MCK Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Hello all, new to the forum and looking for some help on buying a used 4th gen Legacy GT turbo. What are the top 5 things to took at? I have owned a 1st and a 2nd, but never a turbo. Not afraid to turn a wrench, but far from a pro. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooNo2 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Look for rust... rust sucks but may come with the territory since you live in Buffalo, open all the doors and look panel rust, look under the car too and look for rusted oil pans, coolant fittings, exhaust perferations etc. check color of brake fluid black means its not been changed recently and could mean that things are corroding in the brake system Id stay away from a modded car unless you know for sure it was done right Find out what has been changed and when so you can make a list of things to change if you get it eg plugs, clutch if applicable, brakes, diff oil front and rear, AT fluid if applicable, timing belt, coolant, etc ask for compression test results if you can ask if turbo blew and when and what they did after it blew eg replaced xyz parts... ask about the turbo banjo bolt filter... if its been checked, replaced, or removed.. if not or they dont know read about it on this forum if you buy it and why it should be checked. check for oil leaks, the valve covers and pan tend to leak after 100k miles check for open recalls ... my air bag has a recall and im still waiting to be contacted for the parts to come in. check for leaking struts listen for strange sounds while engine is running listen for strange sounds while driving, vibrations, shaking, etc dont be afraid to walk away from a car that you think you want I know thats more than 5... but in the end hopefully you can spend more time driving whatever you get vs having a finacial black hole 3700 pound paperweight :0)... happy subaru purchasing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Great info. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08 LGT Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Look for rust... rust sucks but may come with the territory since you live in Buffalo, open all the doors and look panel rust, look under the car too and look for rusted oil pans, coolant fittings, exhaust perferations etc. check color of brake fluid black means its not been changed recently and could mean that things are corroding in the brake system Id stay away from a modded car unless you know for sure it was done right Find out what has been changed and when so you can make a list of things to change if you get it eg plugs, clutch if applicable, brakes, diff oil front and rear, AT fluid if applicable, timing belt, coolant, etc ask for compression test results if you can ask if turbo blew and when and what they did after it blew eg replaced xyz parts... ask about the turbo banjo bolt filter... if its been checked, replaced, or removed.. if not or they dont know read about it on this forum if you buy it and why it should be checked. check for oil leaks, the valve covers and pan tend to leak after 100k miles check for open recalls ... my air bag has a recall and im still waiting to be contacted for the parts to come in. check for leaking struts listen for strange sounds while engine is running listen for strange sounds while driving, vibrations, shaking, etc dont be afraid to walk away from a car that you think you want I know thats more than 5... but in the end hopefully you can spend more time driving whatever you get vs having a finacial black hole 3700 pound paperweight :0)... happy subaru purchasing Side notes to this post: The banjo bolt filter only applies to 2005 and 2006 models. Get a thorough inspection from a shop that is familiar with turbo Subarus. Check compression and leak down, and check the turbocharger for shaft play. Thorough maintenance records are a must. Treat this like buying a used German car. If the turbo has ever been replaced, that's a red flag. The further over 100,000 miles it is, the more and more likely it becomes that something significant will break between the engine block and turbo. This is not a used car for anyone in a precarious financial situation. You need to realistically be able to afford an engine rebuild, or I wouldn't bother (or be like me and buy one from CarMax with their bumper-to-bumper warranty). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 This thread has some good info too: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/reliability-modifications-178342.html?t=178342 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCK Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 Getting into a turbo is a big deal. I have been looking around on the forum and if you are not detailed in your buying it can really come back on you in a big way. Thank you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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