Flyfish9
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Posts posted by Flyfish9
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Here's my history:
1998 Forester L purchased new. Currently has 236,000 miles.
Wheel bearing at 92,000 Only lasted a few thousand miles as the dealership installed it improperly and it ate the seal. Replacement still working.
Overheating problems started at 180,000. Replaced radiator and fan relays.
HG failed at 184,000....likely caused by the previous overheating. Aluminum engines don't like overheating. Replaced timing belt and water pump as well.
A/C went about this same time....replaced condenser, running fine since.
Front brakes have been replaced three times, and will be due again shortly.
Rears (drums) are still original.
All the work sfter the bearings was done by an indie mechanic at only slightly less cost than the dealer, but was done very well.
Front struts replaced at 220,000.
All other work has been normal maintenance, some done at dealership, some at indie shop.
Car still runs near new. Next timing belt is due at 289,000, and I'd like to run the car until then, and buy a new vehicle. I'll be looking at Honda and Toyota as well as Subaru, (the new Rav4 6 cyl looks interesting), but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Forester. If I had traded this car at 179,000, I would have had only one problem.
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Hello,
I recently purchased a 1997 Subaru Outback AWD wagon. It was a 1 owner car, so it seemed like a good buy. It has about 108K on it.
When is the recommended times to have the timing belt replaced on these models?
Here is the 'major' work that has been completed:
alternator (covered by factory recall)
head gasket (at 77,063 miles)
front wheel bearings (100,976 miles)
According to the seller, the mechanic recommended:
1)replacing the factory-original radiator hoses and
2)ignition system.
Both of these are 'due to the age of the car', and nothing wrong with them.
Would it be wise to have these items replaced? Is this a 'do it yourself' project, or something I should have done by a mechanic?
Thanks for the help, and I look forward to driving my 1st Subaru.
-andrew
Timing belt should have been replaced at 105,000. If it wasn't, have that done ASAP along with water pump and all associated seals. Good idea to do the hoses, and probably plug wires.
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I have a 98 outback with the Head gasket problems it is a nightmare. Go with a newer model. 01 or 02
It's expensive, but once fixed, the engine should be good for another 100K+. You can mitigate the expense by having the timing belt and water pump changed while the engine is apart. Just keep your eye on the coolant temp....don't run the car if you start to have overheating problems. Aluminum engines don't respond well to overheating. You'll want to get a good enough price on the car to allow you to budget for the HG repair, should it fail. My 1998 Forester went 184,000 before HG failure, so you may never see it, depending on how long you keep the car.
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At 184,000 miles thats a good run on any head gasket. I have 180k on mine, and if it was to blow tomorrow, i would blame age rather then deisign.
DO a search on any car with an aluminum cylinder head, and you will see head gaskets blowing after 140K. I was told when i had my civic to expect it to go around 140K, and guess what happened, at 141K it went poof.
The HG issue on a used subaru is a but overblown..... but just in case i still have it budgeted for the repair
.nipper
I agree I have had a good run with the Forester, and I also agree that many cars with aluminum engines will eventually have gasket problems. What I am saying is that, knowing the likely problems, I would not buy a Subie with 136K on it unless I was sure the H.G. work had been done, and the timing belt and water pump had been changed. Without that assurance, that car will become a money pit in short order.
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If the car has gone 136k miles without headgasket problems I would expect that it probably won't. If it has already been done, you're good to go. When the headgasket on my 2001 went (at about 47k miles) the only indication that I had was the smell of coolant when I sat at a stopsign. So, if you ever smell coolant, get it checked right away.
I agree about the timing belt. It should have been replaced at 105,000 miles and if it hasn't, it's overdue and should be replaced right away.
My H.G. went at 184,000 following a brief overheating episode. The heat guage wasn't pegged but was warmer than normal, and I lost some coolant through the overflow.
If i'm not mistaken, your 2001 has a different H.G. design than my 1998. You would experience an external leak of coolant when your's failed. Mine was an internal leak, i.e., I had coolant in my oil and oil in my coolant. Bottom line is, I wouldn't buy a used first generation 2.5L Subie, unless I knew the head gaskets had been replaced.
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nice solid car, I agree timing belt and engine temp. The first time (if ever) that temp gauge spikes for no good reason have it checked out.
Otherwise welcome and good luck
nipper
Well, you can't really "watch" the timing belt.....and if it breaks, you're screwed. If possible, find out when the belt was last replaced, if at all. If you can't find out, get it replaced, along with the water pump. Expensive job, but cheaper than a new engine. Also, as previously stated, keep a close eye on the water temp. If it varies at all, have the cooling system checked out. Many H.G. failures, (including mine), seem to occur shortly after an overheating episode. I had a bad fan relay, and a plugged radiator, and then the H.G. failure.
