fluffy

Well, I received a reply from Subaru Canada and from the Better Business Bureau. Subaru says "Please be advised that your vehicle is considerably beyond the parameters of the warranties (by time and by mileage)" which is obvious, of course. As for the Better Business Bureau, they contacted Saunders, who are still claiming a clogged radiator, and the BBB claims "the response from the company adequately addresses the disputed issues and exhibits a good faith effort to clarify the complaint even though the comsumer may remain dissatisfied." The complaint is now considered closed, and will not show up on a BBB inquiry of Saunders Subaru. dominical1: We've called TC Motors, who have quoted ~$1600 for the HG, plus various minor things that should be done (not sure what, as the wife spoke to them). That's $900 less than Saunders, plus they actually sound nice (again, according to the wife). We'll see how well they perform, once I actually have $1600.....

Well, the guy thought they might not have plugged the fans in. I checked before the car went back to them, and they were both plugged in. I think the main problem was the rad cap.

montana105: They have driven the car since unclogging the rad, and they tell me it performed poorly. No details beyond that. I will have another hydrocarbon test, though... dominical1: I may give TC Motors a shot. We have 2 other mechanics to consider, one of them being Burt's Auto in Esquimalt, who's been recommended to me twice. Don't know if the guy knows Soobs well though... Do you know anyone else who takes their Soobs to TC? Minor update: I've written a letter to Subaru Canada about this problem. May or may not help. I checked Saunders in the Better Business Bureau, and they seem to have a satisfactory record (even though some locals have told me they're morons). For the record, though, TC also has a satisfactory record., and both have been in business since 1980/1981. Also, the mechanic my G/F wants to use has suggested a radiator stop-leak to temporarily plug the HG problem. Would this even work? *EDIT* nvm, found this... http://www.barsproducts.com/1111.htm Anyone used this before? I'm kinda skeptical...

schlit: They didn't have me sign anything at all. Perhaps it works differently here in the Great White North. Good news for me I suppose... True2Blue: Wish I could, but Washington's a bit far to take my car. My Dad's in a hotrod club, so one (or more) of the guys there probably know a good mechanic. Also, it's difficult to buy the parts being a student who's getting married in less than a month

It's hard to tell where the coolant came from, especially since both caps had coolant on top of them, and since the rad cap was unscrewed (still don't understand that). It's been cleaned up now, so we'll never know for sure... Gloyale: I checked the fans when they mentioned it, and both were plugged in. They still insist they went nowhere near the rad, although the mechanic mentioned he had to remove the overflow tank...

grossgary: Coolant looked more like it came from the rad cap. They tested the coolant for exhaust vapors to determine it was the HG. Before taking it to them, the car had weekly driven to Duncan, a town ~70k (40 miles) away, crossing a mountain to get to it. No overheating at all until we took it to these guys. I'll check for bubbles in the overflow though. nipper: I was only bringing up the tranny issue to point out that they've screwed up twice on our car. We're already considering a couple other places to take the car, but definately not back there... aircraft engineer: It's about 5 hours from here to Seattle, including about $100 ferry costs. Not worth it, I'm afraid. Got someone else in mind here though. A friend of a friend, so to speak. That or me + my dad + beer Also, the $3k they quoted included a valve job and tax. Still a gouge, though...

