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Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

8644 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2013 at 4:04 PM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Wagon

Messages Page 142 of 865

#1407 of 8644 Legacy/Outback recall by casecom2

Apr 29, 2003 (10:09 pm)

Subaru of America on Tuesday announced a voluntary recall of Legacy and Outback wagons and sedans from model years 2000, 2001 and 2002 (plus a handful of 2003 Bajas) because of possible corrosion in the rear suspension.
 
Subaru said some rear suspension components were manufactured with poor paint quality, resulting in possible corrosion from road salts. The recall is for cars only in the "salt belt" states in the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
 
An estimated 170,000 cars are affected, manufactured from May 1, 1999, to April 30, 2002. Owners will be notified in late June and early July. The affected components will be inspected and rustproofed free of charge.
 
No accidents or injuries have been reported; the problem was found in Subaru's quality assurance testing.

#1408 of 8644 Similar Recall by paisan

Apr 30, 2003 (4:19 am)

As they had on the front of the legacies for 97-99. Maybe they should get a different get a different paint company!!!
 
-mike

#1409 of 8644 Brake Pad Wear Warning Sound by K9Leader

Apr 30, 2003 (6:05 am)

My 2000 OB wagon with 34K miles is in the shop today to have the brakes checked. A couple of weeks ago it started a ringing/squealing type of sound from somewhere at the rear of the car. It is a rotational sound - something is rubbing/hitting something that is turning -- but is intermittent and is during regular driving (i.e., not when the brakes are being applied). Applying the brakes will temporarily stop the sound. There is also occasional brake squeal when the brakes are applied.
 
The front pads were replaced and the front rotors turned within the past few months (by the previous owner) but it appears nothing was done to the rears. My question: what is the sound that the pads make as the wear warning? Is it a ringing/squealing sound? Or is it a groaning or grinding? Or something else?
 
--K9Leader

#1410 of 8644 Re: A/C by amsbear

Apr 30, 2003 (6:45 am)

Thanks for all your help / suggestions. I now have an appointment with my local dealer to check it out plus a couple of other maintenance items.
 
Does my subie know that I just got my first SubaruBucks $100 certificate and wants some TLC now??? I know there are numerous sensors in these vehicles but I don't think that they have documented the "Full Wallet Sensor" in my Haynes manual
 
Alan
98 OBW Ltd

#1411 of 8644 by ateixeira

Apr 30, 2003 (8:08 am)

Cool, glad it was just tire pressures, gericho.
 
LOL paisan, I remember that recall. Wonder if our 2002 L is affected.
 
-juice

#1412 of 8644 Brake Sensor Sounds by fibber2

Apr 30, 2003 (9:51 am)

I have not heard a Subi, but on past cars, the sensor sounded a bit like finger nails on a chalk board. Attached to the anti-rattle clip is a small tab of metal that will begin contacting the rotor at about 15% pad remaining. In the beginning, the contact is intermittant with the pads in the 'relaxed' condition. Turns put some side loading on the brake components, so will often make the sensors touch. Applying the brakes should make the sensor sound more evident, but I have actually heard some that were more quiet with the brakes applied than with them off. Probably has to do with how the spring clips were installed and whether the application of brakes dampens the vibration of the spring that helps to make the audible sound.
 
If you had the brakes recently serviced, it is more likely that the pads and backing shims are just vibrating slightly and making the ruckus. Sometimes some backing grease will help to quell the movement that induces the sounds. But get them checked anyhow to be sure....
 
Steve

#1413 of 8644 Brake update by K9Leader

May 01, 2003 (8:21 am)

Had the rear brake pads replaced with ceramics, and the rotors turned. Yes, I've seen the comments on the rotors being surface hardened and shouldn't be turned or they will wear faster, but isn't that the case with all rotors? Don't they all wear faster with each machining? It was a choice between (1) machining the old ones now and put new ones on in 8 or 10 or 12 or 15K miles or (2) put new ones on now. These are the rears so I decided to stick with the old ones. The front rotors were turned (and front pads replaced, but not with ceramics) just before I bought the car six weeks ago. Had I needed to do all four brakes, I would have been more likely to go for new rotors and ceramics all around. That is what I will do next time in 8 or 10 or 12 or 15K miles.
 
There is still some occasional braking squeal, but very minor, and does appear to be coming from the fronts, which are not ceramics, so will just have to be lived with until the next brake job. The ringing/whistling sound while driving is still there but much less frequent -- before it was maybe 30% of the time, and now it is maybe 5%. Hard to figure out exactly where it is coming from -- front or back? left or right? Maybe I need to strap myself to the roof rack and get my wife to take us out for a spin!
--K9Leader
2000 OB Ltd. wagon

#1414 of 8644 by ateixeira

May 01, 2003 (10:29 am)

Yeah, the rears do maybe 10% of the work.
 
I can actually picture the roof rack idea!
 
-juice

#1415 of 8644 Another head gasket failure? by fibber2

May 02, 2003 (6:11 am)

One of my co-workers, John, came to me with a long face yesterday. His '99 OBW with approx 70k miles appears to have blown a head gasket. His car is still with the dealer that has historically done most of the service work. It was John's praise for his OB that helped convince me to buy, so seeing his disappointment hurt a lot. And the dealer isn't helping much at this point. Without doing much diagnostics, they are already suggesting an entire new engine to the tune of $4500.
 
Looking for help and advice, John had already placed a call to a private foreign shop nearby, that by coincidence I have used as well. I once worked with the shop owners wife, and know that she drives a '00 OBW. The owner told John that he has replaced blown gaskets on several late model Subi's (assume Ej-25's). Always cylinder #4 (I am not sure - is that the rear drivers side???). He reported that there is usually little damage, but that for some reason the head bolts seem to loosen up here more than others. (Sounds to me like some unusual thermal cycling at this corner of the engine??). He even suggested head bolt retorque as a possible routine maintainance to prevent this from happening. (This does not look like a bad suggestion - remove spark plug wires and crankcase breather tube, remove valve cover and torque head bolts???).
 
Anyhow, more as the story progresses. My first suggestion was to open a case with SoA and appeal for help as it seems the dealer is looking to maximize profit on this one.
 
Steve

#1416 of 8644 Buying Help by tfoshbone

May 02, 2003 (7:00 am)

Looking to buy my first subie, and would like a little direction on which wagon is better(less problematic). I'm in the $6g range looking at impreza or legacy outback models. Through several sites have seen wheel bearing and cylinder concerns. Any advice/opinions would be appreciated thanks T

Messages Page 142 of 865

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