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Help with checkup?


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I'm on spring break which means I don't need my car for about a week, which means I can go drop it off at my loyal Subie dealership and have them do a nice and full maintenance on it. Beyond the normal... since I know nothing about cars, what should I ask them to do?

 

Car is a 97 Legacy GT Sedan with ~130k miles and no major problems. Piston slap on cold start has already been diagnosed as benign, and there's a nut missing on the driver's side front tire. Rear passenger door doesn't perfectly line up with the frame (makes the glass squeak when I'm putting the window up). Oil change was needed in December or 3000 miles from now, transmission maintenance is predicted at 132k miles but the place I bought it from apparently already did that and just didn't remove the sticker in the engine compartment. Brakes are squeaking.

 

I'm already asking:

 

  • Put a nut back on the tire
  • Drain (not flush) transmission fluid
  • Oil change and,
  • Check out the piston slap again on cold start and see if a different oil might help?
  • Line up the rear passenger door.
  • Check brakes.
  • Ask about what I can do to make the suspension tighter that won't screw the car up in the long run

 

What else? Bear in mind I know next to nothing about cars (but I'm learning!) so most of this stuff that may seem like an easy DIY project to you guys is actually very daunting to me. Like I said I'm going beyond normal maintenance. I want to have this car for another 5 to infinite years.

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What is the status of your timing belt? Do you know if that was done? You said about servicing the transmission but what about the differentials?

 

I'm not mechanically inclined but I have done a lot of stuff to my car since I got a Haynes manual. You might want to look into getting one. They aren't cheap but I think they are well worth it.

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I think the timing belt's good, I think that was done by the dealer I bought it from. Dunno about the differentials. Guess I'll put that on the list as well, isn't that something they'd check anyway on a normal inspection/maintenance?

 

Thanks for the tip on the manual... that does look extremely useful. I've spent a lot of time on this site looking around, figuring out how it all works. I want to eventually get to the point where I can do minor maintenance... I'd start learning on my car, but the problem is I don't want to screw it up. If I had a beater sitting around in the driveway I'd be trying to take it apart and put it back together again but I can't risk messing up my DD.

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You should check on that timing belt though, those things are a ticking time bomb if they haven't been done on time!

 

Haha I am the same way... I do my oil changes and other misc little things but I do not mess with anything major out of fear that I will screw something up. My car goes into the shop Thursday for all new fluids everywhere. I'm hoping after that tie everything over until the 150k mile service.

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I'll get it checked then.

 

I'm in panic mode, carwise, since I have a 5000 mile (2.5k mile there and back) from PA to Cali planned this summer. I'm taking a southern route to drive through the desert. Being very paranoid about my car now, hoping it'll make the trip.

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I know what you mean! I'm hoping to meet a friend in Minneapolis sometime this spring/early summer. That is the halfway point for us since he lives in MA. But I'm pretty nervous about the trip because my head gaskets are original... But everything else is great on my car.
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