I'm getting close to 260,000 miles in my '95 Legacy wagon (MT, AWD). It's running great, but at some point, it's going to die. Are there any typical warning signs before things really start to go downhill? For what it's worth, tt the 240,000 mile service I went ahead and replaced all of the pullys and the water pump in addition to the regular stuff.

 

Adam

I'm getting close to 260,000 miles in my '95 Legacy wagon (MT, AWD). It's running great, but at some point, it's going to die. Are there any typical warning signs before things really start to go downhill? For what it's worth, tt the 240,000 mile service I went ahead and replaced all of the pullys and the water pump in addition to the regular stuff.

 

Adam

 

if it has been well maintained, regular fluid changes, and in todays modern world, my guess would be when someone hits it. After that my second best guess would be a blown head gasket or a tranny failure.

The opposed piston engine desighn, almost all the forces cancel eachother out (like the old VW).In theory there is no upper limit on the engine wear.

 

nipper

do not let it overheat. the radiator, hoses, clamps, thermostat, radiator caps....if they haven't been replaced they can easily cause overheating at some point. overheating is not a good thing. if you keep coolant and fresh oil flowing to the block they wont' see significant wear.

do not let it overheat. the radiator, hoses, clamps, thermostat, radiator caps....if they haven't been replaced they can easily cause overheating at some point. overheating is not a good thing. if you keep coolant and fresh oil flowing to the block they wont' see significant wear.

 

which does lead to the question, have you replaced all the radiator hoses heater hoses and fan belts. Also have you changed the coolant regularly. Your nest issue to watch out for is a clogged radiator. That will show up as the temp gauge climbing 3/4 up with the ac on, ac dropping out, and temp going down.

Also the radiator fins seem to fall apart after a while, and will give the same symptons.

 

nipper

it won't,didn't you know the subies are immortal...

 

 

 

 

seriously-just like nipper and grossgary said..don't allow over-heating,change oil regularly,etc..

Old subies never die... unless their owners are disrespectful of them.

On the question of "How will my Sube die?":

 

From http://www.williamson-labs.com/one-hoss-shay.htm

"You see, of course, if you're not a dunce, How it went to pieces all at once,-- All at once, and nothing first,-- Just as bubbles do when they burst. " --Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

Or perhaps "Not with a bang but a whimper." (Apologies to T.S. Eliot, who wasn't speaking of vehicles.)

http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~evans/hollow.html

 

Probably like my 1988 Saab 9000 w/ over 250k on it a year ago. Ran like a top but was totalled out by someone not paying attention. The impact drove the back bumper down so hard, the roof pulled back three inches. That's a heck of a wallop. Saabs in the 80's , before GM got involved, were built like tanks. I drove it, yes drove it, to the side of the road and walked away in fine shape. The car that hit me didn't drive to the side of the road. It was towed. Yes, I did go the the Dr., I did get x-rays, etc., all were clean.

 

Take care of it and run it until someone else takes it away.

 

jack

Well let me give you one piece of advice: Dont rally it with a "quick drain" oil plug on it. It opens up and drains all the oil....most engines dont like that =0) Thats how my 260,000 engine died....such a shame it was in its prime....

 

I recall a post a while back about a guy in the netherlands who worked as a lead car in caravans of new cars. He had his Outback sport for almost 500,000 miles before it needed major engine work. Of course he kept it maintained etc etc

I concure with all of the above. I'll add in Oil pump failure. People have said that the original oil pumps can handle the 200k range. If its still the original then I would seriously consider changing at the next convinent "work on car day," although you just did replace the w/p.

i tend to replace the oil pump at 200,00 miles or whatever timing belt change is close to that number

 

nipper