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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 781 of 865

#7797 of 8644 Transfer Case Repair Idea by socketheadcaps

Jul 20, 2008 (1:25 pm)

I have a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback with the 2.5L engine. I was not aware of the damage that could be caused to the transfer case by using the spare for too long. A mechanic has said that my transfer case has been chewed up inside.
 
I am wondering if, instead of replacing the transfer case (an expensive job), that it could be perhaps removed and not replaced? I would be ecstatic to have at least FWD working! My own mechanic does not know.
 
I have tried the fuse to deselect AWD but it doesn't work. I am assuming that whatever damage has been done to the transfer case is currently keeping this disengagement mechanism from functioning.
 
Also I am wondering if it is necessary to replace the transmission when a transfer case is damaged? No one has suggested this and I have not found any suggestion that when a transfer case gets chewed up the transmission itself is likely to have been damaged. How likely is it that transmission has been damaged and will need to be repaired also or replaced?

#7798 of 8644 Sun Roof will not close on '92 Wagon by chartiers

Jul 21, 2008 (4:42 am)

The sun roof on our '92 Legacy Wagon is open about 1 inch and will not open or close with the buttons on the dash. My wife had the car and said it worked fine that day. Is it on fuse - which one? Is there a manual way to close it and how do you get to the motor? The repair book I have doesn't mention the sun roof. Jim

#7799 of 8644 A few issues by flyos

Jul 21, 2008 (6:23 am)

Hi everyone, hoping you can help me out with a few issues:
 
First, the vitals: it's an '02 Outback 2.5 wagon, MT, 96K miles. As far as car maintenance goes, I'm pretty much a novice. I used to change my oil, air filter, plugs, etc on my previous cars, but have had the dealer do the work on the Subie.
 
The issues:
1) I tried to change the spark plugs yesterday and, after pulling #1 and #2, I saw a decent amt of oil on them. I've smelled some burning recently but I couldn't really tell if it was oil or something else - I guess it was oil. I did some quick searching here and it's sounding like blown head gasket. It is critical that I replace it now, or can I wait about 10K when I have the timing belt replaced?
 
2) Given the tight spaces around the engine, how on earth do you pull the plugs on this car? I've had my dealer do it in the past, but decided to save some $$ this time and do it myself, but there was no way I could get a spark plug socket, extension bar and wrench near #3 and #4 (and #2 was really, really tight). Given that, I put the old plugs back in #1 and #2, rather than have mismatched plugs.
 
3) I did manage to change the air filter - I'm not totally helpless! Added windshield washer fluid too (not to the air filter - I put the fluid in the right place)!
 
4) Driving in to work this morning (first time to drive after the air filter and aborted spark plug changes), engine sound is totally different. At less than full throttle, car sounds fine; at full throttle, it sounds like I have a hole in the exhaust (in fact, the first time I heard it was on the highway while I was next to a mid-90's Civic with the spoilers, rims, window tints, etc - I thought the noise was coming from him and his custom muffler!). It's definitely coming from under the hood, not underneath or towards the back (plus, as I said, at less than full throttle the car sounds fine, so it's definitely not exhaust). I checked the plugs this morning to make sure they were connected properly and all looked good there. Maybe the air filter is ajar inside the housing; I'll check that at noon. Those were the only things I touched under there; any other thoughts?
 
Thanks!!

#7800 of 8644 Re: A few issues [flyos] by flyos

Jul 21, 2008 (10:18 am)

Replying to: flyos (Jul 21, 2008 6:23 am)
An update on #4 above: sure enough, something was wrong with the air filter. I didn't have the housing clasped back together quite right, and I had knocked the air duct work askew near the passenger side fender while wrestling with the spark plugs. Not sure which one was causing the problem, but I put everything back where it belongs and the loud noises went away.
 
Moral of the story: I won't quit my day job to become a Subie mechanic.

#7801 of 8644 Re: Rattling Down Under [pilot1226] by paisan

Jul 24, 2008 (6:42 pm)

Replying to: pilot1226 (Jul 18, 2008 9:43 am)
Is it necessary for "oil flushes," fuel system flushes, brake fluid flushes, transmission flushes, power steering flushes, coolant flushes, etc? I've owned my Civic for 8 years now and I've never done one of these flushes despite my dealer trying to convince me otherwise.
 
I've been working on Subies for years...
 
Brake Flushes every 2 years is mandatory (for any car) as brake fluid is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture. When the moisture embeds itself in the brake fluid and you overheat the brakes it will boil the moisture out of the brake fluid, thus creating air pockets in the brake lines which are compressed under heavy braking and then you have no pedal when you need it most.
 
Coolant drian/fill every 30k miles.
 
Fuel filters on the pre-2.5L turbo models (around 2005 they went to in-tank non-servicable fuel filters) every 30k miles.
 
Never did an oil flush in a car ever.
 
Automatic transmissions should be drained and filled every 20-30k miles
MT transmissions and differentials should be checked every 30k, and replaced at 60k miles.
 
30k interval for plug changes on NA cars, 60k interval for Turbo cars.
 
That's about it. People love coming to our shop cause we typically charge a lot less than the dealers!
 
-mike

#7802 of 8644 Re: Rattling Down Under [paisan] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 25, 2008 (9:08 am)

Replying to: paisan (Jul 24, 2008 6:42 pm)
Mike,
 
Somebody in "Answers" posted a question---they apparently messed up their transfer case on their '98 Subie Outback by using different size tires and they wanted to know if they could disconnect something and just run on FWD for a while. Sounds radical but I really didn't know the answer. I figured the default was something like 50-50 and so that wouldn't work very well if at all.

#7803 of 8644 Re: A few issues [flyos] by beegs

Jul 25, 2008 (1:29 pm)

Replying to: flyos (Jul 21, 2008 6:23 am)
Did you ever find out how to get better access to your 3 & 4 plugs? I have the same issue. I changed 1 & 2 just fine. I was tight but possible.
 
Thank you

#7804 of 8644 Re: Rattling Down Under [Mr_Shiftright] by paisan

Jul 25, 2008 (3:46 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 25, 2008 9:08 am)
If it's an automatic you can default it to FWD by inserting a fuse in the FWD fuse holder under the hood. However this may or may not eliviate the problem of the transfer case being damaged.
 
-mike

#7805 of 8644 Re: A few issues [beegs] by flyos

Jul 25, 2008 (4:45 pm)

Replying to: beegs (Jul 25, 2008 1:29 pm)
No answer yet. I posted it on the other Subaru problems thread today, but haven't gotten a reply back.

#7806 of 8644 Re: Rattling Down Under [paisan] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 25, 2008 (5:53 pm)

Replying to: paisan (Jul 25, 2008 3:46 pm)
why "inserting" a fuse rather than removing one?

Messages Page 781 of 865

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