primarily because of the easy access which SUV's and wagons can't match. The Outback makes a great companion car to a minivan, but for me, a minivan is still the first choice with young kids.

Having driven both the 2.2 Legacy and the 1.8 Impreza extensively, as well as older EA18 cars, I can say the 2.2 does have a considerably more power, but the Impreza 1.8 gets consistently much better gas mileage. The Impreza EJ18 is definitely an upgrade in performance over the old EA18 engine. I have never gotten particularly wonderful gas mileage out of the three EA18's I've had, but the Impreza EJ18 is much more economical. I get 26 average in city driving and about 33 on the highway in the Impreza, and that's using A/C and not driving particularly slowly either. In the Legacy, I get about 21 in the city and 26-27 on the higway. In the old GL and Loyales I only managed only about 19 around town and 25 on the highway. I would highly recommend a 95-96 Legacy L. They're cheap enough now, have the super reliable 2.2 engine, and they're a huge improvement in safety, performance, and comfort over the older cars. 95 is the first year of the redesigned body, and it has dual airbags standard and ABS common. The Impreza is a good little car for around town, but it feels much more like an economy car on the highway, and it doesn't have a lot of interior space.

My question is why do they not put some kind of indicator light on the dashboard to show the parking light switch is turned on? That would make too much sense. The top of the steering column is an inconspicuous place to put the switch in the first place since it's not readily visible. Also, the rocker style swich doesn't easily read as being turned "on" or "off." This is really a minor issue but something Subaru needs to address.

If your doors are starting to lock randomly, the keyless entry actuator seems to solve the problem. In my 95, all the doors save the driver's would lock themselves randomly, and I determined the problem was a little free movement of the linkage inside the driver's door triggering the actuator switch. Putting in the keyless actuator seemed to stop the jiggling of the linkage. The part number for the keyless kit is H7110AS000. If you want to go all the way, you can also add the security alarm upgrade, H7110AS600, which I think is only about $25 now. The keyless entry system won't "beep" when you press the buttons without the security upgrade.

93-95 FWD (front-wheel drive) "base" and "L" Imprezas have 13" wheels. All AWD models and all "LS", "LX", Outback Sport, "RS", etc. have 14" or larger wheels.

You'll need the complete keyless entry kit components to add it to your car. Your 96 requires an additional power lock actuator to be installed in the driver's door along with the addition of two wires from the keyless module to the actuator in the door. Depending on the year of the Outback in the junkyard, it may/may not have the actuator you need, as 97-98 Legacies have a different power lock system from the 95-96. The 99 Legacy has a totally different keyless entry system from a different manufacturer that was standard on all Legacies and Outbacks (except the Brighton), and it probably won't readily interface with previous model years. By the time you buy the junkyard module, the keyless remotes off Ebay, fiddle with the wiring, and find the correct actuator, it's probably just better to buy the whole kit brand new from Subaru. It's only about $60. I've got the kit part number if you need it. The programming button should be a black button on a thick tape-wrapped cord that is attached to the module. You also definitely need the wiring harnesses that plug into the module and interface with the car's wiring. You need the windshield with the heating element and all the wiring that connects to it, including the switch, to add it to your car. The heating element comes applied to the windsheld from the factory, or at least it does on other makes car. It's not something you can remove from the windshield of a donor car and install in your car. You might stand a better chance retrofitting the heated seats or the heated mirrors if you want some of the features of the Cold Weather Package, but I think you're pretty much guaranteed to have to replace the windshield to get the heating elements, and there's no guarantee the JY windshield heating elements work. It would be ashame to replace the whole windshield and find the elements are broken. Hope this helps!

I think it's a DOHC on the Outback.

Happened to see a 99 Outback Limited wagon for sale today. It's got 133,000 miles, auto, leather, most all the options. I chatted briefly with the owner, a school teacher, who was very friendly. They bought a 2004 Outback H6 as a replacement, and she says she'll never buy anything but a Subaru from now on. The car body and interior look like they're in good shape, though with dirt typical for a family wagon. It doesn't appear like it's had any fender benders. She said they've had it sitting for sale for awhile, which means she'd probably take less than the $5300 asking price. I'm not really in the market for a new car, but my 93 Impreza daily driver with 73,000 miles, which has been a very reliable car, is really smaller and less comfortable than I'd like, which makes the Outback Ltd. with all the luxury touches look pretty nice. I am a little concerned about the 133,000 miles, and I wonder if $5300 is a little high for the mileage. She teachers about 20 miles from home, so she said the miles were put on driving to work and on family trips to visit her relatives. What's the verdict on the 99 2.5 engine? Is it past the headgasket problem era or not? Thanks.

Northern VA, the 703 area code (Washington DC burbs), has awful stop-and-go traffic and congestion, so expect a much higher amount of wear than a 60k car from the midwest, for example. More use of brakes, more transmission shifting, up and down revving of engine, more likelihood of fenderbenders, etc. That said, I've bought two used Subarus from the Northern VA area, and both have been good reliable cars. Environmental factors like salt and rust aren't going to be much of a problem like they would be from farther north, although the roads are salted here when it snows, but expect door dings, scratches, etc. that would be typical from an urban setting.

Looks like you made pretty fast work of getting the 93 back on the road. Are you going to get the newer style headlights and grille for your coupe? My vote is to nix the cute little decal. I noticed your coupe has the original Subaru foglights. I've considered adding them to my 93 wagon. Do they put out enough light to be helpful in inclement weather? I see your lenses are broken. Are the lenses very vulnerable to ordinary road debris gravel, etc. (not off-road) driving?