stevetone

I may be wrong on this, and if I am, others will chime in, but if you have Defrost or the A/C ON both fans will run. Steve

I vote for putting the money into your current ride. $2200 could do a lot of good for it. What are you possibly gaining by purchasing a high-mileage vehicle that will need the same maintenance dollars poured into it as your current ride? Steve

Got a '95 legacy whose cc gets real quirky when it gets cold. Won't engage, engages too low, won't disengage with the stalk, etc. Sounds a lot like your situation. Unfortuately I have learned to just live with it, and can offer nothing to you other than sympathy... Steve

Although the economics and the reality don't make sense, either trade it in or switch cars with her permanently (if she can drive a stick). Keep your wife happy. Steve

Am I the only one to catch the humor in this? Steve

You bought a 16 year old car with (at least) 138,000 miles on it -- how exactly would you "cut your losses?" If you sold it you would likely get far less than the $2,000 you paid for it (unless you did not disclose the defects to the next buyer), so you'd still be out some dollars. I am continually amazed when someone buys a used, tired old car and does not think that it will need any maintenance or repair work. Come on! Fix the problems and enjoy the car -- even with the repairs it cost a whole lot less than a new one. Grumpy this morning, Steve

Before you get all comfortable with your maintenance routine, I think that the plugs are 30,000 mile replacement items. Maybe they're due? Steve

BTW, IIRC, propylene glycol is an alcohol. Therefore, it does evaporate and can be compared, to some extent, to washer fluid (as nipper did). Steve

And THAT is were the coolant evaporates from. The expansion tank gets EXPANDED coolant when hot and then gets sucked back in when it cools. Since the tank is not sealed, only capped, the hot, expanded coolant evaporates from there (or leaks from a defective and/or unclamped overflow line). I'm not suggesting anything is or is not wrong, but it is definitely not a sealed system. Steve

Water pump, now! It will not last another 105,000 miles. Trust me... Steve

Do y'all use Imperial Gallons up there? If so, could explain the mileage difference... Steve

Geez, 3 weeks of an issue and out the door...Good luck with an old pickup truck.

You've got an eight year old car. I doubt it will go for another 50,000 miles and not need any other repairs. It's to be expected. But you're asking the wrong question. The question should be "Can I find a replacement vehicle, in a known condition, that will be more reliable than my current car at a reasonable price?" Could you find a used car for under $5,000 that will not need repairs over the next 50,000 miles? How about for $10,000? $15,000? "Investing" $2,000 or even $3,000 seems like a good deal given those alternatives (cars are never an investment, but that's beside the point). In my opinion (others will disagree), unless the car is falling apart and will require major replacement of several systems to become even the least bit reliable, I'd stick with the (cheaper) devil I know than the one I don't. Just my 2 cents... Steve

I just did this last week. On mine, I used a screwdriver and punched it out from the back, being careful to avoid the housing. Yours sounds like it must be in there much tighter -- good luck! Actually, your housing seems deeper than the one on my engine? Maybe the screwdriver won't work... Steve

I just finished my first timing belt replacement job on the '95 lsi and wanted to thank all posters, past and present, for the invaluable information you have contributed to this site. I literally couldn't have done it without you (nor would I have wanted to). I ended up replacing all the seals, idlers, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, hoses and resealed the oil pump. The toothed idler pulley was the only one that was shot, but at 141,000 miles I went ahead and replaced them all. The old tensioner had a slight leak, but all the seals were still good (replaced them anyway as well). I breathed a sigh of relief when she fired right up the first time! And although it runs about the same as it did previously (aside from less water pump noise), the oil pressure seems to come up much faster than before (maybe it's just my imagination). For what it's worth, I only had one mess up. I didn't realize that the gasket for the OEM thermostat actually went around the outside of the thermostat flange. Only after watching it drip for a day and then draining the fresh coolant (argh!) and re-doing the job did I finally figure it out (for those that don't know, the thermostat flange actually slides into a groove on the inside of the rubber gasket). Doh! At 97,000 miles, the '03 Forester is next -- but I think I'll wait until spring Steve

s50, Just my two cents, Let's say it costs $1,000 to fix (probably not, but humor me). I figure if you don't fix it, you could probably sell it for a grand, maybe $1,500. My '95 Lsi wagon is worth about $2,500-$3,000, with fewer miles and a recent timing belt project. So, where can you find a replacement car for $2,500 (the $1,000 you would have spent plus the $1,500 sales proceeds)? Let's say it costs you another $2,000 over the course of a year (unlikely). Where can you find a car for $4,500 that you can trust AND does not have the potential to cost you the same amount (or more) in maintenance? If you don't like the car, get another. But the cheapest car to own is almost always the one you're currently driving. And don't knock it for periodic maintenance--they all need it. Steve

I have a '95 lsi wagon w/140,000 miles. I'd say it's a fair deal (if I could get that for mine I'd sell it today). The lsi trim is nothing to write home about. We bought the car new, and IIRC the only upgraded items are the leather seats, the tweeter and 4-wheel disks (w/15" wheels). They may be hard to come by, but they are not worth much of a premium. What to look for? Timing belt should have been done twice by now, water pump should have been replaced, torque bind and the usual wear stuff. Struts are ready for a change on ours. All-in-all it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned, but I wouldn't buy a used one for top dollar -- there are too many to choose from. Good Luck! Steve

+1 to that. Just remove the manifold, replace both HGs and be done with it. Steve

So the obvious question is: How did that happen? Was it always off, or did something happen to get it to skip? Check the tensioner, the belt itself, etc. before putting it all back together. Did you change the tensioner with the last belt change? Steve

R2: My '95 does that as well. It usually occurs when I'm in a hurry and just jam on the gas after backing up. I've found that waiting a second or two before givin' it the gas eliminates the problem. Steve

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I've heard that one should adjust the torque specification for bolts that are not "dry" (i.e., they have anti-sieze or thread locker on 'em). If that's true, how much should the torque be reduced? This question is in anticipation of using Loc-Tite Blue on oil pump screws and the crank pulley during my timing belt replacement job. Thanks for your input! Steve

More info, In '96 Outbacks, the 2.5l was the only engine available with an automatic (i.e., 2.2l engine came on the manual '96 Outback). The 2.5l was the DOHC version and ran on premium fuel. Steve

Scott: According to cars101.com, the LSi and GT versions received a 2.5 liter engine in '96, and if my memory serves me correctly, those 2.5 engines are interference engines. The L and Brighton had the old 2.2l, which I think is the same as previous models (i.e., non-interference). I don't know about the starter. Steve

Xcr: I know that many of the dash lights can be replaced with Radio Shack versions. Once you get it out take it to the "shack" and see if they have a suitable replacement. I doubt if they will have a cross-reference chart with those bulbs on it -- just make sure that the specs are equivalent. Steve

You don't want to purchase "the only subaru in town." Buy some time to do your homweork and look for a good deal ($4900 is too high). So, would it cost more or less than $4900 to fix the Volvo? And who needs A/C when the're in college? (mumble, mumble, mumble, spoiled college kids, mumble, mumble, mumble) Steve