Filed under the "Only Me" Category

My door key snapped off in the rear hatch, and of course it is so far into the lock that tweezers and hemostats can't get a grip on it. Also since its cheap pot metal magnets are useless. I haven't removed the lock yet, My dad suggested a dab of glue to grab it, but that seems a thoroughly bad idea. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to remove the key. Do you guys have any ideas?

You would have to remove the interior panels to gain access to the assembly in order to remove the lock cylinder. It's a fairly straightforward process to do so. But I'm not sure if that is what you want to do.

 

You might want to talk to a locksmith and see what they would do.

The best way to remove broken lock is to pull the lock cylinder out and if you get lucky there might be a small access hole in the back to push the key out. other than that you can try to shake the lock and see if it slides out. I got a key out of an ignition cylinder using both those methods. Be very careful if you try to stick anything in there to pull the key out. If done wrong you could end up jamming more stuff in there making the situation worse.

If you're on the DIY route, open the match, remove the lower interior panel. Clips are going to break, you'll live. Get the locked removed (two, 10mm bolts). On a bench, you should be able to put the piece right out. Oil the lock, and reassemble in the car.

 

Panel clips can be found in some autoparts stores, a junkyard, or a subaru dealer.

 

If you only have one key, subaru dealers cut based on the vin. You'll need proof of ownership and current registration.

at least your key would go into the lock to begin with....

I haven't removed the lock yet,

 

if it is a wagon,

you will want a DEEP well socket.

 

pull the lock cylinder.

if you cannot remove the key piece yourself,

go to a lock smith with a good key.

they can fix this.

Thank you all for the input. I have yet to pull it: work and cold weather has gotten in my way.

 

I'm not to worried about the clips, my panel is falling off the rear hatch as it is. I'm hoping I'll get the chance to play with it this week. Thanks again.

Some pics of the assembly. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/broken-hatch-handle-181815.html?p=3795064

 

Probably won't help. Lol.

Hey, I'd rather have to much info, then not enough. The key situation is the least of my worries. As I was driving into work: some jack wagon pulls in front of me and slams on his brakes, we were on the highway. I brake, hard; the car is shuddering as I'm braking, and the brake and battery idiot light pops on, on the dash. I make it to work. 11 hours later I leave, start my car, it sounds anemic. Runs for a few blocks and dies. starts up, and I can't get it to drive worth a damn, shuddering, bucking, step on gas, engine tries to stall.

 

I know it sounds like the alternator. But when these lights popped on a week ago, I reseated the negative battery coupling (it was loose) and the lights went away. This time no such luck. I'm going to spend tomorrow cleaning the battery terminals, the grounds and the alternator connection, they all seem in rough shape. If that doesn't work, than I'll get a new alt. Is there a map of the grounds online or does someone have them.

 

I will note, I didn't have this problem before I got the vehicle back after having a new clutch fork put in? Could one of the grounds or wires have gone bad when the tranny was pulled? Thank you all for your input.

If you hang the car in the air from the front bumper (construction crane needed) the key might fall out.

 

While I do have an appreciation for Car Talk and Top Gear's approach to all things automotive...well I'll talk to some of my family and get back to you...

Subaru dealer near me cuts keys from vin for 2nd gens for $7 a piece with no proof of ownership necessary. I always bring proof of ownership just in case but never been asked for anything but the vin number. The keys I've received from their all have worked perfectly as well.

I spent today cleaning all the terminals, all the connections and chasing down the chassis grounds. I started with the Ignition Coil and the chassis ground for the "transmission cord". The Starter was in good shape, but lo and behold the wire for the ground trailed off to nowhere. So I'm guessing that when the trans was pulled the ground wire wasn't released and snapped. Does anyone know where that chassis ground goes to on the transmission. It's right behind the air filter box.

Hello;

The battery grounds to the body and by the starter. Another ground goes to the body and the transmission. Make sure the metal is shinny (clean), use a dab of dielectric grease to keep it this way, Steven.

You can tell the universe is conspiring against you when every auto store's voltimeters go out at the same time. Autozone's broke the day before, Advance's had been on order. Napa had an alternator that was damaged in the box, and had rust on the casing. I picked up a 'remanufactured' alternator from auto zone, put my battery on my charger at my parents house and it was almost dead. So, I replaced it and the car seems to be running fine now. Gave my old one to autozone and am now heading home.

 

I still have to reattach that broken ground to somewhere on the trans. But that's a fight for another day. Thanks for the help for everything

 

Now back to our regularly scheduled crisis...

So I spoke too soon. I turn my car on, I'm hearing a squeaking noise, it changes in pitch as I rev the engine, so I take a look at the belt and noticed it slipped just a little bit, so I untightened the tension bolt and reset the belt. As I'm tightening it, the bolt is getting looser, and I see metal shavings from either the bolt or the hole. The tension bolt is stripping itself and shaving itself as I was turning it.

 

Only me. Only bloody me, would have this problem. Once again, stranded from home for a $1 bolt. Not to happy with my Legacy right now. Does anyone know what kind of bolts the tensioner uses?

Found a junk yard that has the whole tensioner for $10 not to far from where I've been working. My question is, if that belt slips off the alt. How much damage will ensue?

My question is, if that belt slips off the alt. How much damage will ensue?

probably none

unless you drive it until your battery dies.

then you will have a dead battery.

you will know when it happens since you will lose power steering art the same time.

that could cause some real damage,

''watch out for that tree!!!!!''

Do my best George of the Jungle impersonation?