Pascal Giasson

Thanks for all the help! What my mechanic discovered was that two of the oil pump screws were out about 3/4 turn. He fixed that but he is not convinced that that was the problem. He cleaned as best he could the crancase ventilation system because he said it was dirty. Even after he finished he said there was still positive ventilation (air blowing out) out the oil dip stick (he said it should be negative). So I don't know, I guess I we will just keep an eye on it.

Thanks for the help! It is now in the garage and my mechanic just called with an update. He said the crank seal had poped out. I checked the PVC valve this weekend and it seemd to function properly, but I think he may double check that. He said he wants to check out some more lines to see if he can find the cause. BTW he did use all Subaru seals when he replaced the crank and cam seals 2000 miles ago. If the internal oil pump screws are lose would that cause the crank seal to pop out? I mentioned that to him but he said he would like to investigate othere areas first.

I had avery bad oil leak last March 2007 and ended up being the front crank seal. I had it replaced at a very respectable garage that has Subaru trained tecs. This May (2008) it happened again and I could not get it into that same garage so I took it to another garage, again with a Subaru trained tech. This time I had him replace the crank and cam seals and he had to replace the timing belt because it was oil soaked. Well this weekend it just did it again and with very little milage since the last repair. I've got an apointment next Monday with the last garage I went to. He said it might be the PVC valve causing excessive crancase pressure and poping the seal out. Also there is a slight wobble of the crank pulley and he said he has seen alot worse than that amount wobble so he was not concerned by it. (he said the pulley groove that slides on the key pin on the crankshaft gets worn and that causes the wobble) My OB has 143K on it and runs great otherwise. Anyone have any thoughth on what might be causing the seal(s) popping out before I give the OK to fix it again? All I know is something is not right. Thanks

Got the replacement bulb from "The Source" in Canada. Pretty strainght forward replacement. Poped the mirror switch out with a screw drive and then twisted out the bulb holder and replaced the bulb like the previous post suggests. Thanks for the help.

My heated mirrors work on my 97 Outback. I have what looks to be a small light on the switch but it does not light up. Is it suppose to light up? If so is it difficult to replace or do I need a new switch? Thanks

The brakes on my 97 outback seem more sensitive after it's been parked for a while, like overnight or all day. After a few stops the brakes are alot less sensitive. The difference in sensitivity seems to be more noticible in cold weather. So far I have relpaced the brake fluid, replaced a sticking right front caliper (which I thought was the problem, but not), bleed the system a few times. Also, after I replaced the caliper I wanted to see if I could lock up the wheels, but they would not on dry pavement but will on snow (ABS is deactivated). I have new pads & rotors all around (well one year old). There are no outstanding recall on the car. I've never really been impressed with the brakes, but maybee there is something that is worn out??? Any ideas? Thanks

If you use antiseize compound on your plugs, the Subary factory manual says to reduce torque by 1/3. BTW, this applies to any nut or bolt torque setting with antiseize or lubricant, not just the plugs.

My rear differential oil was dark and thick. I'm glad I put the Redline synthetic in there. Might help on fuel consumption especially in the winter. I was realy taken by surprise how much more gas it took in the winter. More winter/summer difference than any other car I have owned.

Thanks Hieu, That is what I was affraid of. I guess I will just keep an eye on it and hope it does not leak. It did not leak before I changed the oil, and there was no sealing washer. I will definately get a sealing washer for next time. Had I not used the Redline oil I would just change it out again and put a sealing washer in, but that Redline oil is expensive stuff.

Thanks. Is the mating surface on the transmission case where the oil drain plug seats flat or rounded? Mine was rounded which kind of puzzled me as I have never seen that on any of my other cars. I'm wondering now if the old crush gasket was stuck on the case realy hard. On the drain plug I could see where it was only contacting that rounded mating surface.

I just changed the transmission oil and rear differential oil on my 97 OBW with 128 000 miles. I have a few questions for those that have done this before. First question is: Should there be a sealing washer on the transmission drain plug? Mine did not have one and I tried one of my engine oil drain plug washers but it was too small. So I put it all back in without a washer and filled it with redline 75-90NS oil, but now I'm wondering... 2nd question: The transmission oil looked fairly clean but the rear differential oil was quite dirty. Is that normal? Nothing unusual was on the magnetic drain plug. last question: I just used some teflon tape to seal the rear differentail plugs. Any problems using that. Thanks

Does anyone know if 14" legacy alloys will fit a '97 outback or will I have problems with clearance with the brake components? Thanks Pascal '97 Outback

Just found the button on my 97 Outback. It was a small black button located just up from the upper front corner of the black keyless remote module. Very well camouflaged!

I can get a daytime running light kit at Canadian Tire, but I was wondering if I can put in a factory unit with less fuss. Also in Canada they have to be wired datime running lights that always comes on when driving. Simply turning on the lights will not pass the federal inspection. Thanks

I just imported from the USA to Canada a 97 Outback. In order to pass the federal inspection it needs daytime running lights. Does anyone know if I can pick up a module/relay from a Canadian Subaru and plug it in somewhere on my US model? Thanks