More newbie questions. The lady I bought this thing from says it hasn't been driven in a while (few months) so she took it to her local mechanic to have it checked out and shipped to me. She paid for new brake pads as a courtesy to me, but said the mechanic said a cylinder was misfiring. She has offered to knock $1500 off the price if I still want the vehicle. Just to recap some facts form another post I made, its a 2000 OBW Limited with 135000 miles for $6000.

 

Her mechanic told her it could be a $100 problem or it could be a $1000 problem, and he would have to look into it further to find out.

 

Any suggestions? What's are the likely culprits? Could this be related in any way to the leaky HG on the 2.5L engine?

 

btw - This forum has been a great resource. I've learned a bunch in the last few days, and I'm looking forward to diving in to my new vehicle's care and maintenance. This is our first Subaru, and I think its a good deal. I've check out the price on an engine from CCR so at the worst I'll have the purchase price + $3500 into a very reliable car at that point.

 

Thanks,

- J

The 2000 OBW has the Phase II 2.5L engine, so an internal HG failure is somewhat unlikely. "Cheap" fixes for a missing cylinder would include the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and coil pack.

I would at least check the radiator expansion tank for sludge and bubbles after a good, long run. Both are telltale signs of internal HG failure.

 

Every car purchase, and particularly a used car purchase, entails a certain degree of risk. If the car was well mantained, the seller appears to be forthright, and the final price is attractive, you may find the car to be an acceptable risk.

On the other hand, it might be worth a few dollars to have YOUR own mechanic give the car a once over.

I wish I had the option of having my mechanic check it out, but its an ebay buy, and the car is in Florida. She seems to be very honest about the car, and is making a fair offer (I think) in light of the problem. At this point I could back out of the deal, but I think I'll take the $1500 discount and roll the dice. My guess is that its more than plugs/wires since its been meticulously maintained. I sent her an email asking when those had been changed last, but she hasn't replied yet. I had planned on doing a pretty intense (for my skills) maintenance spree when I received the car (plugs, wires, timing belt, oil change, air filter, lube, anything else?), so I guess I'll go ahead with that and re-evaluate afterwards.

 

Anyone else with some encouraging words?

 

Thanks.

New info... I spoke to the mechanic who has looked at the car. He says its throwing two codes: O2 sensor and piston#4. He checked the pressure in piston #4 and its 90psi. piston #2 is in spec. He thinks it could be a burnt valve or at the very worst a bent rod. He says its not apparent when driving, but you can tell when its idling.

 

I've read (here in the forum) that the missing could be caused by a sticky valve? What should be my plan of attack when I get the car?

 

- J