mwatt

Subaru alarm system?? (Will have a panel next to fog lamp switch that says "security" with a little red LED in it)

When you mention "right below your shift lever" aren't you guys referring to the BTSI (brake transmission shift interlock) solenoid that prevents the shifter from coming out of "P" unless you depress the brake pedal?? The BTSI solenoid itself isn't under the console, although the emergency over-ride lever for the system is. Transmission upshift solenoids are inside the transmission, and they are not the cause of a long delay when the shifter is moved from "P" to "D". Is this newly installed transmission newly rebuilt or was it obtained from a wrecking yard?

How much did the Hellas cost you? I 'd like to have those bulbs on our 2 Subarus but I worry about overloading the wiring. When you mention ".....higher frequency bulbs that have become popular" are you referring to bulbs like Sylvania SilverStars?

Look in the power distribution box, located on the driver's side of the engine compartment behind the battery

I've had great luck recently purchasing parts from 1stsubaruparts.com They're actually a Subaru dealer, but they sell parts at 20% over cost when purchased through the website. Even though there's a shipping charge, you still save a substantial amount of money purchasing parts this way than from your local Subaru dealer. Sometimes, the part you need is easy to find by navigating through the screens, but they provide a toll-free number to speak with a real human, as well. The employees are courteous, the prices are reasonable, and they even package the parts carefully to prevent damage in transit. I mean, what's wrong with these people? (That's how nice it is to work with them). For me, it's definately worth waiting 5-7 days for parts to be shipped across the country rather than dealing with my local stealership whose parts mark-up matrix is astronomical and whose employees are not happy to be there.....

Did you remove the air filter housing/ MAF sensor on the passenger-side of the engine and remove the windshield washer container on the driver's side of the engine so you can get your hands in there to grasp the plug wire boots ? (There is no room between the engine and the strut towers to get a plug wire puller tool in there---you need to use the best tools you've got---your hands. The driver's side of the engine is especially clumsy to R&R plug wires on--the original plug wires have boots with molded-in depressions that your fingers will fit over to help pull the boot off of the plug----but you've got to remove the stuff I mentioned above to get your hands in there to begin with..........)

Well, you're right....there's no definition of "normal life". I can tell you this, though: For years, I worked at a Chevrolet dealer (that's why I drive a Subaru) and one important thing I learned was that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration specifies that recalls do not expire. I re-read the front spring recall letter on the NHTSA website. The Subaru recall number was WWE-88 and, among other stuff, it states "....If the front coil springs break due to corrosion at any time after front spring guards are installed, you are eligible to have broken springs replaced at no cost to you even if your vehicle is out of warranty." You may want to re-read Subaru recall number WWE-88 by going to www.nhtsa.dot.gov and decide if this situation applies to you.

We had the same recall on our '98 Legacy Outback. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't that recall notice indicate Subaru will replace any broken spring(s) at no charge during the normal life of the vehicle?

I was going to try doing it myself on my wife's '98 Legacy Outback LTD (automatic) because the passenger-side inner CV boot is starting to sling grease. So I want to R&R the axle shafts myself, then bring them to a friend who works at a dealer to have the boot kits installed since I don't have the special tool required to install the new boot clamps properly. Have any of you folks removed/reinstalled axle shafts yourself, and run into difficulty while doing that? I have volumes 8 and 9 of the factory manual so the details are in there...and it doesn't sound too difficult. Am I right when I'm thinking "not too difficult"?? Mark

And Beezer made a very important point......when the door trim panel is off you should lubricate the pivot points of the window regulator (the "scissors-type" mechanism that lowers and raises the glass) to eliminate any bind in that part.

Correct spark plug gap is shown on the Federal Emissions decal applied to the underside of the hood.

If this is happening with the glass in the full-up position, there are two glass up-stop adjusters--one of them has come loose so the window goes up higher on that side. The inside door trim panel must be removed. After removing the panel, you'll see the two up-stop adjusters--one front and one rear--along the top area of the door. I (think) the nuts that secure the up-stop brackets are 10 or 12 mm. You'll see that by raising/lowering the upstop brackets, you can adjust where the window stops in its upward travel and you'll be able to "level" it. Mark

I don't think Subaru pricing has escalated any more than any other manufacturer...Subaru is marketing/positioning its products as a "premium" brand. I've got the window sticker for our '98 Legacy Outback Limited and it was over 27k (we paid 25.4) back in September 1997.

