Scottbaru

Ok, I drilled the screw head off and got it apart. The crossbars are corroded on the bottom, the powdercoat is bubbled up in several hand-size areas. This Legacy has 78k on it, all in Northern Indiana. The only other rust or corrosion on it is the wheel balancing weights, it's in amazingly great shape for it's mileage.

Good idea to replace them, I've broken some off before. There are caps for them that keep them clean, I've never found the source, tried various alternatives. I have a selection of bleed screws in my box now, from trial-and-error searches for the right one. Rebuilt calipers often come with larger bleed screws, I assume the originals were drilled out. If you just need a shorter one that seems easy, please post when you think you have the right one.

Sounds like a classic bad ground wire. It probably passes enough current to run some stuff, but not others, maybe your hinges and latch are the only ground connection. Can you snake another wire through the hinge and ground it? I've had to do that before.

In case you haven't followed the other roof rack thread, there's some corrosion in my and another lister's roof racks. The threaded inserts in the aluminum roof rails look like hardened aluminum, and the screws holding the cross bars onto the rails are steel. The combination of steel, aluminum, and road salt has caused some serious corrosion in the threads on mine. I took mine apart, and had to use a lot of force to get some screws out. A lot of white corrosion rained out as I turned them. The last screw was stuck well enough to break loose the threaded insert inside the rail, rats. There's no way to get penetrating oil into the threads while the thing is assembled, I can't get them apart. Luckily the insert still has enough resistance, I think I can drill the screw out to finish dissasembly. I don't plan to use the cross bars again, but I'll track down stainless screws to replace the originals, and use lots of anti-sieze. If you have one of these roof racks and can still get it apart, you might want to replace those screws.

That's the trouble with internet advice, the responses can never be better than the description of the problem. I just took my rack apart for you, it looks like the threaded inserts stick out enought to grab them with a vice-grips. I'd squirt a good penetrating oil into the threads, PB Blaster is my choice, let it sit overnight. Grab the tip of the insert with vice-grips, turn the screw out. Now you need to secure that threaded insert. It looks like my rack is screwed together, you could take it apart and access the inserts from the inside. The superglue trick might work from inside or outside, or you could try a good two-part epoxy on the inside. Replace those screws with stainless bolts, and use anti-sieze on them, there's some serious corrosion going on in there.

Perhaps I misunderstood, I thought you were trying to put the rack together. If the threaded inserts are spinning free when you try to take it apart you'll need more creative solutions to save it. Drilling the stuck screw out would be a start, but you'll need to hold it from turning to drill it. I'd suggest using a prick punch to make a dent in the head near the edge. Then hold the head from spinning with the prick punch in the dent, and drill. It'll be a two person job unless you're very talented. Or I wouldn't hesitate to grind away some of the plastic around the head to hold it with a vice-grip. Once the head is off you'll still have a stud sticking out, you may need to flex the rails or cross-bar to get them apart. It looks like it's all screwed together and screwed to the roof, you could take it apart. Once you have them apart you'll have to see what access you have to the insert, maybe you can get it locked in or replace it. Good luck!

I haven't had my crossbars off, but I've had good luck locking threaded inserts in place with superglue. The runny kind wicks into the threads better. I've also used it as a thread locker, it works well. The bigger problem is when the threaded insert corrodes to the screw, and spins free in the roofrack. That'd be sawzall time.

$11.50/bulb. My brother ran 80/100s in his '96 Legacy for years, that handled it well. His didn't last as well as he'd hoped, I've heard that a lot. I've had them in my Audi for ten years, replaced one. Higher frequency light scatters more easily (blue bends best), dazzles eyes, lights up fog. Bulb makers have been using a good compromise frequency for decades, fashion is driving demand for higher frequencies. I encounter some weather around here. In high-speed, low-vis situations, I don't want blue lights.

It took a bit of looking, but I found plain halogen Hella 80/100 9007 bulbs for my '99 Legacy. No luck finding HIR bulbs in 9007 base, but there seem to be new versions regularly. I don't care for the higher frequency bulbs that have become popular. I'd like to avoid adding aux lights, hopefully this will do the job. If anyone else is looking, I found them at rallylights.com.

I used to work with HEPA filters in clean rooms where we made optical coatings. They don't seem practical for cars, I'd expect them to plug up pretty quickly in normal dusty air. I've always wondered if they really are HEPA. DOE definition of a HEPA filter: "A throwaway, extended-media, dry type filter with a rigid casing enclosing the full depth of the pleats. The filter shall exhibit a minimum efficiency of 99.97% when tested at an aerosol of 0.3 micrometers diameter." I've lived in places where little piles of dust built up just inside the vents of my car, how could a HEPA filter last a day there?

I've run many cars over 200k with minimal trouble. It may be partially due to meticulous maintenance, but mainly it's choosing cars carefully. Sort of like good genes versus good habits. The cars I list below are all known for running well over 300k reliably. The 2.2 Legacy is one of those cars with most everything right for well above average longevity. The 2.5 seems to be average, so I wouldn't consider it. And maybe average is generous.

I've had numerous awd cars with rear handbrake. The best thing about it is turning around in snow. Pull the brake, crank the steering hard over, back up. The rear wheels slide just a little while the front end rotates around them, I can turn around in a driveway. I've done it with open and limited slip center diffs, haven't tried it with my Suby yet.

