Brisvegas

When can I book my car in with you?

Not here in Australia, unlike you guys .... we drive on the left ... the left hand and middle lanes are for the legal limit "cruisers" and the right hand lane is for the overtakers and the "speed demons."

I was surprised to read your post because I have always "imagined" that my vehicles ran better after a service. I say "imagined" because I had no proof either way, and in reality it was just an imagined "feel good" thing. After reading your post I Googled "loss of power after oil change" and was again surprised at the amount of others who seemingly agree with you. I didn't read all of them, but it appears that many posters were on the "oil overfill bandwagon" ..... but for what it is worth, one reply that I did read seemed to make a bit of sense ... " It's possible that your mechanic disconnected the battery while doing his work. If so, it might take the DME a little while to relearn optimal fuel/ignition parameters ..."

:lol: Nah, no chance of that, I keep up with the speed limit in the middle lanes whilst leaving the "fast lane" clear for the "racers."

I like your "realistic" attitude" .... in that you "drive hard" and are not seemingly totally surprised when components need replacement. It prompted me to think about a couple of things. Firstly, forums like ours (and others) often tend to hear about component failures from the " vocal minority" of users ... because the "silent majority" are usually happy with their vehicles. That's not to say the opinions and information from the aforermentioned minority are not genuine, or of value, but there is a danger that their "minority" concerns are taken as being applicable to all vehicles of whatever models are under discussion. And the second thing that comes to mind with your comments, is the often heard statement that if cars are driven conservatively then they will last so much longer than those that are driven hard. For example Scotty Kilmer (who is not always correct, but is generally pretty entertaining ) often talks about certain vehicles (and CVT transmissions) as being "endless money pits" but he says if you drive them "like a Grandma" then they can possibly still last a long time. I am a very conservative driver (I don't like being referred to as a "grandma" but if the shoe fits ) ... but I do manage to get mine on the highway at least once a week to give it a decent run. I'm hoping that my driving style will give me many more years of trouble free ownership.

Maybe helpful ...

As this guy points out ... haters will always hate, but he contends that apart from a few early engines, Subarus did not have a systemic head gasket problem, and that the later models have never had head gasket problems.

You had me right up to the part where you mentioned "flushes" Do you really mean "flush" and not just fluid change ??? http://mygarageairdrie.ca/services-pricing/maintenance-services/services-that-you-dont-need-transmission-flushes/ I won't be "flushing" ... but I will be doing a drain and fill.

I will be doing likewise. I take my vehicle to the dealer for all services, and I have had several conversations with different service writers regarding CVT fluid changes. They all toed the Subaru "party line" regarding "sealed unit" and "lifetime fluid." It wasn't until my last service visit that I encountered a different service writer who was younger than the previous ones, and who apparently came from a BMW background. He openly suggested that a CVT fluid change would be beneficial at about the 50-60 mile mark ( 100,000kms here) going on my driving habits (no towing and being a conservative driver) When I reach that mileage, if this particular guy is still there (and hasn't been sacked for going against company policy) I'll get the CVT fluid change done there ... if he is gone, I will get it done at an indie that I have already previously sussed out, and who specialises in Subie servicing.

You might be interested in this from a Subaru expert. At the 13:00 min mark he states that in his opinion, most CVT problems are due to non servicing, and therefore are probably "avoidable" to some extent.

Legacy (Liberty here in Oz) has now been deleted from the Subaru line-up https://www.caradvice.com.au/880119/subaru-liberty-axed-from-australian-line-up-outback-safe/

Interesting video. P.S. There are no prizes for correctly guessing who the big "anti Subaru" youtuber is, that the guy is referring to. :lol:

We have "capped price servicing" here in Oz. Whilst there can be discussions on the fairness of the actual costs ... at least there are "no surprises" https://www.subaru.com.au/service/pricing/capped-price-servicing

Great photo (Love the plate)

I fully realise that my mileage/kms can't compare with the poster above, and that maybe at a similar mileage to him I will be singing a different tune, but for what it's worth, I have just had my 54 month service on my 3.6R (with only 50,000 kms) but I have never added a drop of oil in between services.

I am always disappointed when I see "RTFM" response to a post. I think if it's too hard to be courteous (and helpful) then perhaps it's better to remain silent. P.S. I agree about the "index" being less than perfect.

Santa always gets here earlier than for you in Merica, and he's already been and gone for us (I don't know what I'm gonna do with all this coal ) ... but best wishes to all you guys, and hopefully 2021 is better than 2020 for all of us.

Let me know your thoughts on that eventual test drive. In my case, the heart is saying "go for it" but the head is saying "don't be an idiot." I think I could live with the lack of space ... but I'd definitely struggle with excessive NVH.

I don't know about other forum members, but whenever I read about CVT's, I get the impression of this highly technical piece of equipment that should never be touched by "mere mortals." I have even read where CVT's need to be almost serviced within a specially clean environment so as to eliminate dust etc, and I have imagined in my mind that the technicians performing such services are all wearing white coats and surgical gloves, and all the parts are carefully removed and placed and numbered ready for reassembly, and that the whole procedure is somewhat similar to open heart surgery. Well I've just stumbled onto this Subaru CVT video, and it has blown all my pre-conceived ideas out of the water. The mechanic is so nonchalant and matter of fact, and the various parts are simply wrenched apart and placed on the counter wherever he has room, and if he doesn't have room then he just pushes stuff aside and makes room. I'm not suggesting that I now think CVT servicing is "simple" and that we all can do it at home ... but it has certainly taken some of the mystique out of it for me.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I think this video brings a new degree of clarity to the question of sealed for life transmissions.

Hi Shooter, I was a little worried when I saw the title of your post ... I thought you might have been experiencing some odd Covid symptoms ... so I was relieved when I saw that you were merely only referring to your car, and not to yourself personally. Here is some info that maybe everyone here knows ... but I think it's still worth considering.

Mate, in answer to your question, I'll make a bet with you that XT-sub will be on the case very soon with all the info. There is not much that he doesn't know about Aussie Outbacks

That's a deal

Once again you have performed above and beyond mate. Thanks for the offer but don't worry about the email .... I was just wondering what you thought about the newer model ... and you have covered it pretty damn well for someone who didn't even drive the car I tend to get a bit pumped when a new model comes out with "significant" improvements ... but the reality is that I figure that I'll be keeping mine until the wheels fall off. Thanks again.

Awww, C'mon Shooter .... you have the same year, same model (albeit a bit more mileage) as me ..... drain and fill the tranny fluid and keep it, ... I was counting on racing you to 300,000K