Yep, they all do that.....better to raise the rear windows with the engine running so the alternator is charging--they'll go up a little better that way. Or raise the windows while the doors are open. Obviously, the problem is that the door glass binds against the weatherstrip........... On our '98 and '99, I've done 2 things that have helped: 1. On the interior surface of the glass (where the glass contacts the weatherstrip when the door is closed), you may see traces of weatherstrip rubber that have adheared to the glass because it's been in the "up" position for a long time. I used a NEW razor blade to gently scrape away this accumulation of rubber on the interior surface of the glass, then I thoroughly cleaned the glass with Windex. The inside glass surface that contacts the weatherstrip must be absolutely smooth and clean. 2. I then lubricated the window weatherstrips by soaking an old cloth with silicon spray (or use a little silicon di-electric grease) and wiping it on the weatherstrips. That allows the door glass to glide across the weatherstrip more smoothly--it reduces the drag so the glass goes up faster. If you use the silicon di-electric grease, it must be applied very sparingly--just enough to make the weatherstrip a little shinier--because if too much silicon is applied it'll get the glass all smeary-lookin' over time.... hope this helps........ Mark

There are exhaust system heat shields that tend to loosen and rattle as these cars age. On my '99 Legacy GT, the shields surrounding the exhaust "downpipes" (right where the pipes attach to the cylinder heads) have loosened. That causes a nasty "rattle/clatter" sound when the engine is idleing in "D", especially during engine warm-up. Really obvious if you pull into a drive-up ATM where the sounds reverberates off of the building... When your engine is cool, get under the front of the vehicle and "rap" on those shields--right where the pipes attach to the cylinder heads--and see if they rattle. I've tried rigging various oversized clamps around the shields to stop them from rattling, to no avail. I suspect the only correction may be to have them "tack-welded" securely back onto the pipes..........

The shift lock over-ride is located under the plastic trim panel that surrounds the shifter quadrant (the PRND321 thing). Open center console lid, remove 2 screws securing the parking brake trim panel to console, then lift up and remove parking brake trim panel. After parking brake trim panel is removed, simply pull up and remove the shifter-surround trim panel. At the FRONT of the shifter, you will see the manual over-ride release lever--just press down on it with a screwdriver.

Peanut butter??

I believe your 2000 requires a 9007 headlamp. You must replace the bulb assembly with that same number. I installed Sylvania SilverStar bulbs (size 9007) on my 99 Legacy GT and my wife's '98 Outback LTD. They are substantially brighter than standard replacement 9007 bulbs, but that comes at a cost.....they are expensive to purchase (approx 31.00 for a two-pack) and they don't last as long as standard headlamp bulbs. I purchased them at a local Advanced Auto store because a rebate was offered by mail which, by the way, takes forever to receive. I fail to understand why it takes 8 to 12 weeks to "process" a $5.00 rebate.......

Does anyone know why you would adjust the brake band on a 4EAT? What I mean is, why does Subaru provide for this adjustment and what kind of problem would an adjustment of the band likely correct? Now I'm curious because my 99 Legacy GT automatic has developed a "slip/bang" only on the 4-3 downshift (when you stomp on the throttle to pass at hiway speeds). For a split-second it "over-revs" like it has downshifted into 2nd, then it bangs into 3rd. UPshifts are great, even under hard acceleration, and there's still no delay when the shifter is moved from "P" to "D"---cold or warm---since I changed fluid and filter. Mark

I bought OEM plug wires for our 98 Outback and 99 Legacy GT from 1stsubaruparts. Considering that the originals lasted 100K miles, how can you go wrong buying OEM? They're not that expensive when you buy from 1st Subaru and the service is good, too. By the way, (at least for our two vehicles) Subaru offers spark plug wires as a SET sold under a Subaru of America part number but they're also available individually under the original Subaru part number (the original red wires). Because I did not like the quality of other SOA parts that I've purchased in the past, I specified the original Subaru part number wires. The two wires on the passenger side of the engine are the same, the two wires on the driver's side have different part numbers.

OK---I'll look there. I know I've seen at least one access panel under the seat bottom cushion but I never paid attention to what's behind the backrests...

Thank you. Our 2 Subarus are wagons, so those access panels are under the rear seat bottom cushion, which tilts forward when you pull the release loop.

OK--are the tank units accessible only from under the vehicle or are they accessible thru the panel under the rear seat?

Are you CERTAIN that you're not feeling the normal operation of the lock-up torque convertor? When you accelerate at 50 mph (or at any cruising speed in 4th gear for that matter), the engine speed SHOULD increase by several hundred RPM. That's perfectly normal. Like most other vehicles, this trans has a "lock-up" torque convertor to improve fuel economy. It locks up when you reach a steady speed in 4th gear--that reduces engine RPM. What you're feeling is the torque convertor unlocking to allow for acceleration. The first model year that the Subaru 4EAT automatic used an EXTERNAL transmission filter was 1999. Your vehicle has a conventional internal filter screen (inside the pan).