We (me and my g/f) bought a 1997 Legacy LSI last year. Probably paid too much, but it was in beautiful shape. The car came with a year "warranty", which consisted of 15% off repairs at the dealer (Saunders Subaru in Colwood/Victoria BC). 8 months after we bought it, it was having trouble starting. They determined it was the battery and replaced it. Somewhere in there, they lost our transmission dipstick... Problem #1. Not such a big deal, I thought. No damage done. They delivered the dipstick to us (2 days later, mind you), but I figured it was a minor slip-up. Problem #2: We've recently been smelling burning oil, and seeing wisps of smoke come from under the car. They determine that it's a leaky seal around the oil pump. We had them fix it, picked it up and drove it home. Well, actually it never made it home. After 15 minutes of driving, I noticed the temp gauge was maxed out. I pulled over, popped the hood, and instantly saw coolant sprayed around near the battery; it seemed to have come from the radiator cap. I called the dealership, and the guy had a truck sent to tow me. He figured the mechanic probably forgot to plug the fans back in. After this call, I figured I'd check the rad level (it had cooled for ~15 mins by then), but the rad cap wouldn't unscrew. The cap would turn clockwise a quarter turn, but wouldn't unscrew at all. Basically it felt like the cap was already unscrewed, even though it still wouldn't come out after that. So the tow truck shows up, takes the car back to the dealer, and I walk home. We didn't get any call for most of a day, so we called and they told us the radiator was 50% clogged and was not related to the previous service. $100 please... We were kinda ticked off, so we told them to hold off for a little bit. We called back later to tell them to fix it for that night, when they told us, "the damage has been done, your headgasket is blown". $3000 please. . . . . Serious raised eyebrows at this point, especially when they went ahead and "unclogged" the radiator before we authorized the repair. We've called and gone in a couple times, and they still refuse to admit any fault. The counter person told me that the rad cap can turn itself when it blows, though that was news to the mechanic. I've spoken to other mechanics, who figure it's too much of a coincidence how this all happened. Sorry for the long story, but I figure it's best to have the complete set of facts. What do you guys figure? If the radiator cap was not tightened, could the car overheat to the point of blowing a head gasket? Can the rad cap unscrew itself when under pressure? Thanks, and again sorry for the long story

No pics yet, but I just drove home my new Roo! God, it's been a long year without one. My last Soob I had to sell in Feb 06 due to a rusted/snapped crossmember, then I went 8 months without a car, then 4 months with a VW Rabbit... At least the Rabbit was free!!! But not really in the good way. No reverse lights, no fan switch (put the wire into the right hole to make it work), no stereo, loud muffler, rusting to pieces, holes in the floor! Glad it's gone! Anyway, the new Soob is a '85 GL sedan. Good body, good engine, needs a muffler. 320k on the body, 150 on the engine. Drives really nice. I'll post pics when I get them. Question; do mufflers on these old beasts rattle often? The new car does, and so did the old one. Sounds like a marble in a tin can...

Sadly, I live in Vic... Anyone closer? The closest place I know of is Malahat Auto Parts. They've got 20-ish Subaru's there, and were pretty helpful getting me a fill neck last year. I'll see how much the crossmember, swing arms, and struts cost. This car's my baby, and I don't wanna lose it, but I can only afford so much...

No apology needed. I am a bit of a noob at this, and you're just trying to help. I agree with both of you though; that pipe must be bent, or the swingarms are twisted. Doesn't look like it, but they must be. The top of the strut mount looks fine. Muddy, but fine. The struts are gone though, so I suppose I'll get those shims tomorrow. Think it'll be safe even with the wheel tilted? How temporary are they? Like enough to get to a repair shop, or enough for a few days of driving? Also, would it be worth spending more on new parts, or should I find good used ones?

Yes, the lug nuts are on very tight. I've had no recent service on this car, and haven't ever needed any on the rear end since I've owned it. Can't speak for the previous owner, but I've had this car 2 years this May, so I doubt he had anything to do with it. and to 85Sub4WD, there is no slop in the undercarriage. The wheels spins quite freely as well. I pulled the wheels and shook pretty much everything, but no slop. I definately need new struts, but that's not what's causing the tilt... Anyone know the cheapest place to get them in Victoria, BC? Got a few more pics too... http://fluffy373.tripod.com/subaru/index2.html

As long as I know it's supposed to be there... Both sides at the same time seems unlikely, but I'll take a look.

Regular. I just jacked the car up, and even with the wheel off the ground the tire's still at an angle... Got some pics now, gonna upload 'em in a minute... *edit* Here they are: http://fluffy373.tripod.com/subaru/index.html Very 56k unfriendly...

Alright. I have an 86 GL 3dr fwd 5spd, and the rear suspension is haywire. I took it to work and back yesterday, and it was fine. I took it out again after work and I'm hearing these weird noises from the back. Turns out both rear wheels are angled inward and rubbing the top and side of the wheel wells. Drivers side seems to be an inch lower than the passengers. I can't drive it over 30kph without smelling burnt rubber... Any ideas? My boss seems to think it should be a stupidly easy fix... I'm just hoping it's a CHEAP fix, since christmas has me drained of funds... *edit* Pictures can be found here: http://fluffy373.tripod.com/subaru/index.html http://fluffy373.tripod.com/subaru/index2.html

Found the gaps I think... No AC though, so is there another drain hole? I just can't believe the car is designed so that water can get into the fan... The foam seal around the flex pipe coming from the fan is slightly damaged, and that's where the water is coming from. There's no way to stop this?

