What to look for when buying a used Legacy?

[wlemst88]

Hello all!

 

I'm looking at a '98 Subaru Legacy L AWD wagon with 125k miles for $4k. I looked it over for rust, and it sounds pretty good, but are there some key things to look for, or common maintenance items I should make sure are done before hand? Just looking for some general advise before I proceed.

 

2.2L, auto tranny

 

Wes

[Dr. RX]

Ask when the timing belt was last changed, at that mileage it is over due for the belt to be changed. This is the second gen EJ22, therefore it is not a clearance engine, if the belt breaks, the pistons and valves will collide.

[idosubaru]

yep timing belt. should have been done by now. if you don't know then you're looking at at $500-$1000 job if you're paying someone else to do it right. can be done in the $300 - $500 range if you belt slap it and ignore everything else that should be checked while the front of the motor is open.

 

the 2.2 rocks, the 2.5 has the head gasket issue which is hit or miss. i think some auto trans have torque bind issues, not sure what years that applies to, but i believe it's a wide range. take some sharp turns at slow speed on dry pavement and see if you feel any "hop" or dragging while turning. that would indicate torque bind. not real common, but not something you want to pay someone to fix either. other than that, the 2.2 will last a looong time.

[wlemst88]

I'm reletively handy with a wrench. If the timing belt hasn't been done yet, how hard and expensive would it be for me to do it myself? Are there any guides online?

 

Also, since this car is at a dealer, chances are he won't know the maintenance history of the car. Is there a way to visually see if the timing belt has been replaced already?

 

Thanks for the replies!

Wes

[mtsmiths]

Stick or auto? Auto? Do tight turning radii on dry pavement, and feel for 'torque bind' a vague crow-hopping or catching feeling. Stick? Put the nose against a telephone pole or wall and put the car in fourth gear. You should be able to stall the engine letting out the clutch real easy. If not, the clutch is toast, or soon will be.

[idosubaru]

timing belt isn't too bad. i wouldn't say an oil-change only type should go into it, but there is certainly enough info on these boards to get you through it without issue. i did my first EJ in just a couple hours with no issues. timing belt, water pump, pulleys, oil pump seals and no problems. cam seals are tricky as there is one cam bolt that doesn't want to come off...but there are ways around that.

 

i'd plan on doing the timing belt, if they don't budge on price they might offer a new timing belt with your purchase. i always install new belts on any car i sell, it's the right thing to do if it's an unknown.

[SaltCar]

Look for four matching tires and an unused spare. Different size tires may cause AWD problems.

 

Watch out for Hurricane Katrina cars.

[nipper]

the 2.2 rocks, the 2.5 has the head gasket issue which is hit or miss. i think some auto trans have torque bind issues, not sure what years that applies to, but i believe it's a wide range. take some sharp turns at slow speed on dry pavement and see if you feel any "hop" or dragging while turning. that would indicate torque bind. not real common, but not something you want to pay someone to fix either. other than that, the 2.2 will last a looong time.

 

Torque bind is alot less likely after the 97 1/2 model year, and usually if it does have it, its just a tranny flush (in an automatic). If it is a manual and it has torque bind, that can be up to a 900.00 repair.

Check the tires and make sure they are all the same. Again mismatched tires can destroy the manual tranny, the automatic is more forgiving. Check the tranny fluid. Remove the raditor cap and let the engine run and look for bubbles. No bubbles is a good thing. Cut several u turns left and right and listen for any oddness.

 

Otherwise the cars are pretty much like any other cars.

 

nipper