outback_97

Not sure about the 01, but on my wife's 03 I ordered the keyless entry module and two remotes for $65. Installed them literally while I waited in line at the car wash. Very very easy. It was already wired for it, just plug in and go. The dealership wanted something like $400 to install this same thing Steve

Photo of OEM vs. King Spring used on my car:

http://www.kingsprings.com/kings_master_catalogue.pdf This one? It's there, try page 21. I used KSFR-26 and KSRR-25, which are the raised ones. You can also search for "scorpion" springs. Keep in mind that Subaru mfg. dates might not match up since Aus gets models a year before we do, typically. Not sure if STD is any stiffer than OEM, you'd have to inquire with the mfg. I bought mine from a USMB member previously owned, saved some money over retail. Retail for a set of these is pretty high for a spring IMO, like $400 or so. Steve

KYB GR2's are what you want for struts, very happy with mine, and they're about the only option that's widely available. Purchased mine from tirerack, good service and pricing from them. I put King Springs (an Aussie company) in my 97 OBW to lift it 2"... they are same height as stock but notably stiffer so when you install them it lifts the car slightly. King Springs probably makes some that will yield stock ride height but stiffer... another option is a company called Pedders, also from down under. Not familiar with their product but same idea as King Springs I believe. Haven't towed a trailer but have hauled some rather heavy stuff in the car, and it's much better with my current setup than when it had worn-out OEM stuff. Steve

If you've been driving around in your well engineered car which suits your needs and offers utility, reliability, good handling, etc etc etc, and all of a sudden you read something online about gays also enjoying this type of car... and you feel insecure about that and think that you are defined as a person solely by what type of car you drive... then you have some problems that probably can't be solved here. Steve EDIT: Wow 555th post!!! Woot!

I've personally seen potential accidents avoided because our louder horns alerted the driver in the next lane trying to merge into us to pull their head out of their a**. Horns are for emergency situations and inattentive drivers, that is their purpose. The stock horns in my experience lack the decibels to perform their function adequately. My personal experience with the awful drivers we have here, maybe all drivers in your area are competent... not the case here. Steve

We've been pleased with these: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44760 Get one high freq. and one low... they're inexpensive but very loud and much more effective than the stock horns. Much easier to install than air powered ones, less to break, etc. I put a set of these in my wife's Impreza within the first 100 miles or so, after she was nearly run off the road and the other car didn't even hear the stock horns Another option is Hella Supertones, but they're quite a bit more expensive than the Fiamms. Steve

FYI if you want the 2.2 you need to look at up to but not including 2002's, that's when the new design came out and all 2002 and newer have a 2.5 liter. Your 97 OB had a Phase I 2.5, the Phase II came out in '99 or '00 depending on model, and the HG problems associated with the different engines aren't the same, more on that here if you're interested: http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/hg.html And FWIW we regularly get 30 mpg on highway trips in our '03 TS wagon with the 2.5, and have gotten up to mid 30's... It's an automatic though. Steve

Dealers are horrible places to get good advice and affordable parts My advice is do something like this: http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/mods/fogs/ Or, find a set of OEM lights or OEM covers on http://www.nasioc.com in the classifieds. Any of these solutions is preferable to paying way too much money to a dealer. Steve

For reference, many TSB's can be found here at http://www.scoobymods.com: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=82 Steve

If the "chirp" is just a short blast of the car's horn, replace them with a decent horn like a Fiamm Highway Blaster... louder chirp and just might save you when another car tries to occupy the same space at the same time as your car. http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=fiamm I put two of these in my wife's car within the first hundred miles after buying it. Much safer than the stock ones... actually gets the attention of that cell-phone yapping idiot drifting the SUV into your lane. If the "chirp" isn't through the horns... then I don't know, I'd still upgrade my OEM Subaru horn Steve

If you want an OBS, but want to lift it... get a Forester. Suspension wise, the OBS is just the regular Impreza with slightly taller springs... the difference between regular Legacy and Outback might be worth it (worthwhile increase in clearance) but on the Imprezas the "Outback" is just a trim package IMO. I think there was a mileage question somewhere in there, we get high 20's to 30 consistently on the highway in our Impreza wagon. In town consistently 20-22 mpg. Steve

Very few MT tires will fit, you could go for Super Swampers but that's even more aggressive and IMO overkill... but they sure *look* cool. Here's one that *might* fit: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=BFGoodrich&model=Mud-Terrain+T%2FA+KM What about an AT tire? Scoobyclimbs (member here) has done some pretty hardcore trails with his AT tires. Lots more options there. Again, just my $.02. Steve

JEGIII: I think the brakes on your OB are larger than a (non GT) 97 Legacy. This info is from the http://www.cars101.com website, which is generally accurate. http://www.cars101.com/subaru_legacy_archive95_97.html http://www.cars101.com/outback_archive95-97.html You might have problems fitting the 14" but I don't have personal experience. What about a set of 15" steelies? Good for winter / off road use and won't cost too much. Plus your car is lifted correct? A 14" tire with enough rubber to fill up your fenders would have some pretty tall sidewalls and not the greatest handling IMO. Just a thought. Steve