Also, check the oil often until you're sure of the consumtion rate. A friend recently purchased a poorly maintained 02 Forester that burns a quart in 500 miles.
A well maintained Subie at 136,000 mi should have a lot of life left, but a poorly maintained one is a disaster.
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What happens in a Level III Diagnositic (omfgstartrekreference!)?
Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread.
Inspect: Drive belts, Hoses, front & rear diff, auto trans fluid, brakes, steering & suspension.
Replace: Oil & filter, fuel filter, Brake fluid.
Rotate tires
Replace plugs and drive belts at 60K
A good indie should be able to do the above with no problem, but my dealer provides me with a loaner and has parts on hand if needed, so I normally take it there, even though it is a few bucks more expensive. Also, I have had a few questions about some of the work my local indie has done on other cars I owned, but have never had a problem with the dealer.
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I got a '98 Forester S this weekend. it looks great, has 88,000 miles, and a clean carfax report. I will pick it up tomorrow. Can anyone tell me what kind of gas mileage it gets (automatic) and if there is anything I should look for (common problems)?
I have a 1998 Forester L with 231,000 miles. Good solid car, mileage 25/27 mpg with a Thule cartop box, about 1 mpg better without it.
Problems:
Wheel bearings (2) at about 90,000. Head gasket (very expensive) at 184,000.
Water pump, fan relay, and radiator all at 184,000. (likely related to H.G.)
Front axles at 170,000. Struts at 210,000.
Things to watch:
Head gaskets are quite prone to failure....often related to overheating.
Change timing belt and water pump at 105,000. This is very important as this is an interference engine.
Make sure tires are the same brand, style and tread pattern. Circumference must be close to identical on all four tires. When I bought mine Subaru recommended all tires be within 1/2" in circumfirence.....now they say 1/4". I suspect 1/2" is close enough. Rotate tires every 6000 miles.
Follow the severe duty service schedule. I take mine back to the dealer every 30,000 and have the in between services done at an indie. If you can find an indie you really trust, you might save a few bucks by having him do the 30,000 (level III) service as well. Following this regimen, my engine only burns about 1/2 quart of oil between changes at 231,000. You will be due for a level III at 90,000.....make sure it gets done!
Good luck.
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Dear experts,
When I start up my 2001 Forester (104,000KM - but just purchased by me) there is a tapping sound from the engine that goes away once it is sufficiently warmed up. It sounds like a sewing machine and is louder under load. This morning it was 16 degrees C and the noise was most noticable, but again, once the engine is sufficiently warmed up the noise ceases.
I'm told that these 2.5L boxer engines just do this. Some say it takes a little while for the oil to fully distribute others say it's got something to do with the exhaust system. Though I've not had it fully inspected by a Subaru mechanic, the one I spoke with didn't think anything was unusual - but of course the engine was warm at that time.
Any advice would be most welcome.... Thanks!
My 1998 Forester has been doing that for 228,000 miles now. When it stops, I'll be worried.
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I would like to buy a section of rubber fuel tank inlet hose. Would like to not stop midway through the job to buy parts. I remember in high school an equation for measuring the circumferance of a pipe, than multiplying by pi or something to get the pipe diameter. Does anyone remember what the equation is? Would be helpful in construction projects too.
Also, have a terrible time cutting rubber hose to the right length. I match it up exactly, then its too short or I overshoot and cut too long. Waste lots of hose. Any tips?
Wouldn't it be a lot easier just to directly measure the diameter of the hose?
Anyhow if you know the circumference ( how would you accurately measure it?), divide by pi and that will give you the diameter.
Formula is C = pi x D
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Wow - don't like weight reduction, cost reduction, inflow resistance, lower center of gravity...
Plastic intake manifolds are on many cars. There is a LOT of plastic under the hood of many cars and guess what - none of it has melted.
Agree the intake gases in a turbo would be hotter, but probably not hot enough to melt that plastic.
I'd guess that if they add a turbo next year it would be with an entirely new intake manifold and the issue of plastic is a moot point.
Remember, Subaru has had turbo cars for more than 30 years, I think their engineers know what they are doing.
We did no experience the hesitation you spoke of, but will certainly be looking
out for that on Tuesday when we pick ours up.
Mike
Ford started using plastic manifolds on their 4.6L V8 in 1996. They issued a recall on "severe duty" models such as Interceptors and taxis a while back to replace the intake with a modified unit that has an aluminum crossover. I just received a copy of a class action suit, (I own a Grand Marquis as well as a Forester), which seeks to increase the waranty on the plastic part on all models to seven years. The suit is successful, and the waranty increase will go into effect in October. It is not so much if the plastic manifold will fail on the 4.6L, as when.
