What did you do to your 5th gen today?? -V4

got some quotes on getting my head gaskets done....ugh

If the miles aren’t too crazy, I highly recommend you call or email Subaru and ask for goodwill assistance. However that would limit you to getting it fixed at a dealer.

If the miles aren’t too crazy, I highly recommend you call or email Subaru and ask for goodwill assistance. However that would limit you to getting it fixed at a dealer.

yeah, thought about that, but it's just a tick over 150k miles...if it were under a hundred then i could see that being possible, but 150k is...high.

got a couple quotes around 3200 from some subaru specialists which i think is high but fair. i also think i could buy a beater car for 2k, parts for 1k or less, do the work myself, and come out with a beater car at the end of the day so i can keep some miles off the leggy.

decisions decisions.....

and i hate to say it, but this is probably going to be my last subaru. I've had 3, all 3 have needed head gaskets. The price of admission just isn't worth it to keep these cars anymore...

yeah, thought about that, but it's just a tick over 150k miles...if it were under a hundred then i could see that being possible, but 150k is...high.

 

got a couple quotes around 3200 from some subaru specialists which i think is high but fair. i also think i could buy a beater car for 2k, parts for 1k or less, do the work myself, and come out with a beater car at the end of the day so i can keep some miles off the leggy.

As for the justification for a beater (or another car to reduce miles), my decision would depends on what your plans are for the Legacy.

I bought a Outback last September to split the 20k miles I was driving annually and eliminate the winter usage (My Legacy has only seen one winter). I ended up driving my Outback more than I was expecting. I have 119K miles on my Legacy right now. If I hadn't bought another car, my mileage was one pace to hit 160k next year and would be thinking about another car. The OB is going to extend my Legacy GT's ownership and it takes the pressure off me to repair my Legacy over a weekend in case any repairs, like a clutch or head gasket come up.

...and i hate to say it, but this is probably going to be my last subaru. I've had 3, all 3 have needed head gaskets. The price of admission just isn't worth it to keep these cars anymore...

I’ll be curious to see if the head gasket issues die with the EJ series. After sixteen years and two Outbacks a friend abandoned the Subaru brand two years ago after her second OB needed head gaskets and wheel bearings. Her first one also had HG issues. She switched to a BMW X3....I suspect she’ll be back.

As for the justification for a beater (or another car to reduce miles), my decision would depends on what your plans are for the Legacy.

 

 

 

 

I’ll be curious to see if the head gasket issues die with the EJ series. After sixteen years and two Outbacks a friend abandoned the Subaru brand two years ago after her second OB needed head gaskets and wheel bearings. Her first one also had HG issues. She switched to a BMW X3....I suspect she’ll be back.

 

 

since owning it my commute has been about 7 miles each way, until 9 months ago where it changed to about 4, next month it's going to be jumping up to 30 miles each way, and that's just too many miles to put on the car considering gas costs and fuel mileage, so the beater idea really is swirling around in my head. I'd keep the leggy for long cruises(which i do with relative frequency) and fun driving etc. it needs more work(new suspension mainly) than just the HGs, so it'd be nice to be able to work on that stuff too without having to rush through everything...so in my mind it makes a bit of sense to explore the beater route.

 

i bought the 2nd car knowing it needed head gaskets, it was a 2001 outback(5 speed, so good) that i got for $300 with 190k miles, so that one i went in to knowing what the problems were, but from what I had read the turbo engines were pretty stout as far as the gaskets went, so I wasn't fully planning on doing them...left a pretty sour taste at the moment. i still owe a couple grand on the car too, which is what's *really* annoying me the most at the moment...dunno...lots of stuff to think about.

I was pulled over once for having blue leds on the tag lights

Same here I had the Subaru emblem on my trunk lit with blue LED's. I was pulled over and required to remove them. I replaced the emblem with one that had red LED lights. I don't understand as Lyft and Uber have blue LED lights in the front windshield.

Just wanted to toss this up here since this is one of the most visited threads on the site these days and never like to see anyone miss out because they didnt get notified of a special going on.

We normally wait for holidays to run specials, We figured we would change it up this time

10% OFF August Etune special. Prices are live on the website.

Thanks for the continued support, I love this community.

Dave

I went to my local PDR place and they took out this dent.

It came out really good. Pictures can hide a lot but I even in person I really can't tell where the dent was, unless I pull out a flash light and look at the right angle to find the small scratch.

I found my dash rattle/rattles last night. I googled how to find dash rattles, and found a youtube vid where a guy used a tone/frequency generator app. I downloaded the one he used and plugged in my phone to the car.

Found out the rattle(s) were not even in the dash. One was the garage door opener I velcroed into the door pocket (old garage door opener) and a spot in the door panel above the speaker that went up against the dash when the door was closed. Now I just need to pull the panel and pad whatever is rattling in the door.

Finally got around to putting on my new plastic splash shield and replaced all the broken clips... no more odd whistling sounds on the freeway..

also re-ran the wire for the USB phone charger & radar detector remote...didn't realize before there was a spot covered with essentially foil tape that I just poked through just behind the hazard switch mount.... then there's is I guess a "missing light" my basic 2013 Legacy that the other end of the usb goes through in the back of the cubbie above it.

maybe someday Ill install the RCE Tarmac Zero coilovers I bought like 3 years ago..

Finally got around to install the Boomba shift plate. It took about 2 hours, but most of that was figuring out most all of the cross member needs to be removed. The Perrin shift bushing didn't want to slip onto the stud/pin on the shift plate, so I sanded it down a bit with some 400 grit sand paper.

That combined with the WRX short shifter make quite a bit of difference. I like it.

Finally got around to install the Boomba shift plate. It took about 2 hours, but most of that was figuring out most all of the cross member needs to be removed. The Perrin shift bushing didn't want to slip onto the stud/pin on the shift plate, so I sanded it down a bit with some 400 grit sand paper.

 

That combined with the WRX short shifter make quite a bit of difference. I like it.

I didn't remove any crossmembers to install mine, but I had a heck of a time with it.

A magical 361 days after getting to 150k.

175,000 with a Rainbow..

Fixed the front seat back support. It always felt "off", and after playing with my wifes '14 Outback, I know something was broken as my Legacy only made the left side firmer. As this is my first Subaru, I naively thought this was a cool Subaru feature to help keep me in my seat when I made hard bank turns..

Out of curiosity, I opened the seat up to find a broken midline straw thing and two broken hooks with the top hook in working condition but just unhooked.

Checked the local dealer price... didnt really wanna pay $353.67 for a new "Frame Assembly Front Back Rest, #64110AJ03A".

SO... bent an old wire hanger and added a few zip ties down the center and voila, Bob's your uncle. My back didn't know what it was missing out and boy is it far more comfortable to drive.

Just re-attached the Subaru logo on the engine cover.

Saw it near the pitch stop when I popped the hood to check the oil, was lucky it didnt fall out on to the road or something.

Peeled off the old dried up double tape, replaced with new tape cut to fit, put back into place, done.

Finished up head gaskets & a clutch.

Did you know you have to use SSM3 to 'recalibrate the clutch' after changing it?

Got something to do with the hill assist - its in the parking brake functions.

Finished up head gaskets & a clutch.

 

Did you know you have to use SSM3 to 'recalibrate the clutch' after changing it?

 

Got something to do with the hill assist - its in the parking brake functions.

interesting i wonder if it adjusts where the sensor determines the grab point is as the clutch wears and that grab point gets further from the floor.