Green96GT

Sorry to drag this thread on ( ) but I just wanted to chime in about my 96 GT wagon. Last time I checked I was getting about 19mpg, too. And I think the fuel tank capacity is more like 11.5-12 gallons, not 15, at least it seems that way to me. One prob I have with the fuel gauge is that it seems to read fine until I get to 1/4 tank, then it drops to zero very quickly. In other words the curve starts to drop dramatically. I assume it's a sensor problem, but I just live with it. Sorry to Manarius for being such a plebeian

A recent article in one of the Maine 'lifestyle' mags detailed total car registrations by make and model. #1 was Ford F-150, then a couple of more pick-up brands, and Subie was lower down but in the top 10.

It was doing it before the tranny change, BTW. Good memory!!!

Where do I get a suppressor for the alternator? Plug wires are genuine Subie (thanks to the Forum for recommeding these). They were new a few years ago.

I'd listen to Air America but they're bankrupt Which particular ground wire?

Sometimes it depends on where I am, and sometimes it seems to be related to how the car is running. I'll come to a stop light and the static will abruptly stop a second before the car stops, then starts again when I start moving. Also static might start if I put the car in gear after being parked. Is this the alternator? A bad ground? Bad plug wires?? Help, I need to listen to Rush Limbaugh

The Subaru shop where I got my trans fixed has two loaner cars. Each is a late 90's legacy wagon. The one I used had 232,000 miles on it, no head gasket work, and their other one had 320,000, with one head gasket change! :eek:

This shop does Subies exclusively, and is considered to be the best in the area by far . When I first talked to them about the repair they explained the issue about matching the front and rear ratios, and said they needed to see if they had two that matched. I assume they did their homework on this. They also said they would inspect the new one, do a power flush on it as well. I'll talk to them on Monday and see what they can do.

My front diff fried, so I had a shop put in a whole new (used) trans and diff, and a rear diff to match. I didn't have torque bind before, but I've got a bad case of it now. The garage eff'd up, didn't they? I can demand that they fix it right? I told you it was a stupid question!

Will do!!!!

Great. Sounds like this shop realy knows what they're doing - Subie only, and there's lots of Subies up here in Maine. Thanks for all the help, guys!!!

The dealer did refill the fluid, and it still makes the noise like it did before. Hope this isn't a problem. Better news: I found a Subie-only shop nearby that has it's own salvage yard in the back, and they seem like they're pretty picky about the wrecks they buy. They're telling me to replace the trans at the same time, and if my gear ratio doesn't match with one that they have, they would replace the rear end, too. Does this make sense to yous guys?

How long do I have until I have to get this repair done? Am I playing with fire if I use it for a coupla more weeks (noise has been heard for 2 weeks already).

Took it to the dealer b/c I didn't have time to deal with it. Turns out the front diff was EMPTY except for a molasses like substance laced with metal shavings. How much longer can I drive this thing like this? Is a junkyard diff at reasonable way to go to get a few more years out of the old girl? I don't want to spend $4000 on this car, no matter how much I love her. Options??

Dumb question: I can only get the noise to happen when the car is driving. Is it OK to drive with the drive belt off? I assume the only impact would be that it would be hard to steer. Nipper: are you saying that the over-tightened belt may have already fried the A/C compressor or the tensioner?

111K miles, 96 GT (duh). I thought I may have installed the belt too tight, so I loosened it and it makes the same noise.

As of last week I'm hearing a sort of 'whiring' noise from the engine. The pitch changes with speed. Sounds kinda like a tiny 707 is warming up for take off under there. I read an old thread about noise from the power steering pump. Could this be it? And oh, BTW, last week I changed the drive belt :-\ . I replaced the old frayed one with a "Gator" belt that has the diagonal ridges. Ya think it's the new belt? The package for the Gator belt says it's supposed to be quieter.

My original wheels are 10 yrs old, and showing their age. Is it possible to refinish them reasonably well?

I had a car fail b/c over the winter some grit had gotten under the end of one of the wiper blades and lightly scratched the windshield in a narrow arc. I got the glass good and dirty, took it to another garage, and it passed

Did you use OEM, or something else? Which aftermarket struts are the preferred brand?

I replaced the front speakers in my 96 wagon with a pair of Infinity component speakers (separate midrange and tweeter, with a cross over). The midranges went right in the door (with a little tweaking) and the tweeters went in on the triangle piece at the front corner of the windows (inside the mirror mount). For $120 and 3 hrs work, it made a 500% improvement in my sound. Next up will be a powered subwoofer for the trunk, I think. Should be about another $100 for a cheap, low-end sub.

JPX: I was thinking about doing the same thing. What paint did you use? How did you prep the plastic? How well is the paint holding up? Thx for the inspiration!

www.kbb.com

My wagon has hit 10 yrs, and just over 100K miles. The suspension seems a bit 'clunky' now on the road. What's the expected lifespan of the OEM struts/springs? Will I notice any improvement if I replace them? What would ya'll recommend for replacements? TIA!

Yoko AS430s - seem great so far!