I will *not* buy another car with a plastic manifold. Ford has been building cars a hell of a lot longer than Subaru, and they screwed up!
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Hay, thanks for replys, i did get the shock regassed and fitted with smaller valves afterwoods , because i thought it was that too, but it is still making the same noise, i checked the length of the strut at the top part in the bonnet, and its about 15mm longer than the right thred, i also tryd a proper subaru dealer but all they wanted to do was sell me 2 new front struts for $1000 each
$1,000 each! I had my front struts replaced recently,(1998 Forester), and the whole job, including labor, was around $400. If you have a friend who knows anything about cars have him go to the dealer with you, and ask the dealer to explain to him why the struts would call $1k each.
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FWIW, I was told that adding a stabilizer was a 'second-best' solution when using fuel for high rev 2-stroke engines. And when I checked with the company that makes 'Opti 2' 2-stroke oil, which is widely recommended these days and advertises that it contains a fuel stabilizer, the tech guy said that even with their included stabilizer he would be reluctant to use the mixed fuel after 60 days...
Zack
Sounds pretty anal to me. I routinely keep mixed fuel over the winter with stabilizer added. I use this in my leaf blower, chainsaw, brush cutter, and weed whacker. Been doing it for many years and never had a problem. I'd much rather take a chance of hurting a $300 yard tool, than gumming up the fuel system on a $20,000 car. Priorities, don'cha know.
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What is the use of the scoop on the 96-99 Outbacks? It doesn't feed anywhere near the intake.
An airscoop in that position is totally useless as it is out of the airstream at speed. If the opening was facing the windshield, it would suck in some air.
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^^^ what he said... a used car is just that... used.. but I'll add this... no matter how lighty used it seems. My 6 mo. old 5,000 mi. perfect condition Hyundai fetched a dismal amount toward my trade... it was the same overall value from every dealer, not just one trying to make a killing...
Just curious....What model Hyundai, and why did you trade in with only 5K on it? You must have known up front you were going to take a beating. Was the Hundai that bad?
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Thanks for the replies. The legacy has 170000km, around 110000 miles. Selling it privately is probably the way to go, although not so easy for me because I m out in the rural. But still, a dealer like that scares off not just me. I don’t hope it but from the stories I hear about dealers I expect this dealer is not the only one who tries to steal a trade in.
A car with 110,000 miles on is worth virtually nothing as a trade in. The dealer will simply send the car to auction, and will likely just break even on the deal. I doubt you'll do significantly better with another dealer. Bargain down the price of the car you want to buy, and sell the Legacy yourself. Use the Kelly Blue Book as a guide, understanding that the private party sale price is less than the retail sale price, and less than 1% of used cars are actually in "excellent" condition.
We all tend to attach values to our cars that are simply not realistic in the marketplace.
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i can't speak to the reliability of the AT on newer cars, but my 96 legacy with AT has 100k and still shifts as it did when new... i guess having a not-so-high-strung engine to work with (the 2.2) helps longevity.
My 98 Forester auomatic has 223,000 miles on it. Zero tranny problems, burns less than a quart of oil between changes, and still gets 26/28 mpg with a Thule cargo box on top. Did have the hg problem at 189,000. Had it fixed by an indy, and a lot of other work at the same time. Oil pump, water pump, timing belt, drive belt, and brakes. Just put on 1,000 miles on a fishing trip and it ran like new.
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my advice would be tighten that puppy down a little more and see if it works. 1/2" seems like a bit much to me.... i know i have trouble moving mine
but then again my subaru hates when i touch it's engine 
IIRC, the free play in the belt should not exceed 3/8". I'd tighten it a bit more. That said, when it is below freezing, I get some belt sqeal when starting my 1998 Forester. Since the car currently has 221,000 miles on it, and is on it's third set of belts, and has sqealed since new, I'm not real concerned.
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I am the proud owner of a 1998 Forester L which I puchased as an off lease vehicle with 7400 miles on the odometer. It now shows 219,500, and runs almost like new. The first 120,000 were trouble free, but since then, I have replaced two wheel bearings, two water pumps (done during timing belt changes), head gaskets, radiator, and a/c condenser.
I would like to keep the car going another couple of years (60,000 +\- miles), ans will enjoy sharing my experiences with all of you, in exchange for any tips I might receive in return.
Cheers,
George Adams
Quirky Cruise Control
in 1990 to Present Legacy, Impreza, Outback, Forester, Baja, WRX&WrxSTI, SVX
Posted
Go to Radio Shack and ask for contact cleaner. It comes in a small spray can and may solve your problem.