theonlyBuster

Simple, straight answer. Thank you for your response.

Late to the party and looking for clarity here... I have a Legacy 2.5i. Should I still be aimed to get a Group Size 25 battery or am I best to get a Size 34? I ran into a Service Bulletin that has me wary because it says the newly recommended battery is "bigger in size" but doesn't specify more than that. Just trying to make sens of this so I can move forward with replacing the battery. Service Bulletin: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10240111-0001.pdf

2015 Legacy, 130k miles A few days ago I noticed shortly after driving that the vehicle begins to faintly smell of burnt oil. I checked my garage floor but saw no signs of dripping/pooling oil. I also checked the oil's level and everything looked to be OK. A buddy of mine said it's likely the oil pan gasket failing. How likely is the problem a bad/failing oil pan gasket? If not likely, what else can it likely be? As the vehicle will be taken to a shop, roughly how much should I expect to pay to have this problem repaired?

Well in usual fashion, when I returned to the dealership and connected the ODB scanner, it read Code P0456. This was done by the same mechanic as previous and he confirmed/noted that this wasn't the same code as the previous 2 instances. The error was cleared and I'll see what happens in the coming days and week. If I get warning lights again, I'll bring it to my previous dealership in the next county and have them look into it and fix it. But as it seems, there may be two very different problems to be addressed here. Hydro locking is never fun. Thankfully I learned this lesson with a rental vehicle as opposed to my own. I would try the spray method to clean any drain holes -- though my problem is I don't know where they are. Never really had this type issue before. Though I may try the battery trick to clear future P0456 codes. I just hate doing it because I always have to re-program my windows, give the transmission time to re-learn itself, and other little annoyances.

I came here to hate, but ended up liking it. The rear tire and well looks a look a bit jank, but in total, I don't hate it.

I'll go back to the dealership and inquire. To give more back story, I brought it to the dealership regarding the issue. I mentioned that I got my O2 sensor replaced a week prior. The mechanic connected his OBD scanner and said it had nothing to do with the O2 sensor. He said the code specified "drain port" (or maybe "drain valve") was the issue. He went on to say that this was fairly common when there's a heavy rain, driving through high water, or spider makes a web. Well there was a heavy rain the day before. He cleared the error and sent me on my way. That was just over a week ago. A week later and a morning after a night of heavy rain, the "problem" is back. Honestly, I think the mechanic and intake-representative were just trying to discourage me from leaving the vehicle at the service center because they have a full backlog. The next available appointment was almost 3 weeks. I don't have a sunroof and rarely run my AC, so the AC condenser drain may have been what he meant. If not, I guess the windshield and rear window will be my next focus if I can't get a straight/helpful answer from the mechanic when I go back.

The apps are tricky to get working. When I finally got it working, I felt that the time and effort put in was a total waste. I understand the desire to utilize the app(s), but honestly I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to understand why everyone prefer AndroidAuto and CarPlay over practically anything else. If memory serves me, my car preferred it when I connected directly via USB. Alongside that, it worked better on my older flagship device than the newer devices, but even then, it wasn't great. I can't advise against this enough. Connect to simple, standard Bluetooth to stream audio and make calls and call it a day.

I'll try to keep this short, but if more info is needed, feel free to ask. The "Check Engine" light as well as all the Driver Assist lights illuminated on my dash. According to my dealership, the problem is very likely a (semi-)clogged drain port. The mechanic who diagnosed the issue told me I could fix the problem at home in about 20-minutes with a shop vac which I'm totally fine doing. My question is where are the drain ports located on a 15 Legacy? I imagine, once I find the drain port, I simply blow air through them to clean them out? Speaking of blowing air, would air from an air compressor be OK or would it be too pressurized and cause further problems? I roamed around YouTube but didn't really find any videos that I felt were helpful with this issue -- but then again I wasn't exactly sure what to look for.

