idosubaru

because there's a million repair items that could be useful, lots of variations, possibilities, etc. resurface the heads and install OEM gaskets and a complete AISIN timing belt kit. subaru coolant conditioner stops nearly all initial, external, coolant leaks of factory installed OEM gaskets. read that carefully - i choose every single word specifically, if you dont' meet each qualifier then it may not, or will not, work. it doesn't stop oil leaks or overheating at all.

I'd never do it - i know a guy trading one in and I can buy it for roughly trade in value, i'll give him a little more if it's decent and nonrusty.

down grade in reliability and maintenance are good reasons not to get it. clutch maintenance, hydraulic clutch maintenance/failures, synchro's, input shaft bearings, VLSD, less 4WD options...time sucking, money sucking trash, but if that's your ticket then punch it. you do gain one benefit that MT's have - the ability to pop the clutch on a dead battery. factual joking aside.... need rear driveshaft and pedal assembly, shifter linkages, clutch components - flywheel/clutch kit, and hydraulic clutch (or swap to the more reliable pull style clutch so you dont' have to dork with slave cylinders, hoses failing, and changing the fluid), and wiring work for the reverse lights center console if you want it trimmed out inside. cruise control computer if you want that to work instrument panel to match but t it'll drive with the existing cluster. Hill holder if you want it to work

get a used OEM starter and install new brushes in it and you'll never have issues again. www.car-part.com verify it's popping out while on the vehicle. verify you have excellent voltage and power supply *at the starter*. starters draw boat loads of amps and need excellent connections to function. although normally they'll just click and not spin...you're spinning which is weird. aftermarket starters are terribly inconsistent, a sucky aftermarket starter is likely but we are dealing with a 16 year old car with unknown history and electrical/battery/starter signal/mechanical condition.

Sure I get that - i was looking for any real world experience or how it actually works.

Replace the Duty C solenoid. Usually wise to replace the cluches while you're in there and file down the grooves. If the FWD fuse works you can install a simple switch to toggle between FWD and AWD from the cabin and drive it indefinitely like that. It's a good option sometimes, particularly here in the rust belt where the car might be rusted/worthless and fall apart if you work on it anyway - so an imperfect - but free and long term fix is a good option. 1. tires need to match in diameter (regardless of brand, tread wear, etc) - the diameter is the physical quantity that matters. if they're all the same size and close to the same tread depth you're fine. 2. if you have the flashing code and light - i'm fairly certain that's an electro-mechanical failure of the solenoid or supporting circuit - not anything else like fluid or tires. although i still think you should change the fluid and install/verify proper tires before proceeding, but the reality is the fluid/tires usually isn't causing the duty C circuit electrical/mechanical failure.

A 2007 Outback 4 cylinder that runs but needs a new engine - what rough range of values would a dealer offer as a trade in?

