Bought a new Sub!

[akafriday]

Well not new but new to me - thought hare some news I am pretty stoked about. I just bought a 2005 Outback 3.0 R LLBean with only 60k on it! It was bought at a dealer auction in the states and it came from Arizona so it has never seen a winter.

 

Just wondering if anyone could tell me what should I get done / check out right away other than getting it under coated. I am in Ottawa, Canada - winters are long, cold and salty here.

 

Cheers all and thanks in advance.

[EVOthis]

might be a good time to do like a 60k mile service if no maintaince records were available with the vehicle.....

[shaggywerewolf]

New tires for a northern climate. Wouldn't surprise me if the OEM tires are still on the vehicle. I live in Michigan, and the OEM Potenzas on my '03 OBW absolutely stank in any kind of snow/ice.

[Thunderchild]

Congrats on your new Subaru!! If I were you I would do the 60,000 mile service as recommended earlier. I would also go as far to say do ALL fluids and filters. I would also have the belts changed. I know I know, Subaru says 106,000 miles. But for me and my peace of mind, I would want the auto to be as close to coming right out of the factory as I could get it! Even do new brakes if you don't have a record that they had already been done. Have it ALL checked out and do what you feel comfortable with.

 

ENJOY!!

Edited December 11, 2008 by Thunderchild
Misspellings

[four-fleet-feet]

Came from ARIZONA. Oh boy.

 

Since my parents retired to Arizona, I can tell you exactly what to do.

 

Anything rubber on that car needs to be checked ASAP. If the previous owners didn't replace the hoses, you need to check them all, and probably replace them. The dry, long, spring-summer-fall heat dries out everything rubber on a car. Especially check the door/window seals - if they're cracked, you'll be driving a boat before you know it. Especially hatch seals.

 

Tires are almost definitely toast, if they look worn. Dry rot doesn't take long when it's 115 in the daytime and 105 at 2AM. Check your spare. Reflected heat into a trunk area ruins spares down there. You don't want to find THAT out only when you get a flat. Grease your jack, too, or ol' squeaky will be a bear to crank.

 

I'd check all brake lines, as well; people drive like idiots in the Southwest, the brakes will have had hard use. A full coolant flush might be a good idea, since the system was working hard down there. Also, since there are very few Subaru dealers in Arizona, and most mechanics haven't a clue how to work on one (as I found out this summer when I was there), if you don't have dealer work receipts in hand, check and/or do a full fluid change for the entire vehicle (diffs, trans - especially trans, there's a lot of stop-n-go due to a lack of freeways, brake fluid too). You've probably already checked the oil, but unless you beg, ask, and demand 5-30 oil in the Southwest, it won't be put in. Most of the time, it's just too hot down there. If thicker oil was accidentally put in, you'll want to get it out before the heavy snows.

 

Make sure you drain the windshield/hatch washer bottles/lines system at once. You can't even buy non-freezing window wash except in Flagstaff, and only from about Nov-Feb or so. You don't want to replace your lines or pumps.

 

You might have issues with lubrication points, since sand gets into everything when the summer sandstorms pass through. A good job with an oiler or grease gun on squeaky bits (wipe off the forced-out sand) will take care of that.

 

However, if you just got a cherry ride with dealer work receipts, I salute you on your wonderful deal. No rust, no wet soggy moldy carpet, no frost-speckled paint, and probably no mouse-nibbled harness. Also minimal chance of having a hailstorm-damaged windshield. Yes, Virginia, there ARE some good things about Arizona. Just don't tell my Mom I typed that...