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Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

8642 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 10:18 PM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

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

Messages Page 651 of 865

#6499 of 8642 Re: 06 Outback Gearbox noise [gogeter] by plim77

Oct 17, 2006 (1:34 pm)

Replying to: gogeter (Oct 16, 2006 2:45 pm)
Perhaps this is it...
 
With most Subarus with automatic transmission, there is no button to push in order to release the gear switch. (Normally, you push in the button, then move the handle to the desired gear- park, reverse, neutral, etc.) The clicking noise you hear is the release/lock for the gear box. So, if you're in drive and going 20mph, you can't hit the handle to put the car in reverse and so forth; until you slow below a certain MPH.
 
I have both a 2006 Legacy 2.5i and a 2005 Outback LLBean, and I have to really listen to hear the click. However, I used a 2003 Baja as a loaner car once and that click was way more pronounced.
 
In my opinion, you can have the dealer look at it the next time you're there, but I wouldn't make a special appointment just for that. Perhaps they can tone down the clicking for you.
 
I don't think there's any serious problem. It clicks when you hit the brake going downhill because your speed decreases- it doesn't have anything to do with the brake failure.
 
Paul

#6500 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [gearhead4] by xwesx

Oct 17, 2006 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: gearhead4 (Oct 17, 2006 11:46 am)
Jim, I am not sure there was any expectation for the manufacturer to pay for repairs. The disappointment lies in the fact that the head gaskets on the 2.5L engine were a known weak point from 1996 through at least 2002, yet FHI was only willing to recognize a portion of the problem over a limited time frame and offered very little in the way of cost/headache mitigation. In general, 117K miles is young for major failures, though a pretty long life for these problematic gaskets!

#6501 of 8642 Re: 06 Outback Gearbox noise [plim77] by gogeter

Oct 18, 2006 (6:39 am)

Replying to: plim77 (Oct 17, 2006 1:34 pm)
Thank you, Paul. It really makes me feel better. The noise is not that loud, perhaps, next time I can ask the dealer about it. Thanks again.

#6502 of 8642 06 Outback, 22K sensor(?) by hcaulfield

Oct 18, 2006 (9:15 am)

Temperature guage suddenly spiked to hot and error code on "A" trip odometer=Er HC. after turning off the engine and restarting, everything returned to normal.
Please Advise!!!!
 
Thank-you.

#6503 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [xwesx] by grumpy13

Oct 18, 2006 (9:41 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 17, 2006 4:08 pm)
You are correct, I was not asking for reimbursement - I just wanted to know if fixing this problem would be throwing money away. I've always maintained my cars and drive them as long as they can go. Replacing a vehicle at 117K, especially one I bought based on a quality reputation, is not what I had in mind. As a follow up, talked to the shop this AM when I dropped the car off & the owner informed that he often sees that it is not as much the gasket that's the problem, but rather a cracked block. I'm hoping to avoid that fate given that I caught the problem early and have never overheated. We'll see...

#6504 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [xwesx] by ateixeira

Oct 18, 2006 (10:27 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 17, 2006 4:08 pm)
That's a bit unfair...
 
My Miata eats spark plug wires for lunch. They last no more than 30k miles. So by 117k miles, I would be shopping for my FOURTH set of wires.
 
A Dodge van would be on it's 2nd trans, maybe 3rd. Most Acura TLs would be on their 2nd trans by then, and Acura only covers them for the first 100k.
 
I guess we have the expectation that a Subaru will last 250k miles, and when it only goes half that far we are disappointed. But that's a pretty high standard to meet.
 
-juice

#6505 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [grumpy13] by goosegog

Oct 18, 2006 (10:43 am)

Replying to: grumpy13 (Oct 17, 2006 11:12 am)
And don't forget us poor Canucks. No extended warranty for head gaskets, even if you put in the goop they recommend.
 
I may have mentioned this before, but why let an opportunity slip by?

#6506 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [ateixeira] by xwesx

Oct 18, 2006 (11:47 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 18, 2006 10:27 am)
Juice, how is it not fair? I certainly expect that any vehicle, properly cared, should last for 250K miles without major failures, assuming that those miles are accumulated at around 12-15K a year (or more, less and time becomes a serious factor). I am not biasing Subaru adversley - I like Subarus, but I also feel a manufacturer should be willing to stand by the products produced. I am not saying a full recall should have been performed as a result of this head gasket problem, but full recognition of a design flaw was certainly in order. Of course, getting ANY manufacturer to recognize that is like pulling teeth, so some credit goes to Subaru for at least recognizing a portion of the problem.
 
Spark plug wires? I would hardly call those major, though I can understand the frustration in having to replace them so frequently.
 
Overall, Subarus are extremely reliable automobiles and these are just gaskets, after all. It is unfortunate, in a way, that they are such a difficult part to replace on these particular engines. If my truck or van had unreliable gaskets I could have them fixed in an afternoon and would think very little of it.
 
As garandman was saying months ago, with this vintage of Subaru, it is best to treat the head gasket replacement as a normal maintenance item and schedule to replace them before they become a problem.
 
I have 216K on my '96 now, and I certainly do not think that mileage is exceptional, though I do recognize that the car is approaching the end of its reasonable life span.

#6507 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [xwesx] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 18, 2006 (1:06 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 18, 2006 11:47 am)
216K is exceptional for any gasoline engine. Ask the SAE, I bet they'd tell you that.

#6508 of 8642 Re: Head gasket - invest the $ or move on? [xwesx] by ateixeira

Oct 18, 2006 (2:05 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 18, 2006 11:47 am)
any vehicle, properly cared, should last for 250K miles without major failures
 
That's where our opinions divert. I think that's quite a high standard.
 
My dad spent about $6000 on his Taurus wagon before he finally listened to me and dumped it. I don't think it ever broke 80k miles.
 
Our 626 was sold with something like 77k miles after $2500 in repairs. None truly major, but the bills piled up.
 
I'd kill to have a vehicle last 250k miles. Longest I've gone on any car was 107k.
 
-juice

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