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What is the deal with Subaru dealer parts dept.?


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I am not unwilling to pay for parts. I spent a grand this month alone at Summit Racing on parts for the BRAT. I am about to spend another $300 on two more RSX shocks and another fan.

 

What I do mind is getting ripped off for parts that should be a few bucks. This last weekend I was putting the newly ported and milled heads on the ER27 and I was fine with what it cost to machine them. In the course of assembly I found the adjustment screw on my belt tensioner was seized. I figured it might be easier to run go get one than to fool with this one. So I called the dealer expecting the little $20 part to be $40 or so. $199.99 for a damn screw and spring in a housing. A blatant rip off. Just a few months ago I replaced the rubber disk that interfaces the steering arm to the rack, $80 for a part that is worth no more than $5. So I spent half the day drilling out the screw and tapping the hole for a new one, and finding a suitable new one. Naturally no parts store had one.

 

Then there is the poor service. They ask for a VIN, I explain that the VIN on my 82 BRAT will not cover the ER27 engine that came in a 91 XT6. The surley parts clerk replies that they don't have books that go back to 1982. DAMN< The engine is from 91 so not having the 82 book is pretty much irrelavent. Do they just spout the first excuse that bubbles to the surface?

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Perfect example!

 

This is an adjustable one that you could use to set the fan step speed to be whatever you want, far fancier than stock. It costs about three times what you actually need to spend if you just replaced it with a fixed resistor! Available from http://www.mouser.com

 

Supplier: Ohmite

Category: Power Resistors

Mouser Part#: 588-D12K-1K

Mfgr. Part#: D12K1K0

 

Pricing:

Qty: Price:

 

1 $ 8.120

 

25 $ 6.900

 

100 $ 5.680

 

250 $ 4.870

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man, these sound like horror stories. my subaru dealer is probably the same way, but i wouldn't know. i've never really checked on any parts other than a clutch cable, and they had it the cheapest in town.

 

 

p.s. wrecked my car last night. pass. side tire pushed far back into fender. sight for sore eyes. just had to vent and tell someone instead of crying.

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i hit a square curb at about 30. i'm fine of course. i always wear a seatbelt. my friends all got huge eyes when i came rubin around the corner. they were saying things like "good thing it's a subaru" and the like. makes me feel a little better about my car. but not that much. :banghead: :temper: :temper: :boohoo: :dead: :madder:

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Okay... I see your point and feel your pain about the dealership asking/getting more money for new factory parts. I work at Toyota, in the parts dept, and see prices on some items(nuts, bolts and gaskets) that make me want to crap...

 

One thing I can suggest is that you keep your VIN number handy... for your car and off the car that you swapped the engine from.... All(I hope all) dealerships use computers and most to ALL VIN numbers have been entered into these systems. Having the VIN number from the car that you got the motor from could help them find the part faster, easier and more of a chance to be the correct one the first time you ask.

 

Also another way to get better deals from the dealership is to try to open a account, preferably a wholesale type account if you can. At my work I setup an account for my club and other people to use if they want wholesale deals on stuff... have sold loaded elockers, clutches and other stuff... even sent stuff back east which costed the guy less then if he were to go buy it from his local dealer at regular costs. If anyone ever needs to get Toyota parts be sure to contact my work, Gresham Toyota call 503.665.2927 talk to Pete, he's our wholesale guy and is top notch and tell him your calling for Backwoods4wd... instant discount.

 

But best bet is to talk with the Parts Manager to try to setup an account at your local dealership.... let them know that not only will they increase local sales but perhaps people from other areas of the US will be calling to buy from them if they can make it worth your while...

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This isn't a matter of quality, it is a matter of gouging on things that nobody else has or taking advantage of people that don't know better. For example that stock rear shock that costs more than a remote adjustable Rancho RSX. Or that $80 resistor that costs 10 times the going rate for one of superior quality.

 

I have no problem paying for quality, but don't pee on me and tell me it is raining.

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I highly recommend the parts department at Liberty Subaru in New Jersey. (http://www.newsubaru.com)

 

I live in Arizona and used to buy parts from the local dealers (Pitre and/or Camelback) until I found out about this place.

 

Let me give you an example of some recent purchases:

 

AC compressor for '93 Loyale

Pitre: $695

Liberty: $395

 

IAC Control for '87 GL

Pitre: $392

Liberty: $229

 

Purge Solenoid (for both the '93 and the '87 [why do I have to replace these things every 3-4 years?])

Pitre: $187

Liberty $95

 

I don't work there, nor do I know anybody (personally) who works there. Russ or Jason in the parts department are really friendly, and have always been able to help me out.

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Hmmm...

 

My only experience with a subaru dealer was buying timing belts from Continental Subaru here in Anchorage. The prices were reasonable ($65 for the pair), and the service was ok. Schucks didn't even HAVE timing belts for an ea82.

 

Northguy or Battle_Wagon_Medic, have you guys dealt with Continental before?

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I used to go to Mark Thomas Motors here in Albany for my parts for my soob. They deal with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Subaru, and Hyundai. Until the day when I NEEDED timing belts for my 87 Turbowagon. After about 20 minutes arguing with the parts guy that there is no difference between a Loyale and a GL timing belt (not that it mattered he didn't stock either one, and gave me the same part number for BOTH BELTS ding ding ding ONE IS LONGER, but then again he couldn't find it in his book correctly...