For automotive purposes CR has some very limited usefulness for the mechanically blind as a rough starting point. This is so common on auto forums "why is brand XYZ, something something something" on CR?" The auto market is too complicated to fit into nice, repeatable, one size fits all reviews. I wouldn't give it more than a cursory toilet glance, maybe, if i'm bored, for cars. Cars don't just get purchased and sit like an appliance and sit in nominal, conditioned, environments, and cars have higher expectations than appliances. They're subject to much more diverse markets, demanding and increasingly mechanically unfamiliar consumers, environments, expectations and bias and latent inaccuracy is going to be the norm. Whatever mechanisms they use to gather data is always limiting. They have a tough job to do that doesn't translate well to all markets, automotive being one of them. They're data aggregaters, not mechanically astute reliability experts. I've seen the same two different models with essentially the same mechanical components have wildly differing rankings when it's the same !()%*%)(! parts except body panels. I just show my wife and chuckle. But they've got a tough job, so i get it. Ive seen german cars get ranked high in certain categories that you'd have to have the IQ of a watermelon to rely on. German cars would get ranked as "Fewest winter and rust issues" around here if you looked at the data. Because they're awesome winter cars? Hell no. Because they're packed away and never used in the winter or the very few people that slash salt with them throw gobs of money at them, buy new ones every 3 years anyway, or have jobs/routines where they can avoid driving in snow/salt. And on and on and on - this happens all the times in numerous ways. and people are anecdotal and increasingly mechanically unfamiliar - when combined with other market principles, this creates inaccuracy as well. if a company sees huge growth -where that growth comes from impacts reviews. if they're trying to buy cheaper when the economy is down - then they're moving from higher tiered cars to lower tiered cars and bringing high catered expectations with them. if they're moving "up" because the economy is up - then they're easily wowed....or alternately they could be easily annoyed with high expectations of paying higher prices for cars. if a germa car company gets hit hard on numbers - they'd likely retain all their fanboy diehards and have great reviews even if people are fleeing for the lives for some reasons. some of those are illustrations more than fact and latent with their own inaccuracy and bias - but they still make a point. Relying on consumer reports for anything meaningful is like trying to rebuild an engine with a screwdriver. Like CR, Screw drivers are excellent tools, but they're very limiting and low grade if you want real work/data. If you've never used a screwdriver it might be a good starting place. Otherwise, don't waste your time except for cursory, uninformed data to compare against wider trends.

it's not hard and there's no tricks or extra tools needed - deliberately fill (nose up) and give time for the air to come out. Use radiator bleeder (if equipped), Fill, put tools away, top off, check the mail, top off...wash-rinse-repeat. short drive/idle up to operating temps - turn it off, let it cool, and top off. never have any issues. if any cooling suspicions prompted the tbelt/water pump job then this is a different story though the tensioner seems to strongly downplay that possibility.

Man those are brutal - I can't recall how i've gotten those out before but i've seen the same thing - broken handle and feels like it's welded in place. if you've got those chemicals, yeah give it a try. soak some rags/cloths and wrap the dipstick overnight - create as much solvent around it as you can so it can "soak" over night. I think i'd try a hammer and looong chisel or screw driver first. Angle it just enough to bite but at a "loosening" counter clockwise angle. Maybe you have some remaining plastic sticking up from the old handle that you can wedge the chisel/screwdriver into and loosen it counter clockwise with some taps from the hammer. I've done this countless times on various stuck fasteners and the impact is hard to beat. If the fastener is smooth I'll first hit it straight on (straight down for a diff dipstick) and create a "V" or notch, which then i can turn the chisel to get a "twisting" or "loosening" motion against one of the sides of the V. I got pretty good at that when doing 60 rusty timing chain covers on an EZ engine.

"You get what you pay for." you're doing this for free, you shouldn't have to worry about it. he is choosing to let you do it. Like the rest of the quarter of a billion of Americans - he has a choice who does the work. He's not doing the work, he's not willing/able to learn it, he's getting free labor, and a free car (you insinuated you "picked it up")? The best value in this whole car deal is the present opportunity to teach some values, economics, skills, and opportunity costs and more... I help people all the time with cars - my rule has always been "i only work on cars for free". I will not accept payment. And I tell people - I might screw up. I rarely do, but sometimes i break something or something is collateral damage for certain jobs. They pay for it, no big deal. No one ever minds - they're unbelievably thankful I'm saving them hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. You should not have to think about possibly breaking something for your efforts and lack of his.

A "free" diagnosis would be to swap the axles from left to right since they're the same. If the symptoms move, or change, then you know the issue is with the axles. (the symptoms may even go away since by swapping sides the loading on the bearing surfaces shifts entirely 180 degrees out). That's probably what I'd do at this point if I were you: 1. pull the drivers side axle and swap it for the passengers side. 2. while the axle is disconnected from the drivers side strut you can twist/turn/pull on...or even remove the strut and inspect it. If the symptoms started after a strut change then that's the fist place to consider. Aftermarket axles, while terribly unpredictable, would probably come in second after a clear "no symptom" to "symptoms" event like the strut change, if you're positive that's the timeline of how it happened. I say "if yo'ure positive" because sometimes a symptom can initiate a repair, a noise happened in the winter and with loud music playing and heater blowing on high it didn't seem loud and you had the car going into the shop anyway "i think i heard something...and wanted to do struts anyway...let's do struts"....but then later you forget that a noise actually precipitated the strut replacement but the noise is now louder because the windows are down in the summer and you're paying more attention.

