WesleySands Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Good afternoon, I've seen this wagon on C.L. advertised: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/4403861063.html It says all it needs is a timing belt. So I know that when the belt tensioners sound like roller skates they need to be replaced. But I'm curious about the hydraulic belt tensioner arm. Is there an easy way to tell if that needs to be replaced, or how to tell about the condition? Also if its been run with a weak timing belt what are the repercussions of that internally? What's the worst case scenario. Also how can one tell by sounds or inspection if the trans is going? This will be my first real experience w/ a Subaru in general, so I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. Thank you all for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belaircarguy Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Looked at the ad on Craigs list and it states "cannot drive unless fixed". Not sure what that means, but if the timing belt actually broke (good reason the car won't run), the engine would have major damage. Subaru has an "interference" type engine, which means if the timing belt breaks, the valves bang around inside the engine and do major damage. On the other hand, the car may not be driveable for some other reason than the timing belt. In any case, to replace the timing belt, belt tensioners, water pump (while the engine is apart) and any other engine belts, figure on spending about $1100 or so. If you do the timing belt replacement the engine should be good for another 100,000 miles. The transmission may not make any funny sounds, but you can tell by driving the car if the transmission is slipping. Another easy way to check a slipping automatic transmission is to park on an uphill slant. Put the car in drive and begin to give it gas slowly. If you have to rev up the engine quite a bit before it starts to move up the hill, the transmission is slipping and could mean major dollars for repair. On the other hand, if the car starts to move up the hill with just a little gas, the transmission is engaging well, and as long as it doesn't make any clunking or banging sounds is probably OK. Good luck! Bel Air Car Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesleySands Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I'll see if I can take a look at it tomorrow, hopefully the belt hasn't snapped and the guy selling it is being overly cautious. Thank you for the insight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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