Where did you get that info? I've followed fierce and technical debates about moly on various forums, I'd think that'd raise an enormous stink among those groups. I've used Mobil 1 for decades, but would stop if they added moly. Unless I had piston slap.

I know this is taboo among most purists, but what about adding moly additive? One of my brothers is a diesel engine guru, his group runs heavily instrumented diesels. He's seeing significant performance increases with moly additive on several engines. He's definitely an automotive purist, but has changed his thinking on moly. Some moly additives are apparently better than others, it sounds like smaller particles are better and safer for engines. Mr Moly is his current favorite. He hasn't talked me into using it yet, but if I had piston slap I'd have it in immediately.

If you lurk on car forums where they have sludge problems, it comes up frequently. I'm guessing Subarus haven't had much trouble with it. I know there are lots of air-cooled boxers, so maybe easy cooling is one of the advantages of boxers?

I used Car & Driver oil in my '01 Sienna, changed it every 7500 per owner's manual. At my last oil change the oil came out black, chunky, and smelled burnt. I put in the cheapo oil I had ready, then turned it in at the end of it's two-year lease. I felt bad that I wasn't giving this car the best treatment, but it was a lease. My brother runs Mobil 1 in his '01 Sienna, doesn't worry about oil sludge. Apparently many carmakers are getting reports of burned oil. I've heard higher head temps are to blame. Engine temps have been climbing for decades. New materials and technologies allow higher engine temps, which increase efficiency and reduce cooling demands. Perhaps certain engines under certain conditions are exceeding what dino oils can take. It's hard to tell how close your oil is to being cooked without sending it in for regular analysis, synthetic oils give me peace of mind.

Maybe I need to drive mine up to TC, still searching for a Subie mechanic here. I'm slowly compiling a list of parts, tools, and tricks for the T-belt change, in anticipation of doing it myself. I'm still new to Subie ownership and this list, so haven't much listed so far. In my short time here this is one of the most asked questions. I've yet to see one thorough posting or link to a complete answer. The repair and mod section has a little about T-belts, no idea what model or year they're talking about. I'm hoping to put new bearings in my idlers, should be simple, would be a lot easier if I had some old ones to do before opening my engine. Who's your mechanic? Perhaps I can get him to hold onto some old idlers I can experiment with, I get up your way often in the summer.

A guy down the street has a '96 Legacy L wagon and an '03 OBW, says the '96 seems faster. Bought both new.

The 200 is one of the more complex cars I've worked on, fortunately I've replaced few major parts in it's life. I just put in a Bosch rebuilt alternator from my local Audi independent shop, surprisingly inexpensive. That shop will do my timing belt and various seals for about what I expect I'd pay for the Subaru. Less if the Subaru needs new idlers. They'll also sell me the heated door lock I need for $20, I'm putting it off. My Landcruisers have a reputation for infrequent but costly repairs, but there are two Toyota service managers on my forum, very helpful on parts prices. The most important issue on my car maintenance costs has become the quality of the car forums. I can ask a question about airbag deployment on my Landcruiser site, and responses will detail all the sensors and modes of the airbag system, with yearly changes. When I replaced all the seals on my axles I got many responses, with detailed lists of parts, which ones were optional, what tools I have to have and are nice to have, torques, pictures of tricky procedures, etc. Same on the quattro forum, step-by-step instructions, where to find parts, what other cars used that part. These are big forums, with lots of professionals and hardcore enthusiasts who might tear open a spare gearbox to take pictures for you. I'm waiting to see on this forum, maybe people who own newer Subarus don't have as much experience fixing them, that'd be good.

When my truck started leaking I epoxied the garage floor. More treating the symptom than the disease, but the main problem was fixed (my wife was happy again).

They do ok statistically, but usually get a paragraph in the "cars to avoid" section. Statistics are subject to many biases, and CU is biased (the court seemed to think so). I'm on my third quattro to go well past 200k with little trouble. I've been active on two quattro forums for nearly a decade, and I think quality went down a bit in the mid 90s, seems to have improved the last few years. That got me nervous about buying another several-year-old quattro, so I'm giving Subaru a try. I'm actually very happy with my spartan Subaru. I chose it carefully for my extensive highway use. The OB should be less winter roadworthy because it sits higher and has wider tires. Sunroofs usually bring a little wind noise and weight. Power locks, seats, mirrors, and windows aren't much use on a 3-hour drive. In my decades of winter driving I've often found the left lane to be smooth and hardpacked, while the right lane is rutted and loose. I've been sideways at over 100mph on unplowed snow, when conditions are right it's not unpleasant. I wouldn't try that on public roads, I'm a fairly cautious driver, but I can't really stay behind the slowest driver I encounter in a 200-mile drive.

I design and build industial machinery as a side job, there are bearing supply places all around. I just looked in my yellow pages under "Bearing" and there are seven suppliers listed that I've dealt with, and this is a small-town phonebook. Having the ID of the hole, OD of the camshaft, and length of sealing surface available would help, if you've got calipers. If anyone has the Timken or seal maker's part number that would be useful. Timken's website has a lot of bearings and seals listed by car and application.

My 13-yr-old insists my Legacy has a body kit. He loves the low and stylish front end, but hates that it's a wagon. I bought it planning to give it to him in a few years.

Heh, same reason SUVs will continue to thrive here. Airplanes get better mileage in thinner air due to less drag. Maybe that helped you?

PB Blaster maybe? That's a solvent/penetrating oil a lot of mechanics swear by. It's available at most car and hardware places in a spray can.