Hmm that may work. Maybe if I can get a good screw placement along the wheel well, it'll be enough to securely hold the rest of the bumper in place. I also stumbled upon a bumper "quick release" fasteners that I'm considering using. It's a bit unsightly, but it looks a LOT better than vinyl straps. Might as well do it for both sides to make it symmetrical. https://allfitautomotive.com/product/bumper-quick-release/ Surprisingly the plastic push clips were still in place. The hole that the push pins go through to hold the bumper in place was broken. I've uploaded a photo from the internet that shows what I'm talking about. Notice how the bumper holes for the pins have been destroyed but the hole in the metal body are fine. That's roughly what happened. So even though I have the push-pins, they have nothing to firmly hold onto on the bumper.

While driving through some pretty heavy winds, a rogue tree branch latched onto my bumper and ripped the side out it out. After examining, I discovered that the holes for the panel pins were destroyed. I was able to push the bumper back on, but now any time I exceed 60mph, the corner of the bumper begins to detach. As of right now, the bumper disconnects starting from the side of the bumper in front of the tire to just under the headlight. The vehicle has exceeded 100,000miles and looks GREAT inside and out, so I don't want an unsightly strap holding the bumper in place. At the same time, with over 100,000miles, I don't want to spend the money on a new bumper then matching paint job. I'm curious if there are any other alternatives out there to more or less remedy this. A vehicle bra/mask crossed my mind, but I believe those hook onto the bumper, which likely won't help my situation. Though correct me if I'm wrong. For clarity, I've included an image highlighting (in yellow) the section of the bumper that isn't holding very well. Vehicle: 2015 Subaru Legacy

CONCLUSION: The dealership was able to use the recall to replace the catalytic converter. They were able to successfully remove the O2 sensor after soaking it overnight. The spark plugs were not covered by the recall. The dealership offered to give me a break and offer a discount to change out the 4 spark plugs for almost $600. Thankfully I live close to home, so I'm just going to buy 4 spark plugs and fix it over the long weekend myself. $50 for spark plugs and maybe an hour or two of work. $600 is just insane. Heck even $350 seems a bit high. I get having to move components, but are we really talking about 5-6 hours of work seeing as most mechanics charge about $90-100 per hour.

Apologies ammcinnis. I got the email notification and read your and PATS4LIFE replies there before coming here hours later to respond. Needless to say, I totally missed your edit. Either way, I forwarded the recall notice to my dealership's service department (honestly the new management is absolutely great). They reviewed it and gave me some insight. Subaru is doing these recalls in waves. They're taking care of those currently in the northern states first, then working their way to the southern states. Thankfully I'm the second owner, the first owner was from a northern state, they're working on getting me in with the first wave to have the problem fixed. Spark plugs would be on me, the Catalytic convertor and O2 sensor would be on them.

Change your own oil where possible! My local dealership charged $79. I live in an HOA where I'm not "allowed" change my vehicle's oil. So I close my garage and do it where I can't be seen. Even with the hassle, saving $40 is worth it. $24 for the oil, $5 for a filter. Just remember to buy a decent catch pan. Even when I bring the vehicle in for maintenance I tell them "No oil change. No tire rotation". Both of these things are far too easy to do on your own. I also recommend looking into and investing in a Fumoto drain valve. Makes oil changes easier and cleaner.

Thanks for the info guys. The mechanic just informed me that: 1. There's a small hole on the catalytic converter and air can be felt puttering out of it. 2. The O2 sensor is stuck in the catalytic converter. Apparently the O2 sensor is the original and has been in the catalytic converter since day 1. It's now basically fused to the catalytic convertor. I guess this is why the mechanic said it needs to be replaced along with the O2 sensor and spark plug. Though at this point, I'm thinking to have a car-head friend remove the O2 sensor likely breaking what already malfunctioned, then replace the sensor and then replace the spark plugs.

I brought my '15 Subaru Legacy (2.5i) to the mechanic to have him check why it would occasionally and momentarily ride rough. He discovered that I had a bad O2 sensor which is messing w/ my catalytic convertor that also caused a spark plug to fail which is resulting in 1 of the cylinders misfiring. He tells me I need to replace the Oxygen Sensor, Spark Plug, and Catalytic convertor. I'm curious to know if it's an acceptable idea to replace the O2 sensor and spark plug, but leave the original catalytic convertor? After a bit of conversation and teeth pulling, my understanding is that it's not blocked and that the O2 sensor is the root of the other problems.