Randomize

Yeah -- I spent all day today looking at cars and the price they want makes a $1500 repair look pretty good. On the other hand, it is burning a bit of oil, has over 100K miles and I am not sure that I do trust it anymore. I think we'll get a second cheap but newer car that we can rely on while I decise how best to contend with this beast. I was thinking maybe if I could find a good mechanic willing to do this off the clock for cash and bought the parts myself I could save a few $. I'll also review the advice received here about buying reconditioned or used engine. If I get another vehicle, then I wouldn't be in a rush to get the job done, and that should help. The final solution is to take if off to the auction house. Anybody know how to maximize your sale price at auction (beyond the obvious of cleaning the car professionally). R.

The rad cap was faulty, but there are some exhaust gasses in the coolant. My mechanic could not find a particular leak and was unable to force a boilover condition by driving it (though I doubt he pushed it as hard as the highway hill driving I was doing when the last boilover happened). The recommendation I got was that I would need head gaskets soon and might want to think about my options (?). Aka -- get out now!!! I wouldn't want to pass on this kind of a problem to someone by selling it privately, but since they go to auction anyway, a trade-in maybe? A CCR engine is an option, but then what -- wait for the tranny to go. This car has 100K miles. I think not. This whole experience has soured me (and particularly my wife)on Subarus. Sadly, I think there is a nice boring domestic auto in my future. R.

The hose that was sucked in was the top passenger side rad hose. I am pretty sure that there is some flow through the overflow, since the tank was full last night when it was hot and was empty this morning after cooling. The vacuum in the rad was not crushing, but enough to pucker in the sides of the hose that I had installed a couple of weeks ago. (at least I can be sure that it is not leaking at the clamps). I certainly hope it's a rad cap or Tstat -- I'll change both to be sure. The alternative is frightening. Randomize

Still learning to love my 1996 2.5l. Two weekends ago, I had a blown top rad hose. I replaced it and topped up the coolant, figuring that it was just wear and tear. Since then everything seemed ok. Yesterday, I drove 40 minutes into the hills north of here to arrive at my destination overheating with steam pouring out of the engine compartment. The coolant reservoir was overfull (compared to normal) and there was no obviously damaged hose (though it was too dark to see well). There was fluid splashed back over the underside of the engine that may have originated from the overflow. So I got the car towed home to work on and noticed that there was now a vacuum in the cooling system (collapsing hose) and no fluid in the reservoir. I topped the rad up and it now seems to be holding fluid and maintaining temperature judging from test-driving around town. I am going to drop it off at my mechanic tomorrow -- I have little time for and less experience with DIY car repair than most. I am concerned that a small head gasket leak that only shows up with relatively hard driving (like last night's highway + hills). Any other clues I should look for? Randomizer.

Emily did get in touch with a very fair price for a superior product. Rand

Thanks Syd -- good advice. Turned out I didn't need an engine -- but I may... I got home from work today and the cursed thing is in the lane with a note from my wife (who should have had it at the time for her Friday evening girls night out) saying it is "acting up." Obviously she found a DD. But I sense another car-trouble-plagued weekend. The car starts and seems to run and rev properly, but I am Mr. Mom tonight, so I didn't get to drive it, not wanting to be stranded with kids. I can't wait for the useful diagnostic information my extremely mechanically dis-inclined SO will provide. ...it was making a galumping noise and smelled like apricots... ;-) With a car, it's like a relationship and this one is losing my trust. From pretty early on, during the honeymoon, it's appetite for octane started putting a dent in my wallet. Now the thrill is gone, OPEC has upped the price of her ethyl addiction, and I spend more than average $ on maintenance because Subaru parts are expensive. I know -- quality costs money, but this is putting a strain on my marriage. It's the only car I ever needed a support group for. :-) I now suspect that it was rode hard and put away wet by its original owner, despite showing clean. That's the deal with a used car -- a risk for price trade-off. It's too bad, I would really like to share in the obvious enthusiasm of so many Subbie owners . . . sorry if I'm driving down your resale with my anecdotal experiences. :-) Randomize Looking for a good, reliable and affordable domestic car.

I was going on a second-hand description of the failure. I got a chance to look it over, and the stall and no start is electrical (I'm guessing alternator). Doh! Still feel like the car is too frequently in the shop and the parts are usually 3 times more than a domestic would be. Think I'll clean it up and get it to market. or not . . .

The 1996 Legacy with a 2.5 is a car to be avoided, in my experience. It eats gas and is a mechanic's pension plan. I loved it when it was behaving, but . . . Since this is my first, and probably last Subbie, I can't speak about the make's reliability in general. One thing I will say though, is that it has a loyal(e) following. This is for one of two reasons, I suppose: 1. They are great and realiable cars or, 2. They are a pain in the rump roast and owners have to rationalize their investment of time, money and agro (cognitive dissonance theory see: http://tip.psychology.org/festinge.html

Wish I had the 2.2 ......

I've had mysterious vanishing oil problem for a coupla months on my wife's car. My mechanic couldn't find any leaks, so I've been topping it up between oil changes. I've been losing about a quart every 3000K. Lately, the lossage increased some and I decided to take it back to the mechanic. Too late! The engine is seized. Now I've got an almost 10 year old car with over 160,000 KM (100K mi. for the 'mercans) and am facing the choice of getting a remanuf. engine installed at goodness knows what cost. I fear that I would just be wasting my money and would be better off writing this vehicle off. Anybody in Ottawa Canada want to make me an offer on a Subbie Wagon with a stuck engine? Car(e)less in Canada