Suzam

When you say "per tank" how many gallons are we talking about? Your tank is 15+ gallons but if you have a bad fuel gauge your "per tank" could be 10-11 gallons (@ 200-225 miles that says your getting 21 to 22 MPG). You have to get a number of gallons per milage traveled for an accurate estimate. Also vibration could be a bad tire or alignment, both of which can effect MPG.

Yes, I agree with Matt--alignment, air pressure etc. What kind of "bad" MPG are you getting?

I know the auto will override the shifter if you redline the engine in 1st, it will go into 2nd at that point. So I would think you need a WOT to have it override the shifter. It should stay in 3rd going down hill no matter what, otherwise there could be saftey issues.

Driving habits and type of conditions are strong issues with milage. I ALWAYS get 2-3 MPG more than my wife does around town. 22 city and 28 highway in our MY01 Outback. 24 city and 31 highway in our MY05 Legacy.

Yes, they are the stock 205/55-16 tires on 2002 WRX wheels. Jumped up from the stock Legacy 14" alloy wheels. The lower profile improved all aspects of handling even with the stock struts and springs. As and added bonus the spedo/odo are closer to true now than before. It always clocked a little faster with the stock tires. Thanks for the complement, I think they look good standing still and rolling along about 15-20 MPH.

Yeah that's low milage for a 2.5 I have no leaks yet on our MY01 2.5. Our MY95 2.2 has had new cam seals twice now and we have 140k miles. The 2.2 seems to need attention around every 65k for small leaks. Have the dealer check it and get it all done under the warrenty.

Sorry don't have a MY96. How about a MY95 L? Click to enlarge...

How long has your friend owned it and how much milage has been put on the car since ownership? Any maintainence been done like cam shaft seals or oil pump gasket? You say it "burns" oil but have you seen oil smoke? If so when? Cold start, under load or when off the gas at highway speeds? Any of these could have different causes. Major oil smoke out the pipe does indicate internal issues. No smoke seen could be leaks under the hood that can be hard to find but repairable without major cost.

Was there any signs of overheating? It could just be a loose wire on the temp sensor, if the wire hits a ground and closes the circut it might cause the meter to peg. Hope it's a simple fix like that. Good Luck.

Now that the hot weather has broken, I was thinking of cleaning and conditioning the leather seats in our Outback Wagon. Any suggestions or results of a particular product from anyone would be appreciated. Also, any helpful techniques or tricks to make the job "better" (read that as easier). They haven’t been cleaned since new in 2001. :-\

Try using the search function to pick up some more info, but here's some quick help. It took me 5 days and a couple of posts here before I found where to connect the harness. The MY01 models have it all the way in the back compartment. Pick up the rear floor to expose the spare; on the right (passenger) side, there is a carpet panel on the floor with a syrofoam type spacer below it. Remove these, and then fish in the body frame openings along the outer body to find the plug. There are several harnesses you can buy, but they all need to have the electronics to switch the turn signal and brake lights to a single bulb per side setup. I was confused at first because ALL the instructions that come with the harnesses seem to list the plug on the driver's side for some reason. Maybe because it's written for a RH drive? Edit: this info is for an Outback, I would think the legacy wagons would be the same however after seeing some posts about the harness being listed for the Outback only, that may not be true. If you do have any luck finding the plug, let us know.

Nice... I noticed a big difference in handling with the lower profile tires on our MY95 sedan jumping from 14 inch to 16. How about yours?

Ouch on the mechanic's distance. I was hoping you hadn't burped it correctly, it would be a simpler and cheaper fix than a headgasket. Keep us posted as to what you find out and hopefully you have some good luck.

Have you made sure that you burped the cooling system properly? An air bubble can possibly cause intermittent over heating. Our MY95 2.2 had a bubble that caused the heater core gurgle and give less heat output.

I put a hidden hitch on my 2001 OBW and it was a do-it-yourself bolt on setup. I think I'd price a new hitch and install it myself before I paid someone to drill into the undercarrage. That installation might cost half of a new bolt-on, but no exposing metal or chancing a bad install. Besides, you might want to tow a trailer someday, I'd consider selling the old one on ebay to help pay for a new one. My $.02 for what it worth.

Try to get new tires. If you blowout on the highway, you could be risking life and limb. A flat at high speed is no good. Changing a tire on the shoulder or median while cars go by at 70+ mph also, not good. Buying a set of tires (not the brand you want) and paying top dollar at that tire dealer or service station on the way.... You get the idea? If you can, buy them now and have peace of mind on your trip! Enjoy the ride!

Have to engine and transmission mounts been checked?

I had our 2001 OBW LTD on the beach at OBX last year. Put the tires down to 20 psi and went fishing with a friend who had a Mazda 4x4 pickup. No problems, and my friend was quite suprized, as was I, by the way the subie handle the sand. I'm still kicking myself for not take along my camera. Used a portable air compressor to bring the tires back up to the standard pressure after we finished.

A bearing noise usually won't go away when the brakes are applied. You may just be in need of new brake pads. Some brands have a small piece of metal that will produce the noise you discribe, by scraping on the outer edge of the disk as the pad gets thin, it helps to indicate worn pads.

The 2.2 aren't prone to either problem you mention. How do you know the oil pressure is low? Dashboard gauges aren't very reliable, the oil sending units that detect the oil pressure can start to give false readings. Make sure the wire is masking good contact to it. How many miles are on the engine? Unless you hear a lot of noise on startup from lack of oil, it may not be bad pressure.

Use the search function for "torque binding" and you'll see a TON of info on the subject. If you suspect it in a test drive car, a grabbing feeling in a tight turn (like while parking) and it's an automatic, you can try putting a fuse in the FWD holder under the hood to see if it will stop. If it stops it's a problem. This isn't the only diagnosis, there are other symptoms that aren't always apparent while driving. Some test need all the wheels off the ground. Good luck with your car hunt!

You should also consider an aftermarket transmission cooler to keep your fluid healthier.

Ok maybe I was a little confusing on my first post. The way I read your response it sounds like you checked in front of the rear seats? The MY01 models have it all the way in the back compartment. After picking up the rear floor to expose the spare, on the right side there is a carpet panel on the floor with a syrofoam type spacer below it. I had to remove these, and then fish in the body frame openings along the outer body to find the plug. Believe me, it took me 5 days and a couple of posts here before I found mine. Hope this helps.

I know in our MY01 OB Wagon the plug is on the passenger side, under the floor insert about half way towards the back seat. Not sure if it's in the same place on a MY05

MY01 Outback LTD Wagon, we use 87 octane year 'round and occasionally hear a slight ping under normal acceleration. Tried 89 octane for a time but still experienced the ping after a couple of tank fulls. Never had a ping that I considered extreme.