Bought a 2000 outback with 116 k miles.   Cheap.

 

Interior Great,  Exterior excellent for 17 yr old car.  One big rust hole low inside passenger side back door.

 

Undercarriage in rear looked good.

 

It was throwing some codes when I got it,, but I cleared them when I got home and have yet to make them pop up again.  It seemed to run fine.

 

Surprised to see it had a 2.2 engine.  At least I think it is.  it doesn't have the dual cams on the heads,, so I think its a 2.2.

 

On way Home:

 

about  a 2.5 hr drive home.    Buddy following me in my truck,, no plates on the car.

 

He flagged me down to pull over,,  "car is smoking when you came up that hill back there."

 

Turns out the car was dripping transmission fluid, toward the rear of the tranny,,  seemed to be just behind the ATF pan.

It dripped on the exhaust.  Made smoke.

 

I had the car on cruise around 70 mph.  Going up hills the car would  down shift, and RPMs would go up to like 3.3k   3.5k  and it would get up speed and kick up a gear again.   did this 3 or 4 times on this

long hill.

 

Checked the fluid with car running,, went thru the gears, etc.   Fluid seemed to be WELL ABOVE the full mark hot.

 

1.  Will an over full transmission  do this?  

2. Do you think the seller did this on purpose for some reason?  Overfill it

3.  I didn't notice the car doing this on the test drive, but I didn't go up as big of  or long hills,, at 70 mph either.

 

I'm pretty happy with the car. and the price I paid.  As of right now this is the only thing I'm "Worried" about.

Edited October 5, 20178 yr by xdeadeye1

Easy to overfill a subi automatic.  My guess is the seller thought it was low when not heated up so he added and ended up over filling.  Overfull tranny will leak but usually at the tail shaft.  Clean up the mess and find where that oil is coming from. 

.  Overfull tranny will leak but usually at the tail shaft.  

 

It was at the rear of it,  behind the pan.  I could see what seemed to be like a cross member or transmission mount.  It was dripping from there.

It's not a 2.2 - the 2.5 became single cam after 99 (and 99 Forester/RS).

 

Sounds like the trans is overfilled or was overheating. The fluid expands when hot and will overflow the breather if it gets too hot or is overfilled, etc.

 

The car is going to need head gaskets and a timing belt if they haven't been done. The 2000 is prone to coolant leaks in addition to the "normal" oil weeping from the HG's. If they haven't been done and aren't leaking it means they maintained it poorly with non-synthetic and the engine is so nasty inside that the sludge sealed up the leaks.

 

GD

Surprised to see it had a 2.2 engine.  At least I think it is.  it doesn't have the dual cams on the heads,, so I think its a 2.2.

 

It's a 2.5, they're single cams starting in 2000 and 1999 forester/imprezas. 

The guy said he got it at 58k  and did the timing belt and Head Gaskets.    

 

58k timing belt,,,, its 117 k miles right now,,,     So current timing belt has 59 k on it.

 

 

Thanks about the 2.2/2.5  I  didn't know that.

 

I'm hoping its just over filled and was expanding out the breather under the stress of the hill.   

 

Regarding oil, I didn't ask, but I think its dino oil.  Wolfs head sticker on the window.   So I guess I should continue with the dino 5w30  ?

Edited October 5, 20178 yr by xdeadeye1

checked the fluid while idling right? ATF is the only fluid you must check that way.

 

brake lines can leak on top of the fuel tank, watch your brake fluid level.

 

when soobs have been thru 2-3 owners or serviced by 'underqualified' people, sometimes fluids get confused and the wrong fluids drained/filled etc.

 

best to start fresh with fluids if possible, then troubleshoot issues I think.

Edited October 5, 20178 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

you can switch to synthetic, though i wouldn't worry about that too much until you get all the issues under control.

 

fresh fluids. 

 

timing kit needs installed - the pulleys and tensioner are prone to fail as well, so i'd get that on your radar screen.  the lower toothed idler is by far the most common to fail and the one that goes catastrophic the quickest.  it's an interference engine so your valves will bend if it breaks.

 

as to your smoking issue: 

 

1. check fluid level - where is it now?

 

2.  look for leaks - you said behind pan - that implies the shaft seal is leaking at the back of the transmission.  they'll drip right from under where the driveshaft slides into the transmission, dripping off the outer cylindrical protective cover of the driveshaft entry point. look there or post a picture. 

you . 

 

 

 

1. check fluid level - where is it now? 

 

I checked it not running at all ,  cold:    Its 2 inches above the full cold mark

 

I checked it running, but not warmed up at all..  I ran it thru the gears, put in park,  its one inch above full mark cold.  

 

So I think its just over full.  I drain some out and adjust fire.

It's not a 2.2 - the 2.5 became single cam after 99 (and 99 Forester/RS).

 

 

 

regular legacy it could be a 2.2 still just Phase II

and hey, I didn't see the fuse  holder for the FWD only option.  I wanted to check that to make sure there wasn't a fuse in it.. But I didn't see it.  If it has one its not where my 96 wagons is.

and hey, I didn't see the fuse  holder for the FWD only option.  I wanted to check that to make sure there wasn't a fuse in it.. But I didn't see it.  If it has one its not where my 96 wagons is.

its in the under hood fuse box at the far end of the bank of relays

on some older soobs, wasn't in a little fuse holder near the right side shock tower?

 

I just dunno what year it began being in the big fuse box.

on some older soobs, wasn't in a little fuse holder near the right side shock tower?

 

I just dunno what year it began being in the big fuse box.

YES my 1996 is like this.

Don't guess what engine it has. Look for the stamp on the engine and KNOW what it is.

 

Trans shifting sounds normal to me. I'd definitely drain that fluid though and refill to proper level so you know you have the correct fluid in the trans. Change the spin-on filter on the side as well. Spend the $30 on the real Subaru filter, you'll probably never have to change it again.

So far.. I just changed the rear diff oil  with 75-90,   Idk what was in there.

 

Drained tranny, replaced filter.   I think I got about 2 gal out of it.

 

when I emptied my (previously clean) pan,   the bottom of the pan has a white residue . Its not gritty or hard,  and its not sawdust...    Idk.. I'm going to get some tranny fluid.

Whitish/milky colored fluid in the bottom of a pan is usually moisture mixed with oil. Water settles in the bottom of the pan and is to some extent absorbed by the oil.

 

Pretty normal to get some moisture mixed in with the oil as condensation occurs inside the case. Typically a small amount will evaporate away once the fluid gets up to temp.