scuba_suit Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 ...does a 2003 outback have in it's engine? my car's got 94k and i think i might have to change them soon, what are some signs i should look out for (besides the car breakin down on me) when i check out the belts? cracks, grooves? i'm buyin belts so that if anything happens on the road i have them with me just in case.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strakes Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 ...does a 2003 outback have in it's engine? my car's got 94k and i think i might have to change them soon, what are some signs i should look out for (besides the car breakin down on me) when i check out the belts? cracks, grooves? i'm buyin belts so that if anything happens on the road i have them with me just in case.... The drive belts (2) and timing belt (1) usually are replaced at 105000 miles as recommended by the maintenance schedule in your owners manual. If you plan on keeping the car, you should save up and get them all done at the same time. The drive belts are super easy to replace by yourself and are about $12 a piece at the local car parts store. The timing belt is much more involved and many people have a shop familiar with Subarus do them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Some very important questions. What vehicle or engine do you have? the H6 engine doesn't have a timing belt - it has a timing chain. The next question would be which belts are you talking about - drive belts or timing belts - or all of them? The timing belts (if equipped) are IMMENSELY more important than the drive/accessory belts. If the the timing belt breaks you'll be needing a new engine or thousands of dollars in repairs. It is due for replacement at 105,000 so i'd plan on doing it very soon. You can not see this belt, it is hidden behind the timing belt covers and is not a part you inspect - it's replaced at 105,000 miles (at the most), earlier on cars that aren't driven much (the belt gets old). The drive belts, well just pop your hood and have a look at them. And not a big deal, if they break there's no major engine damage costing thousands of dollars. But if they're cracking or glazed then replace them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scuba_suit Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 when you say "cracking" do you mean across the belt or parallel? someone told me that if they are cracking parallel to the belt then it's got to be replaced ASAP, if there are three belts (my engine is a 2.5L, 2003 subaru outback) then i'll definitely will be replacing them soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 when you say "cracking" do you mean across the belt or parallel? someone told me that if they are cracking parallel to the belt then it's got to be replaced ASAP, if there are three belts (my engine is a 2.5L, 2003 subaru outback) then i'll definitely will be replacing them soon... Please don't take offense, but after reading your O2 sensor thread, you really need to take it to a first rate mechanic to have your timing belt replaced. Please don't try to do it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 your EJ25 has a timing belt then. you didn't answer some very important questions still. you might not fully understand the scope of timing belts verses accessory belts. timing belts are not the belts you can see...so the fact that yo'ure still asking "what kind of cracks" tells me you're not approaching this the right way. after you replace the minor accessory belts "that you can see" for a couple dollars you need to consider replacing the timing belt. thing is the accessory belts need to be removed to get to the timing belt, so might as well do them at the same time and just have the mechanic put the new belts on for you when doing the timing belts. but you never told us the mileage so maybe it's not time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 but you never told us the mileage so maybe it's not time? ...does a 2003 outback have in it's engine? my car's got 94k and i think i might have to change them soon, He's getting close at 94k, but has plenty of time to shop for a good mechanic, or save up for the job if his current mechanic is up to the task. (it can be a tricky job even for experienced techs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scuba_suit Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 oh i'm definitely not going to do it myself, i'll stick with just changing light bulbs, i am taking it to a mechanic for the belts, my car is a 2003 subaru outback with 94k, i just had the car taken in for an oil change an state inspection, everything is okay, the mechanic told me that i should be thinkin about changing the belts (and showed me the belts), i'm just wondering cuz after this O2 sensor episode here's another mechanical endeavour i have to save up for (i have been calling around to find out how much all three belts would be), question: is it better to buy the parts and have the mechanic install them or just take the car in and have the mechanic do it all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 oh i'm definitely not going to do it myself, i'll stick with just changing light bulbs, i am taking it to a mechanic for the belts, my car is a 2003 subaru outback with 94k, i just had the car taken in for an oil change an state inspection, everything is okay, the mechanic told me that i should be thinkin about changing the belts (and showed me the belts), i'm just wondering cuz after this O2 sensor episode here's another mechanical endeavour i have to save up for (i have been calling around to find out how much all three belts would be), question: is it better to buy the parts and have the mechanic install them or just take the car in and have the mechanic do it all? It's better that the mechanic supplies the parts. If a part that you supplied is defective, you'll have to pay him to replace it again. If the part you supplied is the wrong one, it's a hassle to have a stall tied up with your car while he waits for you to bring the right part. If you bring your own parts and can convince me to use them, I'm going to charge more labor, not just because of the potential hassles, but because I, as a shop owner marks up a percentage on the parts. It's what pays the overhead on the shop. And with my jobber discount on parts, what I end up charging you is usually not that much higher, and sometimes even cheaper that what you would pay at the dealer or parts store. And the best response to this question I've ever heard (by a smart alec ex boss) is: "Do you take your own bacon and eggs to the restaurant to have them cook your breakfast with?" PS You can ask that he only use dealer parts if at all possible. As a flat rate mechanic I would rather use the best parts available anyway. Chances are I will only have to do the job once if we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 On the timing belt - use a Subaru only belt for this engine. On the drive belts, take your pick not nearly as crucial. I would not supply the parts to the mechanic unless he encourages it (rarely). they make a certain amount of profit off of that too, they don't like people trying to save $10 on something that ends up costing them more time...and all the reasons McDave already mentioned. keep in mind there's a huge difference: timing belts = $500 job drive belts = $50 job With a 100k change interval it is a very wise idea to also replace the water pump. The timing belt has to be removed to replace it. If you leave the existing pump then you're basically expecting the original water pump to last 15 years and 200,000 miles. That's not a good change interval for a water pump, there's a good chance of failure before then. So it's best to change it now and they aren't that expensive and it's all right there once the timing belt is removed - labor will be minimum. If the water pump goes out next year....you're paying the same few hundred dollars labor rate to remove the timing belt again to replace it. Check and replace any noisey or rough timing pulleys for the same reason. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.