These are a little bit off-topic, but kinda relevant to the discussion at hand: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/trailheads1.php Some good trailhead information for 14ers, including current info and historic info on when certain trailheads are suitable for which vehicles. And an interesting thread about, guess what, vehicles suitable for 14er trailheads: http://www.14ers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2741&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 Steve

Well, ground clearance and approach / departure angles were improved in the third gen (05+) Outbacks versus the second gen (00 - 04). So the newer ones are more capable in that regard. I sacrifice the 5% of places I can't go in my Subaru but might like to that maybe another SUV or truck could go, for the better fuel economy and handling for the 95% paved road miles the car is driven. But that's my personal opinion, your friend's may vary. jluther's response indicates that there are indeed trailheads that were unreachable in his OB... but would they also be unreachable in the Pathfinder? I don't know. Steve

Cool, sounds good. I'm assuming he's shopping for new (05+) Outbacks? What other vehicles are being considered? Steve

Ground clearance of an 05+ Outback should be almost equal to his dearly departed Pathfinder (8.3" Nissan 8.4" Subaru). Towing capacity would be much lower, if that matters. He would be giving up approach and departure angles, and lower ratio gearing though. He'd be gaining fuel economy and handling, among other things. I'm guessing that when he went to trailheads with his Nissan, he observed other vehicles there... surely in Colorado there were Subarus parked next to the Jeeps, old Toyota trucks, and other typical trailhead vehicles one finds in the Rockies. That's the way it is in Utah anyway. Subaru wagons are everywhere, I doubt there's too many trailheads he couldn't get to in a Subie. There's plenty of threads here and at http://www.subaruoutback.org that describe getting off-pavement. But if he's made up his mind that he "needs" a truck-style SUV, or that wagons aren't cool enough, or some such nonsense... then I doubt we'll change his mind. Steve

Correct, if it sounded like I implied that, I didn't mean to. When I asked if the timing cover gasket was leaking oil, I meant is that where the oil leak visibly manifests, with the appearance that it is distended out, and oil blowing on the area behind that when the car is in motion. Sounds like that is indeed the case. SuperSubaru, in case you missed what Gnuman said, the timing belt itself potentially being damaged by the oil is the bigger concern... the timing cover gasket being damaged is much less of a problem, more a symptom or side effect of a potentially much larger problem. Not trying to be redundant here but striving for clarity. Steve

SuperSubaru: Is yours leaking oil from the timing cover gasket? If so, it's probably the oil pump o-ring... here's what mine was doing, there weren't puddles on the ground but as I drove the car around it would leak and the oil would blow backwards: Sorry I don't have any insight on the O2 sensor but your comment about oil leak + distended timing cover gasket caught my eye. Steve

Sounds like your question has been answered, but this link might be helpful to the OP and others... Tires and Wheels FAQ from Cars101.com: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/tiresandwheels.html Per this link (some?) 1993 to 1995 FWD had 165/80R13 M+S on a 5" wide rim. Lots of good info on that one page, I've posted it before but not for a while. It has offset, rim size, tire size, etc. for many models and years. Steve

Sounds like the alternator to me... If it is, check to see if it's covered under the recall, it might be, and then you could get it replaced for free at a dealer. Steve

If you find yourself airing your tires down and back up a lot, I highly suggest getting something like this: http://www.dv-innovations.com/products/mf_50.htm Excellent review and comparison with much more expensive units here: http://www.parksoffroad.com/prodreview/inflatortest/mv50/mv50.htm Perhaps a bit overkill for our small tires (compared to big trail rigs) but IMO it's well worth it when you can get one of these for around $50, not much more than the cheap rattling cigarette lighter powered jobbies that can take 10-15 minutes to air one tire back up. Steve

Welcome to the USMB, I see you're from Coon Rapids, I used to live in Brooklyn Park and worked in Osseo. Sounds like you answered your question, yeah, the search feature is great but sometimes doesn't get you what you want, it's hard to know the exact terms to use. I've had the same thing happen... the "related" threads give me my answer after I've posted. My trip odometer (reset last time I filled my tank) is at 190 miles and my gas gauge shows only 1/4 tank. Yet I get around 21 mpg in straight city driving, so I should get >300 miles per tank. I pretty much ignore the gas gauge, it is indeed a common problem... better to read low than too high though IMO! And my low fuel light seems to be right on, it comes on when there's just over 2 gallons left. I've seen it about three times in seven years though. Steve

Sounds odd to me too. Things get replaced when they're broken or as part of the manufacturer's suggested maintenance. Not arbitrarily. Did your neighbor mention to you that the alternator might be covered under recall, or did you have to pay for the alternator repair? I'd check into that, if the recall was never done in the past it may be covered. Steve EDIT: I posted before reading his reply. Ah, more info. Alternator question still stands.