subihoot03 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Take it or leave it. I'm guilty of thinking brake pads and oil changes are the only necessary parts of the maintenance schedule to follow. So here's the deal. My 2003 Legacy (AT), of which I have spoken many times before, is going for major surgery soon...head gaskets, seals and all of that great overhauled engine stuff. 130K and it's about time as the head gasket's leaking oil and coolant and it's getting to the point where I can smell both...strongly. But it's not running hot at all...remarkably. Car is also due for a tranny flush/service tomorrow. Tech told me that the lines were beginning to corrode and that it was starting to leak fluid a little (two weeks ago) and I scheduled an appointment to bring it in and have it taken care of. Maybe I am just freaking out because it's what I do best, but tonight (in 14 degree weather) I was driving about 50 up a fairly steep grade and I heard and felt a bit of a misfire. The car kind of shuddered, but then recovered. I parked it at my destination for about two hours, and then started it with the remote. I let it run for probably 5 minutes and then went outside. I could hear it running loudly and unevenly, and when I climbed in the AT OIL TEMP and CHECK ENGINE lights were both flashing vividly. So I did the reasonable thing and cut the engine, waited a few seconds, and started the car back up. It started fine... The CHECK ENGINE light stayed on solidly but the AT OIL TEMP had mysteriously disappeared (thank G-D, I find that one more daunting anyway). It drove normally the 1 mile home and now it is parked. Unfortunately, this being New Hampshire and it being close to 10 pm, there is no AutoZone open where I can check the codes on the engine. :-( I guess I will just cross my fingers and say a little prayer, but what are the chances that this has something to do with one of the aforementioned conditions (leaking head gasket/leaking tranny lines)? Is it more likely that I just have bad luck and now there is something dire going on, more dire than what I am already facing? This really makes me wish I I'd bought that 2.2L Impreza two years ago when I had the chance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOthis Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 First of all if you have a code reader and the CEL is on..read the code....Well brake pads and oil changes as you put it...what was the chance the spark plugs have ever been done (seriously)....You said the vehicle is going in for HG's and all the related seals, timing belt, spark plugs you name it...is it going to get a major maintaince service/tune up while there?? (30k,60k,90k etc...)...Personally if the CEL doesnt come back on before you drop it in for service i would wait until after you have all the work done before you condemn anything...Its prob.due for a good tune up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subihoot03 Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 First of all if you have a code reader and the CEL is on..read the code....Well brake pads and oil changes as you put it...what was the chance the spark plugs have ever been done (seriously)....You said the vehicle is going in for HG's and all the related seals, timing belt, spark plugs you name it...is it going to get a major maintaince service/tune up while there?? (30k,60k,90k etc...)...Personally if the CEL doesnt come back on before you drop it in for service i would wait until after you have all the work done before you condemn anything...Its prob.due for a good tune up.... I mean, yeah, plug wires and some other small stuff...it is due for tranny service NOW which is what is happening. But I don't know...I just have this sinking feeling that there is going to be one more bad thing wrong with it. When I get the HGs done etc it will also include the other stuff that should probably happen at that time: spark plugs, wires, etc. No timing belt necessary -that service was actually performed at the right time and correctly... No code reader here tonight, which is why I am sitting, paniicking. Hoping for the best when the tranny service gets done in the morning, if it starts in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If you are having all that work done, have them put in new plugs and wires (zero extra labor charge and just the cost of parts, maybe even by them yourself). Also get a new PCV valve. The Auto trany light i can't explain, it may just be a fluke. If it comes back on again let us know. DO you do your own oil changes? If you do, you can do a tranny drain and fill every other oil change and never have to get the tranny flushed again. Ask the tech to show you the transmission lines to better understand what he is talking about. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I mean, yeah, plug wires and some other small stuff...it is due for tranny service NOW which is what is happening. But I don't know...I just have this sinking feeling that there is going to be one more bad thing wrong with it. When I get the HGs done etc it will also include the other stuff that should probably happen at that time: spark plugs, wires, etc. No timing belt necessary -that service was actually performed at the right time and correctly... No code reader here tonight, which is why I am sitting, paniicking. Hoping for the best when the tranny service gets done in the morning, if it starts in the morning. Relax, your sooob is a baby still. You got lots of life in her. I work on Subies twice that age, still going strong all the time. I personally don;t worry too much about CELs and AT temp lights flashing, unless tghere is a detectable driving issue. Of course look into them, but it is unlikely that anything major is wrong. Find the sensor or solenoid that had the problem, and fix it. Ussually alot less work and less complicated than headgaskets. I swear CELs are the worst thing ever. Should only be viewable when retrieving codes, cause they unnessecarily worry the end user. Whatca gonna do right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
952.2LX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Yea I have a CEL on because of my TPS sensor I believe is bad. Just hate seeing that bright orange light beaming at me all the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subihoot03 Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 DO you do your own oil changes? If you do, you can do a tranny drain and fill every other oil change and never have to get the tranny flushed again. Ask the tech to show you the transmission lines to better understand what he is talking about. nipper I generally do my oil changes when the NH weather permits me to be comfortable. Somehow my girliness gets in the way otherwise. So it's entirely feasible that if I know exactly what to do I could drain the tranny too myself, and then refill. All I know is after the "service" that I just had done the shifting is oh-so-smooth and nice again. As far as the CEL goes, it was a cyl 1 misfire...as I suspected. This is an issue that we will take care of with the HG which will be done...in the next month or so. The leaks have gotten exponentially worse, even since three weeks ago. Thanks for the insight...again...all of this fuss is usually just me panicking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subihoot03 Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 I know, I have a way of blowing things out of proportion. I have honestly never had a car that has thrown off CELs at random...only when there was a major problem. Except for that Camry that started glowing orange when it was time to die, but that was a different story entirely. So truthfully, when I saw the CEL...yeah...I feared for the worst, but mostly because of everything else that was going on. I was really worried that a black cloud was starting to follow me around, even though most of my smaller subi issues could have been taken care of with preventative maintenance. I am at times the poster child of ignorance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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