At any rate, it was like $40 a pop for the belts. I did not want to go to Schucks and get a garbage belt, so I drove 20 minutes to Corvallis and stopped at John and Phils Toyota/Subaru. They had them in stock for $26 a piece. Last week I got a new PCV valve, MTM had it in stock, wanted 20 bucks, J&P had to order it but it only cost me $11.20. So if you live near Corvallis, I recommend John and Phils if you need Subaru parts.

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Liberty Subaru's (Discount Parts) prices are comparable to 1stSubaruparts.com and locally Dan Perkins subaru in Milford, CT will match the prices. I think Moosens has beat them into submission. They basically will give the same price they sell to shops if you tell them about the prices you've got on line. Perhaps you should mention this to your local dealers and put them on the spot. They'd probably still like to make a few bucks instead of an enemy. They know we know!!!

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It would be nice if that were so, but out here they have more walk in sales for Outbacks, Forresters, and WRXs than they can serve at one time so they simply don't care. They will tell you "sorry we couldn't help you" and hang up the phone faster than you can blink.

 

It is great of you guys near good dealerships to share these dealership sources, I may have to do some ordering from them.

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That is exactly how they are here.

 

I had a service manager at Manassas Subaru tell me to my face that I was either an idiot or a liar if I thought I had a BRAT with lift and a six cylinder. So I went back outside to the truck and drove it through the service bay on my way home. The look on that ****suckers face was priceless.

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  • 1 month later...

I feel your pain as to dealer parts prices.

I went to buy a tensioner mounting bolt

for my 98 OB 2.5. Guess what, "we don't

sell just the bolt". They expected me to buy the whole tensioner for $150! All to replace a broken bolt made of Cheap

Jap steel that probably trashed my engine!(I was on the road). They also wanted $85 for a timing belt which could be had for half at the local parts store.

What really stinks is that I was on my way home from just buying and picking up the car! You just never know.:mad:

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Hey Subarubrat...got some q's about that power resister you listed earlier...have you actually installed this thing in your vehicle?? are there any mods that need to be made to put it in? and did you need to get the mounting brackets they have listed? this sounds like one heck of an option for the failing blower motor in my 89 wagon...only works on 3 and 4, gets a little too warm sometimes!

 

As for dealer prices, i understand your pain, but I dont have a dealer anywhere near me (closest is over 3 hrs away) so i pretty much have to deal with aftermarket or online purchases.

 

we dont have much in the way of parts at junkyards either, and most of the junkyards around here wont let you go in and pull your own parts, even if they had any old subies! they claim it is because of insurance regulations....:temper:

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If'n I understand that power resistor from the link correctly, it's linear... in other words, there's a straight line between the low and high resistance points.

 

A few years ago, I built a set of joystick pedals for my computer, and used a set of rotary potentiometers to send the position of the pedals to the computer. I'm no electrician, but if'n I remember right, the potentiometer was nothing more than what the power resistor is being described as.

 

Sure would fit a better into the dash :D, if we could figure out a way to hammer it in there...

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Most Definitly! It does need some cleaning up, but since the blower motor resistor thing is a common problem, there needs to be some kind of reference (and alternatives?) for fixing it.

 

Being in an area that is more or less devoid of old Subies in junkyards, or old subies in general, and the nearest dealer is hours away, i have a real problem getting some parts for my car - usable blower motor resistors being just one!

ah well, it could be worse, at least i still have 3 and 4!! :D

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Hey Subarubrat...got some q's about that power resister you listed earlier...have you actually installed this thing in your vehicle?? are there any mods that need to be made to put it in? and did you need to get the mounting brackets they have listed? this sounds like one heck of an option for the failing blower motor in my 89 wagon...only works on 3 and 4, gets a little too warm sometimes!

 

What you have with a SINGLE one of these units is a 3 speed fan control. On 1 you have the entire value of the resistor limiting the fan speed. By choosing a higher value you can set the low speed as desired. The center tap is adjustable where you can have more or less resistance for less or more fan speed. Just connect it up and dial it in (that would be position 2). For position 3 you are skipping the resistor all together and going full speed. If you want 4 steps then just add a 2nd resistor for a 4th step.

 

Another solution would be to build this circuit with a final output transistor capable of handeling the amperage of the motor. You could then mount your fan switch on the shaf of the pot and have proportional control from 0 to max.

 

pwm1.gif

 

OR for under $20 you can buy this kit. With this particular kit the FET is rated at 50 amps with a decent heatsink. The circuit traces will need to be made larger or overlayed with wire. Use a defunct PC cooling fan heatsink and place the FET in the intake path of the blower for cooling and you should be fine.

 

 

 

ck1400.jpg

 

http://electronickits.com/kit/complete/motor/ck1400.htm

 

Again, you would just mount the pot in the dash with the stock speed dial on it, or just a seperate knob if you are lazy.

 

AND in case I wasn't clear as to the point in all of this, it will give you proportional smooth speed control of the blower, so that 20%is 20% of max speed, 50% is 50%, and so on.

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