Where is the drain hose for the heaterbox located? Also, I know of the drain holes next to the hood, but how many more are there?

Which, the steam or the leak? I didn't really think the steam was a problem, but I know for sure the leak is a problem. I don't want water getting into the fan and shorting something out...

Well, after nearly a year of having a leaky '86 GL 3dr, I finally figured out where the water's coming from! If you look under the dash on the passenger side, where the fan is located, one of the ducts coming from it has a foam seal part way down, and water is dripping out of there. Now, I think the water's coming in from the fan air intake at the top of the hood, but I'm not sure. Anyone had this problem before? Also, does anyone have an idea on how to stop water from getting in there in the first place? I could easily fill where it drips from with silicone, but that would just make it fill with water on the inside, right? Any tips would be great! I hate having passengers stepping in a puddle in my car... Pics to follow... *edit* On a slightly unrelated note, my radiator steams only when it rains. I think it's just water spraying into the front of the rad, but I'm not sure. Anyone else have this problem?

Okay, turns out it needed a clutch and an engine, according to the Midas guys. Main bearing's gone, and the clutch temp light stays on all the time. Very poor acceleration, and a loud knocking when it runs. Not up for grabs though, since the guy's uncle bought it from him. Worth looking at anyways!

And has ZERO rust? I don't think it's the head gasket. The oil the seller is complaining about is at the top of the engine around the oil cap. I think it's just spillage... How would I check out the tranny to see if it's good though? That and the speedometer died when he installed a cd-player...

Well, the car's in BC and you're in NY..... I'll have the car inspected, have someone check out the tranny and head gasket (I still don't think that's an issue). How hard is it to swap out that clutch though? Or to switch to a 5 speed?

Does the 1992 Justy exist as a regular automatic, not the ECVT? I'm looking at buying one for $500 cdn with 190k on it, 4wd, and it's in really good shape. Also, is the ECVT worth the hassle? I hear it's faster than the 5 speed. Unfortunately this is the only Subaru for sale in my area within my price range. Victoria isn't exactly the cheapest place to buy a car... Also, the seller thinks it may need a head gasket since there's a little oil residue near the top of the engine block. That doesn't sound quite right to me... Sound right to anyone else here? He also burns out headlights about once a year, which is apparently a common problem, and he managed to kill the speedo/odo while installing a cd-player. That should be fixable... I think it would be definately worth buying if it's a regular automatic transmission, but would it still be worth buying if it's an ECVT? *edit* How can I tell if it's an ECVT?

Yes, possible, but I think there might be a leak in the passenger door. The window always has moisture on it. Don't know if a leaky door is more likely than two leaks on the same side though...

Okay, I've got a 1986 Subaru GL 3-door with the 1.8l EA82. The first few months I had my car, it was great! Then we got into winter, and I realized I had a bit of a leak... Water seems to leak in from under the dash on the passenger's side (I've seen it drip down there quite a bit) but I'm confused since the floor in the back seat is also quite soaked. I'm sure it isn't the heater core, since it only leaks when it rains, and it doesn't taste like antifreeze so it isn't coolant either. Took it to a glass specialist in town here, and from his free estimate, he doesn't think it's the window. He said there's most likely a cowl leak, which is anywhere between $200 and $500 to fix (more money if there's rust to repair). The guy told me I could do it myself by lifting that plastic piece in front of the windshield and seeing if there's any obvious rust or dead seals or something, but that still doesn't explain how the water leaks into the back seat too... Can anyone provide a possible explanation? I'll get some pictures as soon as possible... Oh, I asked one of the guys at our local Subaru dealership (Saunders Subaru in Victoria) and he had no clue. They pretty much know only the newer models.

Well, the guage reads around 2 or 3 at idle, and usually around 5 at highway speeds when cold, or maybe a little less when warm. Like you all said, the sensor is probably inaccurate.