HAHAHHAHHHAAAA!! i'm done with subaru forums for today, it wno't get any funnier than that!

check your diff (and other) oils and make sure that's loosing fluid. it does appear to be the case but other leaks can drip/blow back to that same rearward/central location so best to verify. 1. be very careful changing those diff side seals - it's a very precise process and not getting it right will mean you need a new transmission. the retaining rings has to be returned to the exact same number of turns and precise location it's currently installed or the bearing pre-load/ring and pinion backlash will be lost and you'll need a new transmission. 2. if you have issues present (thumping) after a significant job (strut replacement) - then more than likely the issue is due to the work done. So those struts and the associated work done during that time needs backtracked and checked. 3. ***Can you tell which "side" is more prevalent? Like is it more likely to do it on the left or right - when you hit a bump on the right (but not the left) or the left (but not hte right) - are the symptoms still identical no matter what? 4. *** Do the symptoms change at all if you encounter the same situation driving straight or while turning? If it makes the noise in a certain situation - will it make that exact same noise under the exact same situation while turning left, driving straight, and turning right?

You may have just captured your issue, that looks like an aftermarket axle, unless the grease covered inner joint is deceiving me. Aftermarket axles are notoriously problematic, I would replace them even if they are not making the noise. They're not long time reliable components, they're risky trash for penny-wise-dollar-dumb time wasters and used car flippers. You could alternately pull the boots back and clean and regrease them. More than likely they didnt' have enough grease or it's watery and degraded and knocking...or it's one of those and the joint is a trashed POS, that's no surprise either. You would want to concentrate on the inner joints - they're the ones that have the exact symptoms you're describing when they lack (good) grease. But for my time and money I'd just throw those away and get Subaru OEM axles. $15-$35 all day long on car-part.com or local yards. buy one, clean it, reboot it. i've rebooted open-boot, dirty as #(!)%* knocking, clicking Subaru axles and never had an issue, they've all quieted right up with no failures. i've had multiple brand new aftermarket axles blow apart within 50 miles (one was less than 100 yards that was awesome) and have multiple other issues besides that. which is funny because I spend way more time and miles with OEM so I should see more OEM failures...but nope, it's the aftermarkets blowing away the competition...quite literally.

That's a common indication that the steering column ujoint should be checked. the ujoint gets notchy and catches are very specific points in the steering wheel arc. And you never answered my question to verify the ujoint: It doesn't seem like you took it off to inspect it? But...maybe you don't need to with the new info... That's definitely telling but i wouldn't necessarily condemn it immediately based on what's typed in this thread so far. 1. repair it - new Duty C and clutches. Very roughly $1,000. 2. drive it with the FWD fuse indefinitely, taking it out when the roads are bad. 3. install a switch so you can flip between FWD and "locked" or just nominal AWD. I've done this to numerous subarus. It's advantageous to be able to "lock" it at will and it's an easy work around for torque bind, or other issues, in automatics. it's really easy - involves one wire and very simple wiring of a basic switch.

Any EJ18 will fit. 1995 and earlier EJ22 will work if you bolt the EJ18 intake manifold to it or swap the EJ18 intake wiring harness onto the EJ22 manifold. 1995 auto EJ22s have EGR, 1995 manuals do not. Ignore it, remove EGR, or Work around it or buy accordingly if that scares you. 1996+ EJ22 has single port exhaust and won’t work unless you use a single port exhaust manifold as well. Same EGR points apply as 1995. EJ25 will work if you swap the EJ18 intake manifold wiring harness to the EJ25 intake manifold. If you want to avoid wiring issues - use your EJ18 intake manifold, 1995 and earlier EJ22heads and an EJ25 block.

Batteries always do have a practical failure rate though 3.5 years isn't that long if the battery has never sat for extended periods, been run dead, and has had great, clean, tight posts/clamps. Given the electrical demands of starting an engine it seems unlikely for the only symptom to be loosing radio presets on a Subaru. Subaru's have common symptoms and patterns relating to electrical system issues (because it's just a mechanical/electrical system subject to the laws of physics so it's largely repeatable and predictable, not random) and loosing radio presets isn't typically one of them. but of course testing is free an easy, so good first step.

Any national chain can check your battery and alternator for free NAPA Autozone Advanced Auto Parts Oreillys...etc. Ask them and they’ll test it on the vehicle, no need to remove it. also make sure the terminal clamps are clean and tight I’d guess the stereo is flaky. All automotive stereos routinely have issues with age. eBay, car-part.com, subaru forums are good places for reasonably priced used ones. The 05+ aren’t the simplest to install an aftermarket stereo but there are options Google it and see if there are other 05-09 (same generation and layout/interior design) outback’s with similar issues.

You have to remove it and check condition. Ive never tried but you could try to jack the wheel off the ground and see if you can get any diagnosis by moving and loading the strut or even unbolt it from the knuckle and do the same It is unfortunate to not know until the strut us disassembled another option is to buy two struts mounts from somewhere that would let you return them if they’re not needed Then you have them on hand but onky replace if needed

That’s what I’d do. $250, what the crack? Notches/ lumps are common but I wouldn’t start with one unless it’s free and youre bored. Www.car-part.com and find the cheapest/lowest mileage/best response. I hear you on yards I very rarely ever bother going unless it’s an obvious and easy fit otherwise it’s way easier to order from car-part or eBay and just have it on my porch when I get home.

1. I would look at your control arm bushings first before assuming the struts are causing the bumps. 3. Knock sensors happen all the the. Replace with cheap eBay specials and done. Struts - KYB is commonly favored Subaru struts others can be terrible and flaoting,bouncing feeling. Strut mounts - absolutely avoid anything but Subaru. I’d even keep the originals before even thinking about aftwrmarkets. I’ve put 250,000 miles on Subaru strut mounts plenty of times. They do fail, just check them but if they look fine you can run them too. But struts are time consuming to replace so good idea to replace mounts while it’s apart. Just don’t get aftermarkets. They deflect crazy train amounts and I’ve seen them fail in a week.

If the car starts it’s not the battery first question is what aftermarket or non stock items does it have? aftermarket stereo? alarm? remote starter? if it does it’s almost always that wiring.

I'd get the cheapest one, I don't have enough volume to know, but i'm not aware of a huge advantage of Dorman over Cardone...i'd almost guess it's the other way around if i had to. I would guess there won't be much data (volume/responses/feedback/miles) to quantitatively compare those two aftermarkets being much different from each other. they don't fail often so most people never need one, they don't generally see 200,000 miles like your OEM one did, therefore the chances of seeing statistically meaningful trends is rare. outside of a compelling manufacturer/brand difference I would just get the cheapest one. I'd probably avoid FEBEST for a driveshaft as i've seen their suspension parts have 1-2 years of longevity...but that's not one of your options. other options you're surely already aware of but i'll just put here anyway... they fail so rarely i wouldn't hesitate to see what low mileage used ones are out there. they aren't worth much since demand is low but i think the exorbitant cost of new OEM keeps used prices high sometimes. there are shops that rebuild subaru rear driveshafts but probably a pain unless they can just sell/ship one and you mail yours back for a core.

you use droid or ios? i bought both of those adapters but haven't tried them or gotten an app yet.